Would it be in the best interest of the U football team to make it to a BCS bowl? Any answer other than an emphatic yes would be asinine and the Utes actually have a great chance to do it.
The idea of the Utes making a BCS bowl is not farfetched, considering the amount of attention being paid to the so- called “BCS Busters.” Watching a David vs. Goliath matchup in one of the BCS bowls is going to get great ratings, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility.
Let’s just assume the Utes go undefeated and Louisville loses next week against Miami.
Utah would be the clear-cut choice for the Fiesta Bowl and the team goes down to Tempe to play one of the big boys.
The arguments against the desire to go to a BCS bowl include: Urban Meyer would leave if we won; and if we lose, then the mid-majors would lose a lot of respect.
Whenever I consider these negatives of going to a BCS bowl, images of Mel Gibson in “Braveheart” filter into my head, as he is riding on that stupid horse giving a speech to his troops-yes, I know it’s cheesy. And yes I am contemplating quitting column writing since this could possibly be published, but it applies to the situation.
If you had one chance to finally stick it to the elite schools in the nation, would you take it? Or would you just hope the Utes go to the Liberty Bowl every single year and mire in mid-major mediocrity?
The answer is clear, but what about the potential consequences of going to a BCS bowl?
Meyer is already the hottest coaching commodity at a mid-major and is getting major pub, and will probably get many offers this season. It doesn’t matter if the Utes win their BCS bowl; Meyer would get the same offers even if the Utes didn’t make it to the Fiesta. Everyone is talking about him and every time the Ute games are televised on ESPN, the main conversation is about how long Meyer will stay at the U.
If his intention is to go to a better school, then he is already as good as gone, so he might as well do the best we can while he is here.
If the Utes won the bowl game, then I could see Meyer wanting to stay in Salt Lake. Utah’s stock would be as high as the moon and a Pac-10 invitation could come in the next couple years.
If the chances for a Pac-10 invitation are increased, then what advantages would Meyer have going to a team where he would be on the hot seat if he lost two straight games. It’s not like Meyer will get a job at top SEC schools or schools such as Florida State or Miami.
Right now it seems that Meyer could possibly get in at Notre Dame if the Fighting Irish screw up just enough to get Tyrone Willingham fired. The University of Washington will need a coach after this season, but Meyer shouldn’t be interested if the Utes win their BCS game.
Face it-there is nothing the team can do about Meyer and not making the BCS isn’t a great solution to keep him.
What if the Utes get blown out against the likes of an Oklahoma? It doesn’t matter.
Sure the mid-majors would lose tons of credibility, but wouldn’t Ute fans rather see the their team representing all the other mid-major schools in the nation than a team like Louisville?
If the mid-majors are going to go down, at least it wouldn’t be dependent on another team’s performance. If the Utes are victorious in the Fiesta Bowl, then the gripes of the other schools not getting a chance would be more seriously considered.
A cost-benefit analysis of the Utes winning over a loss in a BCS bowl would clearly point the Ute fans to want the team to make it to a BCS bowl.The amount of money the Utes would receive for making it to the Fiesta Bowl is more than considerable. $18 million split among the schools in the conference will not only earn the MWC respect, but also allow the U to improve their facilities and be a perennial top-20 team every year.
The basketball team did it, so why can’t the football team follow?