National Championship or BCS8212;hmm, which is better?
Before I even begin my argument, I have to say that I am only writing this because no one from The Daily Universe would do it (says something when even BYU fans won’t argue for them) and none of my writers wanted to. So I am biting the bullet and taking one for the team. Don’t judge me.
I hate to admit it, but BYU has done something that Utah might never have the chance to do8212;win a national championship. Even though football has come a long way since 1984, when the Cougars brought home the National Championship, a championship is a championship. Until the Utes have a championship trophy, BYU will have something to hold over their heads.
BYU was the only undefeated team in 1984, which resulted in automatically winning the title. Unfortunately for the Utes, their undefeated season didn’t come until 2004, well after 1998, when the Bowl Championship Series was put in place.
BYU wasn’t the Boise State of 1984. It didn’t play a cupcake schedule in attempt to have an undefeated season. Sure, it was in the Western Athletic Conference, but the WAC then wasn’t what it is now. Utah, Colorado State, Wyoming, Air Force and New Mexico8212;teams that have helped make the MWC a conference that deserves national respect8212;were all part of the conference back then.
BYU also defeated Pittsburgh, which finished the 1983 season in the top 20, and Michigan, which was second in the nation the following year. The Cougars didn’t blow all their opponents away that year either, as five of their 13 wins were determined by a touchdown or less.
There is a reason BYU’s stadium is named after LaVell Edwards. He built BYU into the program it is today. During his 29-year tenure, Edwards led BYU to a 257-101-3 record, including 10 straight conference championships and a National Championship.
I’ve been a Utah fan since the day I was born. It pains me to say this, but the fact of the matter is that BYU being a former national champion and perennial powerhouse has helped Utah get to where it is today. If we didn’t have a team like BYU in the conference, the BCS might have never taken notice of the football being played here. We might have never gotten to BCS without BYU’s past success.
I’m not trying to take away from Utah’s success. What we did in 2004 and 2008 were great accomplishments and paved the way for other non-BCS schools to break into BCS games. Without Utah, TCU wouldn’t be making a run for the National Championship today. Our undefeated seasons and success against the BCS have fueled the argument to get rid of the BCS altogether, but there still isn’t a national championship trophy in our trophy room.
I hope the day the BCS is banished or at least the day non-BCS schools are allowed to compete for the national championship is just around the corner. Until then, BYU fans have bragging rights and something no Ute has8212;a national championship.
