The Great Debate |
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Is playing FCS teams beneficial? |
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Easy game a confidence-booster |
Cupcake matchups waste time |
 Saturday afternoon we saw the Utes take a 49-0 lead at halftime against FCS team Weber State. Then the second string finished off the Wildcats in the second half with a 70-7 victory. Should the Utes be playing FCS teams after a blowout that extreme? Anyone remotely paying attention to the game recognized the rout was on by the second quarter. It was a fast-scoring game, as the Utes racked up seven touchdowns in the first half alone. So why play Weber State in the future? Starting off with an inflated win column boosts confidence for the rest of the season. The last time we saw the Utes kick off with a 2-0 start was in 2010. Opening this season the same way can benefit the Utes heading into Pac-12 play against Oregon State. In the past two seasons, we saw the Utes win their first game, lose their second game and proceed into Pac-12 play and start a losing streak. Having two wins under their belt going into their first Pac-12 contest brings unprecedented confidence. The second-string built confidence against the Wildcats too. Taking the first-string players off the field after the opening half allowed more players to get some in-game experience. It gave players opportunities to step up and show what they can do. Considering the danger of losing starters like Kenneth Scott to injury throughout the season, giving players experience on the field before moving them up the depth chart is crucial to avoid further situations like Scott’s from occurring. Whether players are first-string or second-string, the Utes all practice together and scrimmage together. However, nothing compares to the real thing. Thousands upon thousands of screaming fans and another team standing in front of them is drastically different than practice. The electricity of the game only gets stronger heading into Pac-12 play, and playing FCS schools gives players a chance to acclimate. Fans want to see their team win — they want the game-day experience. Playing those FCS teams generates revenue for the Utes while giving the fans the experience they want. Some may believe that there is no time in the schedule for the FCS teams or it really is a waste of time, but look at the season as a whole. Utah is proving they belong in the Pac-12 by taking these opponents down. Pummeling FCS opponents is not a huge benefit to Utah in making a name for themselves, but teams like Weber State gain national exposure by playing at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Sure, they are being asked to match up against a Pac-12 school, but scouts may find players that they may have overlooked in an FCS vs. FBS contest. Starting off the season with an FCS blowout helped give Utah a 2-0 start for the first time in three years. It gave their inexperienced players experience. It gave the fans something to cheer about, and it gave the Utes confidence as they head into this weekend’s Pac-12 conference opener against Oregon State. |
 Utah football is a cherished thing in this city. It is rare to not hear something about the game on a day the Utes are playing. Seemingly everyone wears red, Ute flags hang out of windows and on front porches and even dogs are in Ute gear. Game day is a proud day for Utah fans. So it’s fair to think that these fans would want a good game to watch. They would hope for a contest that is filled with a high level of competition, drama, great plays and a close finish, much like what they saw in the season opener against Utah State. Last weekend, however, fans watched more of a practice than a game for the Utes, as Utah dismantled the Weber State Wildcats, 70-7. Not to take anything away from Weber State football, but because it is an FCS team, it is not worth Utah’s time and doesn’t deserve a spot in the Utes’ schedule. It is common for the first game of a season to be against a team such as Weber State that will not cause many problems, a team that can be a warm-up for future conference games that will be more competitive. Utah’s season opener against Utah State, which is a very good team, was evidence enough that the Utes can operate in a high-pressure game and get the job done. They didn’t need a cupcake on their schedule to begin the season on a good note. Additionally, as college football moves toward a playoff, strength of schedule will be more important than ever before. The higher the competition of a team, the better chance it will have of cracking into the playoff and playing in an elite bowl game at the end of the season if it has a successful regular season. Playing FCS teams won’t help FBS teams such as Utah achieve its goal of someday getting into the playoff. Big schools will always schedule smaller schools to play against at the beginning of the season to warm up or even showcase the team, but for the fans’ sake, this needs to stop. From the Utes’ perspective, they need to do as much as they can to show conference foes such as Oregon and UCLA that they are for real. Playing cupcake opponents won’t send this message. It needs to stop. |
Great Debate: Is playing FCS teams beneficial?
September 10, 2013
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