When talking to a Utah football fan, it is easy for the loyal Ute to reference the olden days when the program used to be on top. Utah used to beat up on Mountain West Conference opponents, leading to two undefeated seasons in 2005 and 2009 and two victories in BCS bowls over Pittsburgh and Alabama, respectively.
Those perfect, wire-to-wire seasons were commemorated at Rice-Eccles Stadium by having banners hung on the outside of the stadium so that no matter who was coming to the game or practice that day, everyone would be reminded of those seasons.
However, in a subtle move that maybe not every person noticed last Thursday, the Utah football program decided to move on from those banners and make some new ones. There are now no banners that honor those undefeated seasons outside of the stadium — instead, there are banners for the Crimson Club and the 50th anniversary of the Liberty Bowl, when the Utes took down West Virginia in the first-ever indoor college football game.
While there is nothing wrong with the new banners by any means, I heard multiple Utah fans on Thursday evening who asked why the program decided to take down those banners and shared their displeasure with the decision. If you’re asking me, (which you probably aren’t, but who cares), this was a great move by either Whittingham, the PR crew or whoever decided to make this move.
Gone are the days of old. Gone are the days of the Mountain West. Gone are the days of domination and gone are the days of undefeated seasons. It is no secret Utah football has struggled the last three seasons in the Conference of Champions, so why revisit the times when the Utes struck fear in BCS squads? I mean, Idaho State didn’t look like they were trembling in their cleats, and that will be the weakest opponent Utah goes up against all season long.
It’s the bitter truth — the Utes just aren’t intimidating anymore. I don’t think Oregon is looking at its matchup at Rice-Eccles Stadium like a trap game or a challenge, but rather just a minor speed bump in the Ducks’ journey to the college football playoff.
I believe Whittingham is trying to stop reminding the program of the past so they can focus on the present. While being the original BCS-busting team is a cool fact and all, I have a hard time believing the Utes are okay with being known JUST for that. Current Utah players and coaches are trying to make a name for themselves.
So, while some may not agree with the decision to take the old banners down, as they represent so much within this program, it was probably one of the smartest decisions made by Whittingham and Co. thus far in the season.
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