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No BYU-Utah Rivalry Football Games in 2014 or 2015

green said:
Let's look at the "rivalry." The first 50 years (1922-1972) Utah's record was 41-8-4. Complete domination by Utah.

Then came LaVell. For the next 20 years (1972-1992) BYU completely dominated, going 19-2.

Then comes the last 19 years. In that time frame, Utah is 12-7, including 7 out of the last 10. The more this goes on, the more it looks like this hasn't been much of a rivalry, but more of a LaVell aberration. The reason why it has become "The Holy War" is not due to overall record, but BYU fan's actions during their blip on the radar. Well, what goes around comes around.

So, recap. Overall, Utah is 55-34, with Utah winning 62% of the time. If we take out the LaVell era, Utah has a 78% winning percentage. If we look at the last decade, Utah has 70% winning percentage against BYU with multiple blowouts, and BYU's only wins coming by a combined 12 pts (or 4 pts a win). Huh, the more and more this goes on, it looks like this isn't much of a rivalry, but a period of time where BYU had a great coach and Utah was down.

I just feel bad for BYU fan that caught Utah at a down time, built their lives around the fact that God loves BYU, therefore BYU beats Utah (who mysteriously pours beer on all BYU fans) because Utah isn't BYU. The more time goes on, they were just born at a lucky time, more than BYU is some national power.
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Ladies and gentleman, my new favorite poster: Green
I love how Conan and Trout followed with brief comments yet avoided tackling these points head on. I guess even they realize when something is hopelss. And YB, you nailed the only real negative in this: My yearly $25 stipend from Trout will be going away. On the bright side, maybe Trout will now be able to afford to outfit his girls in something other than YBU gear.
 
colton said:
One odd thing about this, though, is that many Utah fans are saying they don't need to play BYU because (in effect) Utah is now so much better than the Y.
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Link?

I think it's less Utah fans saying it, and more BYU fans saying that Utah fans say it.

I, for one, will miss those games.
 
colton said:
80-90% of the Ute fans are taking the "We're so far above the Y we don't need to play them" line.
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Wee bit of hyperbole on your part there, colton, but I guess you're seeing what you want to see. Maybe I'm doing the same. But I know a lot of U fans, and this is hardly the consensus.

Most are like me, believing that the schools have just taken different paths, and would rather see the rivalry stay.
 
While I am dissappointed that they are not going to play every year anymore. The reality is that the game lost most of it's luster when Utah changed conferences. This rivalry is bound to go the way of Utah/Utah state and Byu/Utah state. A nice game and fun because it's in state. But otherwise mostly meaningless.
 
As a Ute fan I'm sad to see the rivalry go. It's part of the culture in Utah and getting rid of it leaves a massive hole in Utah sports.

BYU needs to get their head out and start contributing tot he rivalry and make some concessions. Utah has in the past, BYU has done nothing.

Little brother isn't so little anymore and he has you pinned. It's time to pony up.

BYU sucks.
 
As a Ute fan, it will be somewhat disappointing to see it go, but green brought up some major reasons why it is actually not so bad. Having Michigan games scheduled will be awesome win or lose. BYU really had the opportunity to keep this going but fumbled it when their demands kept them out of the Big 12.
 
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Im stunned by how little this seems to be bothering me. Maybe the 2 year break will make me miss the series with BYU but considering that Utah will be playing Michigan, USC, Oregon, and Stanford during that gap I just dont see it happening.

It seems really strange to say, but not playing BYU just seems "meh" at this point.
 
green said:
You infer that BYU cares more about the rivalry than money, which isn't true.
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I think there's some confusion in BYU's leadership as to what is more lucrative... The whole Independence, exposure, BYU Tv/ESPN contract vs giving some concessions, taking some lumps early, paying dues to a conference, and being tied to all the benefits of a conference.

I'm pretty sure that if some of the religious eggheads that have never played sports in their lives opened their minds to the earning potential of joining the Big 12, they'd make the concessions and join it ASAP.

At the beginning, it might be rough. BYU would have to give up some ESPN contracts. Give up their highly talked about (but to the average BYU fan, completely worthless) tv.

They may have to pay some fees. Agree to not take as much money out of the pool in the first few years.

But in the long run, getting into a big conference is the difference between life and death in the NCAA.

And honestly, when I think of it, just imagine how much green the BYU Cougars could make if they joined the Big 12. In Basketball? The Mar. Center would literally outsell the Delta Center. Kansas, Texas, Ok, etc.... That's a better schedule than the Pac 12. Hell, that's a better schedule than the Jazz.

For Baseball, Track, etc it would be a dream come true.

For Football? BYU would struggle. They could probably make a run every now and again...

Now, for the other issue, such as exposure and missionary work? I can think of no better way to spread the church around than to play week in and week out in the Big 12.
I can think of no better way to teach about temples, "Mormon Life", and BYU's standards than to bring Southern Schools into Provo.

Economically, it could be the biggest boost the restaurants, hotels, ski resorts, and Provo Airport would have had since the Olympics.

I have no doubt that SLC will see a boost economically with all these big schools, fans, and media now coming to watch the Utes.

Having the Pac-12 and Big 12 in this state just makes too much sense.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid that certain members of BYU's leadership are either blind to this fact or too stubborn to make concessions.

I'm a BYU fan and I'm disgusted with the way this has gone down. I'm 100 % disinterested in this season. I'll tune in to watch a few games, mostly just to watch the great athletes from Texas. But the rest of the games are garbage... And the whole point of the season is lost when at best you're shooting for the Armed Forces Bowl.

I hope that more fans become disinterested, like me, and force BYU to reverse course.

Independence sucks.

I'm already bored playing Idaho in Football, Gonzaga and St. Marys in Basketball. I've watched BYU Tv for 30 seconds (and quickly turned it off to watch some crappy Notre Dame game since BYU tv wasn't on HD).

Get into the Big 12 or seriously, dismantle all athletics. I'm dead serious.

Utah has indeed reached a Golden Age. Almost every week they're playing a bigtime school with bigtime consequences involving bigtime money.

Stop trying to sell **** to your fans and calling it chocolate.
 
Thriller - Jabari Parker would be a cougar if they were in the Big 12. I do believe that and I'm a Ute (with Y sympathies).
 
I really really wanted to be done with this topic. But honestly, I don't think Utah "has" to have a game with some weak-sauce opponent that's a near-guaranteed win. Playing BYU and playing Michigan are only mutually exclusive because Hill and Whittingham say they are. I think Utah's best chance at getting in to the four-team playoff in a few years is winning their conference and having a tough non-conference schedule. But obviously Hill knows best.
 
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You still have the Bronze of... what year was that again? Oh well, you'll always have it, right fella's? Here's to many, many years of mediocrity. Cheers!
 
TroutBum said:
01-Biff.jpg


You still have the Bronze of... what year was that again? Oh well, you'll always have it, right fella's? Here's to many, many years of mediocrity. Cheers!
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I want to laugh at this reference that you've brought up at least twice now. I really do. Problem is, its just not funny. In fact, its pretty lame and kinda sad that you keep pushing it and it seems to be catching on with no one.

I have no problem with you insulting the Utes. In fact, I invite it. Just try to be more clever in the future please. And if this is your "A" material, perhaps you should just stop right now.
 
gregbroncs said:
While I am dissappointed that they are not going to play every year anymore. The reality is that the game lost most of it's luster when Utah changed conferences. This rivalry is bound to go the way of Utah/Utah state and Byu/Utah state. A nice game and fun because it's in state. But otherwise mostly meaningless.
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This. Utah = Utah State (only in terms of the meaning of the game).
 
nightmare3983 said:
I really really wanted to be done with this topic. But honestly, I don't think Utah "has" to have a game with some weak-sauce opponent that's a near-guaranteed win. Playing BYU and playing Michigan are only mutually exclusive because Hill and Whittingham say they are. I think Utah's best chance at getting in to the four-team playoff in a few years is winning their conference and having a tough non-conference schedule. But obviously Hill knows best.
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So, if Utah runs the table in the PAC-12, beating USC, Oregon, Washington, Cal, UCLA, etc, etc, etc, and then plays Michigan, Northern Colorado, and MWC team, do you think they are left out of the playoff?

Nope.

The rivalry is fun, but in terms of what Utah can accomplish, it is irrelevant.
 
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