there were certain conferences/teams that were clearly better than other conferences/teams.

The PAC 10, Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 ruled the college football world and teams like Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, UCLA, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Florida, and Alabama fought annually for the national championship. There was some shuffling of the deck each year, and an occassional interloper, but for the most part, poll voters could rank the Top 20 teams each year without even looking at how many starters were returning.

Times have changed. There are no more elite teams. On any given Saturday, Appalachian State, Ole' Miss, or Oregon State can pull an "upset" over a highly ranked team.

It's tough when you've been on top for so long to accept that the rest of the football world has closed the gap and you aren't that much better than everybody else.

Our USC, SEC, Big 12 friends who spam this blog with constant reminders of how much better their teams are, are proof that their team really aren't that much better. If they were, we wouldn't need the constant reminders, it would simply be a given.

Congrats BYU on making the Top 10!!!

Did you read that right Utes and Ute Fans, you are 10 1/2 point favorites over the Beavers, it will be a cake walk, no big deal, nothing to worry about, just roll over them like road kill! You guys are awesome!!! You can coast through this game without any problem at all! Just show up, the USC game was a fluke for them, don't worry at all.

"I hope that is their attitude" tee hee hee!

Hey Dick,
You feeling alright? I have never heard you talk so little about BYU in one of your columns. I guess I would try to divert attention if my team were that overrated to. Smart move.

As a BYU fan and certainly not a fan of the Team Up North, I must admit, that I am rooting for the Utes! Are you kidding, the MWC has two ranked teams, (now that TCU dropped) and as a conference we need Utah to do well. I hope they go undefeated for the rest of the season until we play in November. I don't think you guys understand, that we need Utah to be good and they need us. Hopefully, we break into the BCS and play for a NC. But for that to happen, Utah and TCU must continue to do well. Enough of the stupied anti-Utah sentiment, good luck Utes! ( I can't believe I what I just wrote, but it's the truth).

As much as I would like to see the utes win, everyone knows that they will lose two or three games before they lose to BYU this year.

I'm a Ute fan and all Dick ever writes about is the Cougars. Just kidding, I'm not a Ute fan but for all Ute fans in the future, Dick's job is to cover the Cougars for the Deseret News. Of course he going to write about BYU a majority of the time.

Also, Ute fans, have a little class for once in your life. When Utah was ranked high in 2004 I didn't hear BYU fans crying about the Utes being overrated. You guys are sore losers. Emphasis on losers.

I hope the Utes stomp the Beavers. Can you believe a crazier season where Ute fans and Cougar fans are rooting for each other? (well the smart ones are anyway)

Good comment Erodcoug! All BYU fans should also be rooting for the Ute's too. As it has been said many times, A MWC win against a BCS opponent, especially a good BCS team, is a win for the WHOLE conference, but I realize there are some people out there that hate the UTES or BYU no matter what....how stupid!!!! Go UTES!!!!!even though I'm a BYU fan!

You must not have been paying much attention in 2004. Almost every BYU fan I knew was saying that Utah was overrated and that BYU was going to beat them down and end their BCS run in the game that year. You only missed it because you were viewing it through cougar eyes.

It's amazing how so-called BYU fans get on these posts and start complaining about Ute fans saying this that and the other thing, when they haven't even posted anything on a particular article. The comment I'm referencing, of course, is cry, cry, cry's post at 8:24 a.m. That particular commenter also likes to take potshots at the Ute Fans (calling them losers) while, in the same breath, accusing them of having no class. Since when was name calling classy?

Good luck this week Utah! Keep winning. It's doing wonders for the conference. For you to beat up on Oregon State after they took out USC will look awesome!

Wrong, you are the one viewing it through your Ute eyes. I'm a BYU fan and I even went to the Fiesta Bowl because I wanted to see what a team from the MWC could do. I even think the Utes could have beat USC that year. I'm not alone. Many of my friends who are BYU fans thought the same way. I know it hurts Ute fan's self esteem when BYU does well but get used to it. BYU is back and here to stay. They're no longer in rebuilding mode, it is now reloading mode.

When was the last time the cougs beat a ranked team, what has it been 3 years?? Yhe y hasn't done anything to earn a top 10 ranking, top 20 yes but not top 10! The rest of the top 10 compete against top 25 teams all year, byu has yet to prove they can beat a decent team out of the conference!

Really? You remember EVERY BYU fan's thoughts regarding the quality of that '04 Utes team? Not one BYU fan thought they were overrated? It must be nice to have that kind of memory.

If this is the type of logic and reason, not to mention name-calling associated with the majority of BYU fans, count me as one who will never don or root for the blue in my life.

IN 2004 THAT IS THE ONLY THING I HEARD COMING OUT OF BYU FANS MOUTHS " UTAH IS WAY OVERRATED, THEY ARE NOT AS GOOD AS EVERYONE SAYS"

How many Ranked teams has Texas Tech and Texas beat so far?

I do think that talk of national championship is premature for BYU. They do need to beat some ranked teams first.

Re: Homer Harmon.....let's be clear--other writers switch off covering teams, i.e. Sorenson covers a team one year and Facer does it the next. But Homer Harmon never covers ANYONE BUT BYU. Except once in awhile when there's a bye, he will actually write something about the broader sports horizon, since he has nothing to write about. After all, BYU doesnt have a ski team. Like the parody on the BYU motto says, "The campus is our world." Even the BYU sportswriter is myopic.

Can you read? I said many, not every BYU fan. I didn't say not one BYU fan, I said most BYU fans. I didn't say Ute fans were losers. I said Ute fans that dwell on what BYU is doing every second of the day are losers. My point is that there is nothing wrong with acknowledging when the other team is good whether you are a BYU fan or Utah fan. My other point is that this is an article by Dick Harmon. I'm amazed how many Ute fans get so upset because Dick writes about BYU more than Utah. That's the team that he is paid to write about.

Re:cry cry cry..

The classless, ignorant, obnoxious fans exist with pretty much every team across the nation.

"Utah has won six games in a row and is tied for the second-longest streak nationally ..."

Wow, six in a row that's GREAT!! So you're telling us the last time they lost was 7 games ago? Who was it they played? That must have been one heck of a team!

Utah has to get past Oregon State..nothing else matters for now. And OSU is going to bring it hard fro the PAC 10. This will be a great test.

BYU has to beat USU...should be no problem but I am betting USU is putting all their season into this one game.

Both teams have a lot to lose this week...big, huge, fat targets on the BYU and Utah backs from here on out.

BYU will have their first real challenges at TCU, Air Force and Utah away.

I would love to see a MWC team play and SEC team in a bowl...

Broad generalizations that categorize "all Utah Fans" or all "BYU Fans" as thinking alike, acting alike or wishing alike are inappropriate and incorrect!

Those who choose to post on this website should recognize that generalizations are meaningless and only reflect the lack of sophistication on the part of the writer.

Many of us enjoy reading well thought out and articulate posts, but sophomoric comments and lack of class add nothing to this board other than to rouse the ire of another who is classless and sophomoric. The entire sequence becomes boring and petty.

It is absolutely ridiculous for anyone to say that all the fans of one school think - or act - the same way.

When I attended a football game at Notre Dame a few years ago, I was absolutely amazed at the gracious nature of the Notre Dame fans towards those of us who were visiting. While they cheered hard for their team, they did it with true sportmanship.

Maybe those of us in Utah could learn from that example and show some class and some sportsmanship instead of ragging on someone in a cowardly way. I'm guessing you wouldn't speak like this to someone in person.

This poor-man's posting site sure does get the duds. Can't believe the juvenile comments that go on here.

Go Utah! Beat OSU! Help BYU's SOS!

I'm growing tired of posting and reading many of the other posts on the Deseret News. Why are there so many uneducated and just plain stupid fans that make such stupid comments? Having a rivalry is a good thing thing but some of these comments are classless, mark of an uneducated person and like I said, just plain stupid.

Utah needs BYU to go undefeated, BYU needs Utah to go undeafeted. I have said this for more than 20 years and now it just might happen. The stars are aligned for both the Utes & Cougars this year and it better be the best matchup in the history of this rivalry!

For the uneducated fans: BYU is GOOD, Utah is GOOD. Please stop with the stupid comments like: 50 years ago we beat so & so....Stop with the 1984 NC....Stop with the 2004 BCS buster....Stop with stupid slams on the other school....

THIS YEAR IS THIS YEAR AND I FOR ONE WISH THAT THIS YEAR WOULD HAPPEN EVERY YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go BYU, keep it up and Hall for the Heisman.

Most of all, GO UTES!!!! Go unbeaten and then beat a top 5 ranked BYU!!!!!!!

And utah is ranked how high and how many teams have they shut out this year while playing their backups the last 1 1/2 qtrs of the game?

Exactly.

Here's your notorious comment:

"I didn't hear BYU fans crying about the Utes being overrated."

Does anyone see "many BYU fans"? Nope. Just a plain and simple generalization. The fact of whether or not you meant to generalize isn't the issue. The issue is that you insinuated BYU fans have more class than Ute fans. That's just juvenile speculation. Do you see now why the uproar?

I share the same opinion as many that have posted. If we, whether BYU or Utah fans, could just focus on what happens on the field and forget about the petty side arguments, there might be more enjoyable dialogue among the rival fans.

As much as I would like either BYU or Utah to play for a national championship it is never going to happen without a playoff. So, please get over it and stop the wishful thinking. BYU could be the only undefeated team in the nation and they will not be #1 or #2 in the BCS poll at the end of the season which is required to get into the championship game. The cartel that control college football will not allow it to happen.

Attention Deseret News!! Mr. Harmon could use an editor. Oklahoma St. is undefeated!! It was the Kansas Jayhawks that lost to South Florida. Mr. Harmon's writing proves that he is not fit to comment about things that happen outside of Provo.

Stars are aligned...isn't that the Ivory Homes marketing campaign right now?

Put away your conspiracy theories. The BCS is not organized enough to actually pull off a scam in the BCS polls. They're money grabbers, true. They've rigged the rules in their favor, true. But, now that the season is underway, they don't "control" anything.

and

Please don't ever dream to accomplish anything beyond the mundane and ordinary.

It would be so tragic for you to ever be disappointed because you didn't succeed at everything you ever tried.

Most fans are intelligent enough to realize that BYU or Utah playing for a national championship this year is a long shot. But, even if it's only a one-in-a-million possibility, it's still a possibility.

ANY team ranked in the Top 15 before October has a chance, however slim, of playing for the NC.

Roll up the Beavers. Send them back to the PAC-10 with a spanking. MWC fans should get over the BCS not wanting to share the money. It's the dollars, not fairness, best treams, etc.

wow, can someone say defensive? Where in the original post did the utes come up? Don't take a criticism of byu, not to mention one that is presented by many, and turn it into something anti-Utah. I would hope that a normal byu fan would admit that BYU's lack of impressive ooc winS is something that is holding them back from being ranked even higher. You might wonder why there is a general dislike of byu fans, and you provided a reason! Take valid criticism of your team without deflecting it to someone else!

Eeeh Gads! Enough of these childish BYU vs UTAH comments. All that matters is what is accomplished on the field, not these idiotic comments from people who just want to spew hate.

As a UTE fan I'm excited when BYU knocks the stuffins out of a BCS league team. I also love it when Utah does the same. The only time I don't want BYU to win is when they play the Utes.

If you want to "beat your chest" wait until after BYU vs UTAH games is over. Then and only then should one team's fans come on this board and post inappropriate comments about their manhood.

My hope is that both teams arrive at that November 22nd game undefeated. And then, I want it to be a nail-biter right down to the last gasp!

for the "Rules of Decorum"

Unfortunately, I think you're preaching to the choir. Those who would follow such rules, probably already do. Most of those who don't even understand what the word "decorum" means, will likely continue with their typically brash, but mostly clueless bashing.

Intelligent, unbiased discussions about the strengths and weakness of teams, and state of college football in general, are few and far between on this blog.

Strength of Schedule is absolutely a legitimate topic especially when you consider how the polls work (don't work). Right now BYU is undefeated with the sos ranked #111 (cbssportsline.com). The Utes are undefeated and the SOS is #12. I am not saying the Utes should be ranked higher than BYU I am saying no one knows anything about th cougars and wil not until Mid to late October. The Utes will have an opportunity to show one way or the other what type of team they have on thursday.
There is something to be said for not doing a "Hawaii" to get into the BCS.

Utah will always be the real BCS busters. Utah's past is the tds dream.

First of all, the first true SOS ratings haven't come out yet. Allwe have right is a mixture of preseason rankings and a few games played.

Second, the SOS will change for every team as we progress through the season. A 1-3 team today, could be a 7-4 team by season's end.

Third, since BYU and Utah play 9 of 12 common opponents, there are only 6 teams that will have any affect on the comparative SOS for both teams. It's unlikely there will be a significant difference between BYU's and Utah's end of season SOS.

Finally, SOS is moot any, as far as BYU/Utah comparisons, because if both teams are undefeated on November 22nd, their head-to-head matchup will far outweigh any small difference in SOS.

BYU is looking for a "Hawaii" to sneak into the BCS, BYU is looking for a "1984" on steroids to bash their way into the NC game.

one great season, and a whole bunch of mediocrity.

And, the coach who produced that one great season, immediately packed his carpetbag and headed to a TDS. Ironic.

#1 > #5

BYU will continue the quest to repeating #1, while Utah lives in the slowly dimming afterglow of #5.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That was a good one. So, what you're telling everyone is that BYU can only dream of being known for one thing, EVER! If you asked any fan across the nation what they know of Utah football, if they know anything it will be the 2004 season. What else are they going to tell you? Uhhhhh....... they beat BYU back in the 20's and 30's. Ask them about BYU.....probably a few more things would come to mind. NC, heisman, davey o'brien, outland trophy, steve young, jim mcmahon, lavell edwards, etc. Oh, wait, they might remember the name of one of the biggest busts as the #1 pick in NFL history....wasn't his name Alex Smith....or was it Alvin Smith, Albert? Is he still with the 49er's?

Utah's SOS won't matter if they don't beat OSU on Thursday.

Ref: Not Overated
By your logic, let me ask....Did you beat anybody ranked last year?.....If you did....then we beat you. BYU 1 pt

By your logic, let me ask...Did you beat a ranked team the year before?...If you did...then we beat you. That constitutes the beginning of a string.

BYU 1 pt

By your logic, let me ask....Have you beaten a ranked team thus far this year?....In the event that BYU should lose to Utah, that constitutes that BYU, despite a possible loss, will still have a best
of 3 advatage. However due to the fact that UCLA beat Tennessee in their opening game UCLA was ranked in top 25 at the time of their loss to BYU, their 2nd opponent. BYU 1 pt

By your logic, going into your Oregon State game... a team who beats a ranked team has to be better than the ranked team beaten...so a team who beats a team, who beat a ranked team is better than the ranked team ...AND... the team that beat the ranked team.

By your logic... BYU is ahead in this series 3-0 going into the Nov 22nd game...................... I can live with that !!!

if that wasn't just the biggest rambling good for nothing post i have ever witnessed...

i used to use that logic in 3rd grade...they beat them, you beat them, i beat you, but even though i lost to them, i beat you, so i am the best...blah blah blah...

congrats to BYU and Utah for having the best possible chance to break into the BCS...i don't know why we all argue when all it is going to come down to is the head to head between both teams...unless one team loses, which shouldn't happen...

who cares about win streaks, shutting out wyoming, 1984, 2004, last years losses, SOS, etc...all that is going to matter is the last regular season game of the year as long as both continue to win...

Yes, I am a dying breed, a dinosaur...

A Cougar Fan that will be in the stand cheering for Utah to CRUSH Oregon State.

Yes, one of the very few intelligent fans left in the state - no matter whether they wear Red or Blue.

Too many fans are the "My favorite team is ____ and anyone who plays against ___" fill in either Utah or BYU... it goes both ways.

I join with my "Ute Brothers" in cheering on the Utes to victory Thursday. And yet many of them will be obnoxious idiots... BYU haters... hoping BYU loses all the rest of their games...but like I said, those are not the "True" Fans.

They are just haters. So blinded by hate of the Blue they can't see that it is good for both Red and Blue if Red and Blue keep winning.

Can't we all just get along?

(at least until that day in November... then you can be as Red or Blue as you like)???

To 'Smart Cougar Fan':

I join you in your lament that the new generation of BYU football fans are so ridiculously arrogant and over-zealous that they can't think about what's best for the Blue and White. If I had it my way, Utah would be ranked #1 on November 22nd, and people around the country would actually tune in to the Mountain (if they have it) instead of ESPN or ABC for the game of the week.

I think a lot of these new Cougar fans don't remember the lean years from 2002-2005. It doesn't take much for your program to go from the top of the world to the dumpster, and its best not to make ridiculously lofty predictions when it comes to football...EVER.

I was one of those arrogant fans as a kid...the Crowton years taught me a little humility and patience, and gave me more appreciation for what the Cougars are currently accomplishing.

Go Cougars!

Dick,
Your stats are funny. I guess it makes sense since you cover the cougs and their fans are notorious for making up facts, telling half the story, or agrandizing their team. Why do you think the MWC is 5 - 1 against the PAC 10? Did you not watch last week's games? It makes all your other stats questionable as well.
Please, next time, quote sources or we quit reading your false facts.

In the "BOTTOM LINE" paragraph you wrote:

The Big 12 is coming on with three top-five teams. Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Texas Tech, Kansas and Oklahoma State are 23-1, and the Cowboys' loss came at the buzzer to South Florida.

The "Cowboys" didn't play South Florida. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are 4-0. It was the Kansas Jayhawks who lost at the buzzer.

C'mon Dick...Get it together for once.