Best Football Team of All Time

[Ted Lasso]

What do you guys think is the best Utah football team to ever take the field? I am guessing most of the answers would be 2004 or 2008. But is there any possibility that 2019 could be the best? They had a terrible end to that season but I’m thinking that perhaps the Pac-12 depth and talent could supercede those other great Ute teams. What do y’all think?

[richute]

Idk I would say 2019. If that team had this offensive line they go to the rose bowl. We are looking to be scary good in 2023 tho.

[Ghost of the HEB]

Rose Bowl? 2019 Utah was one win away from the CFP. You’re right about the OL being a mess in that championship game.

Hard to choose best team tho. 08 beating Saban-led Bama in a BCS bowl is no small feat. Urban also talks of the 04 team as being a squad that could’ve beaten anyone in the country if given the chance (CFB post season is so dumb and always has been). 19 defense was stacked with upperclassmen NFL draft picks + Huntley and Moss. But it’s difficult to call them the better team when season ended so badly.

[Central Coast Ute]

2019 was the deepest top to bottom. 2004 had had a lot dudes that went on to the NFL but beyond the starters weren’t that great. The 2008 team probably had the best overall season. You can choose any one of those teams and make an argument for the best of all time. For me, the 2019 team is the best of all time. Not because they had the best season, but they had more depth due to being in the PAC 12. Next year, I’m hoping to say that team is the best, it’s starting to look like it very well could be.

[ProudUte]

My thoughts:

1. 2019 – The team was loaded and very good.  There are some reasons why it ended badly that I won’t go into here.

2. 2008 – Undefeated against two top 10 teams and three other top 25 teams.  Great season.  It could be argued that this was our vest team ever. (It’s all subjective.)

3. 2004 – Undefeated against a weaker schedule.  But, it was a very fun season.

4. 1994 – First time we ended up in the top 10.  The UNM loss late in the season was heartbreaking.

[UtemanUtefan]

This years TE’s RB’s and LB’s, 2019s DL and DBs, 2008s OL and 2004s QB.

Best is always subjective, depends on who you play and when, and how much growth the team went through… were they mostly underclassmen like this year or senior laden like 2004 & 2008? 2019 was the most depth and talent we’ve ever had, but the hardest schedule and competition, plus some very unlucky injuries at the end.

[MauchDawgUte]

Definitely not the best yet but the 2021 Utes will always be one of my favorite teams given the adversity they have all experienced. Losing two teammates within a year, dealing with a pandemic and still being able to compete at a high level is damn impressive. Love those dudes.

[Tony (admin)]

Amen to that. 

[Rick]

For me, I think the 2008 was the best team.  If you believe that defense wins championships then that team was hands down the best.  Just look how many players from that defense went on to play in the NFL.  It had just enough offense to win games but always seemed to have the clutch plays due to the gamesmanship of BJ and the boys!  I loved that team.    

[Tony (admin)]

Nothing better than a clutch BJ. 

[Rick]

I see what you did there!  LOL!!!

[prestitute]

By the end of this year, I think this team will be better than 2019. I am excited for next year if we don’t have too many NFL departures. D Lloyd will leave a big hole, but our young’uns have grown a lot over the last few weeks. This is our best offesnse in a while (I think it will be better next year than we were in 2019).

To me, 2004 was hands down the best team. Legit NFL QB, most innovative offense in CFB that year, and a nasty D. Tone of NFL talent. Next year could be close. I really think we have an amazing team next year.

 

[UteBacker]

Agreed.  I lean towards ’04.  That team beat every opponent by 14+.  There was never a doubt that we were going to win when that team ran on the field.  

[Tony (admin)]

04 was a buzzsaw. 

[UteBacker]

We took out Texas A&M, Utah St, North Carolina & Arizona that year too… so our out-of-conference wasn’t too shabby either.

[GameForAnyFuss]

This is the correct answer. 2004 was the best team. They absolutely demolished everyone they played. The closest game they played was a 14-point win against Air Force, and the only thing that kept it from being more was the clock-chewing triple option they ran. Utah would’ve beaten anyone in the country by 7+.

The 2008 team might have been the mentally toughest but I think they would’ve lost handily to the 2004 team. Honestly I don’t think the 2019 team even belongs in the conversation. A lot of recency bias there.

[Central Coast Ute]

Nah. If you play 2019 against those other two, 2019 wins 7 out of 10.

[GameForAnyFuss]

I still say recency bias. The 2004 team would pick the 2019 secondary apart.

[Central Coast Ute]

If they play 10 weeks in a row, the 04 team loses too much and won’t have anyone to throw to.

[PNW Ute]

Seriously? Are we assuming the 2019 secondary is healthy? They had Blackmon, Burgess, Guidry, Nurse, and Jaylon Johnson. They were one of the best pass defenses in the entire country. I love the 2004 team, and they would put up some points, but they would not pick the 2019 secondary apart.

[GameForAnyFuss]

Yeah, seriously. If Oregon and Texas could pick apart that secondary, 2004 Utah would do it too. That was one of the best offenses in the history of college football.

[PNW Ute]

1) Utah’s secondary was no where near healthy for those games. How many of the guys I mentioned played in those two games?

2) Oregon, with Justin Herbert, threw for 193 yards against Utah in that game. That’s what you consider picking the secondary apart? Verdell had over 200 yards rushing. The secondary wasn’t the problem.

[W16Ute]

I was just thinking about this recently. I loved those teams in 04 and 08 but honestly looking at the teams we put in the field right now, they are better than those teams week in and week out. I’m amazed at how much talent he have everywhere… Ok except the kick game right now.