Biggest game ever at RES?

[alUmnUs]

Is this Saturday the biggest home game ever at RES? I say yes:

-Outright repeat of division title on the line

-Playoff implication on the line

-Rose Bowl implication on the line

When has so much ever been at stake for Utah Football? I mean the only way it could feel bigger would be if Colorado had all of those things on the line as well, right?

I remember the buzzkill of traveling to Boulder in 2016 for what I thought was going to be a winner-takes-all for the South Division championship. Even though Utah showed up on the heels of that loss to Oregon, the crowd in Boulder that night was electric. CU still needed to win to prevent USC from snatching up the South title and you could just feel the faithful in Boulder pushing that team to the prize that night. The whole experience felt like being stuck in the pathway of a buzzsaw I hadn’t felt since 2009 when I traveled down to Ft. Worth to watch the Utes take on TCU. That crowd, on that night, was CRAZY! Every breath of each purple-clad person sounded like the roar of 20 people.

We’ve been lucky enough to witness some big games take place in RES over the years. Maybe TCU ’08 or BYU ’04 are still the biggest games to have taken place considering what was on the line for Utah in those years. But to take pause and consider the trajectory of OUR PROGRAM because those games happened and since those games have happened – is almost a spiritual experience.

I expect the energy of RES this weekend to be on a level previously unseen as we do our part to cheer this team on closer to the prize. 

[EagleMountainUte]

It is that is why Utah got the 5:30 slot on ABC.

Next week will also top it as the biggest game in Utah’s history. Then the next game will be the biggest game ever. 

I am also heavy lean on Utah getting the four seed. Georgia just has to lose and Utah takes four and hopefully plays LSU. 

[PhiladelphiaUte]

Utah’s best shot at a CFP bowl would be as the #4 seeded team.  But that said, it would be better for Utah to face Ohio St than it would be for us to play LSU, so we really need to hope the Buckeye’s overtake them in the final standings.

If LSU is #1, they’ll go to the Peach Bowl.  And so will Utah.  But if Ohio St is #1, there’s about a 50-50 chance they’ll go to the Fiesta Bowl, which is more “fan friendly” for the Utes than is Atlanta.  Let us play LSU in the title game in New Orleans.

[Utesbyfive]

Wait, we need to collect a peach bowl trophy. We’ve got the Fiesta.

[EagleMountainUte]

Peaches this year Roses next year. 

[Utesbyfive]

The Rose is a playoff semi site next year. The Pac-12 winner won’t be going there unless they make the playoff.

[UteFanatic]

Short answer, yes.  And technically every home game since the USC loss has been the biggest home game in program history.

However, Utah wasn’t playing for the South title in Boulder in 2016, we were playing the role of spoiler.  We had already lost it with a loss to Oregon.  The game location and stakes have switched 180 degrees this time around.  Utah is playing for the South title – a loss would mean USC wins it.  Colorado is playing spoiler this time.

[alUmnUs]

Yes, hence the “buzzkill.” My point was that the missing luster of what that game could have been wasn’t lost on the CU crowd that night (perhaps much like next week might feel for Utah fans if we get past this week). You could feel how special that night was for anyone wearing black. We’ve seen Colorado play spoiler before. Bring on the buzzsaw!!!!

[UteFanatic]

Agreed.

[GameForAnyFuss]

Sorry, disagree.

Biggest home game candidates would be:
BYU-P 2004. A win caps an undefeated season and a BCS bowl game invite, and sets the stage for an eventual PAC12 invite. A loss sends us to the Toilet Bowl against some other non-BCS team.
TCU 2008. A win (over a top-10 team to boot) keeps the dream of another undefeated season alive. A loss sends us to another Toilet Bowl.

If we lose to Colorad9 (we won’t, but hypothetically), we’re still going to a pretty good bowl game, and next year we’re right back in the PAC12. That wasn’t the case back in those days.

[Atlas]

No, I don’t think it is. If it was the PAC 12 championship next week being played at RES instead of it being at a neutral site, then I’d agree.

Thanks for getting me more excited for the one game this season I get to go to though! Go Utes.

[Hellhound152]

Yes, this is the most important home game of the modern era (post 2011) of Utah football.

[SorryWife]

The implications are what makes this game so important, not so much Colorado but what is on the line. I was listening to the ESPN college football podcast today and Herbie(who i usually hate) said assuming LSU wins out and Utah winning out that Utah will get the 4th spot just because of how incredible our defense is and that we finally have an offense to pair with it. He said what we all know that this is a different Utah team than Utah teams from the past. It’s why we got the prime time spot, they want people to see what Utah is about and why we are legit. This is such a big opportunity for this team to impress the committee and the country. 

[rbmw263]

both of the next two games are the biggest in Utah football history by default. I agree. 

[PlainsUte]

The Utes are 10-1 and have a chance to go to 11-1 so, yes, the next game is the biggest one. 😉