Lower end bowl games.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Seems they have lost their value. The coaches say they help develop the younger talent. The portal can do that for you. Most development has to do with gaining weight and getting stronger to handle the physicality.

Now you can find guys developed and with game experience. (Kincaid). The portal is the ideal way to build a team. Recruit the best high school kids with potential. Get rid of your recruiting misses and replace them with players that were under recruited and late bloomers at smaller schools that want to move up.

Playing a game two days before Christmas is inconvenient for fans coaches and players. I’m sure the Utes would rather regroup and get healthy and spend time recruiting portal and high school.

Positives are seniors playing last game and some of our young guns getting game experience.

[Hellhound152]

On field benchmarks would disagree with your assessment of the portal. You can hotshot it and improve your team through the portal. Sustained builds, especially on the lines of scrimmage produce long term results. TCU and USC have been extreme examples of the portal being tape not a weld. For my part, I find the placement of this years bowl game quite convenient even traveling to the game.

A primetime game on the Saturday before Christmas isn’t the worse showcase for your program.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

I agree with rebuilding a team through the portal aka USC BYU Colorado. I’m talking a few portal players to fill immediate needs. Do you think we can recruit a freshman tight end and receiver to come in and make difference.

Rising and Kincaid made a big difference with two players. Our inability to develop receivers and QBs is a need we seem to have every year. How many misses have we had at RB WR QB the last couple years. If you have hole in the depth chart at a couple positions it makes sense.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

As for the bowl game Dec. 23 I guess we’ll see how many fans show up. I’ve been to all but a couple bowl games in the past 20 years. I have no interest in this one.

High end bowl game yes. High end are after Christmas. I would rather spend time with family. Glad you’re going and supporting the team. Go Utes!!

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Sorry I missed your last point of showcasing the program. Throwing 10 passes with your 5 th string QB against a team that is always at the bottom of their league is showcasing weakness not strength. Just 1 opinion from a true fan.

[Utah]

What the bowl game does is give you 15 more practices. Those are HUGE. That is an extra spring ball.

And you don’t have your veterans practicing for your bowl. You have all your second and third stringers getting reps, working with coaches, getting better.

If you take away lower bowls, you give the Alabama’s and Ohio State’s a HUGE advantage over everyone else. Bowl practices are gold, jerry, GOLD!

[EagleMountainUte]

Depends on who is participating actually.

Barnes playing while I admit this gives Utah a better chance of victory I don’t think his practice reps are good for Utah. They are good for whoever picks him up after he leaves. The whole issue of who gets the reps…hopefully it is just Rising getting those reps. Let Barnes recover and study film for the bowl I guess.

Also do we really want to risk more injury?? Rising obviously had to play in the Rose Bowl to try and improve that draft stock. Look at what that did for him and this 2023 campaign. Utah probably has a shot of winning more games. Hell maybe even Oregon if Rising had sat out the Rose Bowl.

Post season next year is officially Playoff and those not playing in a playoff. More players are going to sit, transfer, declare or not try anywhere close to what it used to be.

[Trailgoat]

Good point Eagle. Sadly, Utah truly needs Barnes to play. Going into any game with only one QB is not a good situation. Admirable of Barnes to go on Riley’s show and communicate his intentions and situation. I’m sure directed by KW to get out in front of it considering the Rising communication debacle.

Nothing against Bottari (sp), he did an amazing job starting his first D1 game and may get action anyway. Bottari on the sidelines directing traffic for Ludwig in the booth sets him up for a promising career in coaching. Rising and Ludwig are going to need Bottari on the headset next season. Both Barnes and Bottari have been stand-up team players. It’s a Win-win for Barnes, he has a great game and gets picked up by a team out of the portal or he stays at Utah for another year. Barnes has shown nothing but gratitude while at Utah. Look forward to watching how his remaining two years play out. Unfortunately there are many stories like Barnes, Bottari, Dixon, and others that get overshadowed by what is going on with college football now. Go Utes!

[Charlie]

The bowl games are extremely valuable, night and day different than staying home. Don’t worry about Barnes getting the QB focus, it is a big team with dozens that take big steps in bowl prep. Spring practice gets a huge jump start following bowl prep. Don’t worry about the timing of the bowl, most of the brand building comes on TV, fans in the stands is a bonus. However, post Christmas bowls provide an easier calendar related to finals. This year’s bowl prep doesn’t do much for QB development but there are quite a number of positions that benefit greatly.

The portal is interesting in that it is improving team depth for teams like Utah. Not long ago 2s and especially 3s and 4s were players early in the development process that are still hit and miss. The portal allows us to fill in the back side of the team with players much later in the development process and players that have run thru an additional selection process post HS. Don’t assume we see the ’24 team until Utah completes the portal recruiting.

[EagleMountainUte]

If I had expectations for this Bowl it would be to shut down most of the projected starters for 2024.
Let’s see Glover, and the freshman backs. Let Jackson heal up.

Let’s see youth on the dline and Oline. Sit Bishop and sit Vaki.

You get all of your practice reps still but way less risk of season ending that damages 2024.

If guys want to play let them. I would prefer Bottari to play even if that meant 50 hand offs and qb draws with a a few throws. Barnes doesn’t want to play and he has given everything for this team but he doesn’t want to anymore so let him go pack his moving boxes.

Utah needs to go all in for the expanded playoff. Having them play in the first ever expanded playoff would be amazing. We have been saying this since 2004-2005 season. Utah needs to get the injured guys back and get money lined up for depth. Don’t risk the guys staying in your program. Don’t waste time with guys who don’t want in your program.