Whitt ranked 3rd best coach in college football

[ProudUte]

Best coaches

That’s quite an impressive group of coaches and Whitt is ranked 3rd. I realize that rankings like this can be subjective. But, we are lucky to have Whitt here at Utah.

Kyle Whittingham simply knows how to build a football program. Utah teams are immensely tough. It shouldn’t be a surprise — as the team builds its identity around its head man. Whittingham is about discipline, energy, and organization. Rarely will you ever see Utah outplayed. It also maximizes the talent it has in the state, developing big, athletic Polynesian linemen into NFL players. With the Pac-12 no longer a thing, Whittingham will lead the Utes to the Big 12 in 2024.

[Utes 69]

Gotta win bowl games. So #3 is a bit high

[AlohaUte]

Can always count on you for negativity.

[MDUte]

Respectfully disagree. The CFP has made bowl games meaningless. Nobody cared that Utah was playing against Northwestern in the Las Vegas Bowl and nobody cared if they lost.
But navigating last year’s schedule to win 8 games, beating teams like Florida without your starting QB and a dozen other starters/impact players and beating SC at the Coliseum under the same circumstances was amazing!

Whether Whitt should be ranked #3 or #5 or whatever arbitrary number you assign…he’s the absolute #1 coach to be leading Utah. A Utah man through and through that loves his life in SLC and has built his program the right way into a powerhouse. For these reasons and many more, there isn’t a better coach out there that I’d trade Whitt for…Go Utes!

[chinngiskhaan]

Nobody cares about bowl games anymore. With conference championships and the playoff, bowl games are no longer the goal. If we don’t get either of those things, the only thing that matters after that is building for the future (getting young guys experience, putting experienced guys into the NFL, and keeping guys as healthy as possible for the future).

[2008 National Champ]

I respectfully disagree. Had Utah won every bowl game since 2018 instead of the other way around, there would be people on here trumpeting Whitt’s record in bowl games. Just like they did prior to then.

If a stat is only to be considered relevant when it fits the narrative you want to present, the problem is the narrative and not the stat.

[RoboUte]

This board sometimes

[RoboUte]

Our team sure doesn’t, at least, that’s clear.

[Uteanooga]

If Utah had beaten Ohio St. and then Penn St. rather than looking like they did’t really belong on the same field, we would care. I, at least, would be very happy about it.

Whitt has been fantastic and the P12 was a great time.

[D T]

We didn’t look as if we belonged on the same field as tOSU, losing on a last minute FG? Or against PSU before CR went down?

Which games were you watching?

[RoboUte]

We were getting smacked in the Penn st game cam or no cam. But the Ohio state one was a good game for sure

[D T]

We were driving to tie the game up in the 2nd half when CR went down…..This after being tied up at the half…..That’s called a tight game.

[RoboUte]

We were driving to tie the game up in the 2nd half when CR went down

Buddy when Cam got injured the line was at our 28. “We were driving”. lmfao. Why do people just say s**t they feel like should be true instead of what’s true? We were very much not driving, and Penn St didn’t need to because they’d just busted an 87 yard run. And our defense didn’t get better from there, Penn St’s next TD was scored on The rose bowl’s longest passing play in its history, 88 yards. They weren’t done after that either.

But ya, real tight game.

[D T]

We were literally driving at midfield, down by 7, when CR went down.

Which game were you watching?

[RoboUte]

Own 28 is not midfield. You can tell stupid lies to yourself but not me. And don’t get me started on watching the game because not only are you wrong by the numbers, it was clear Penn St was playing better football at that point if you actually were watching it.

[D T]

Driving at midfield, down 7…..That, after being tied at the half.

Their two long TD plays occurred AFTER CR went down…..It was a tight game up to that point.

Were you drunk while watching the game?

[RoboUte]

Driving at midfield

Wow, it’s genuinely like talking to a toddler. Prior to the play Cam was injured on we had gained 3 yards on two downs in total for the possession. Own 28.

Their two long TD plays occurred AFTER CR went down

Cam Rising goes down with 8:38 left in the 3rd. Penn State’s 87 yard run happens with 9:25 left in the 3rd. The prior possession, in fact. Not that this particular point matters much since Cam Rising doesn’t play defense. It’s so pathetic to watch you make up entire portions of reality so that what you’re saying makes any sort of sense. At least care to be a little correct. Your standards for yourself are disappointing.

Furthermore, second halves seem to matter. Just ask Northwestern.

[D T]

Like I stated, it was a 1 TD game when CR went down, after being tied at the half….CR had just gained a 1st down at our 37 yard line when he got injured…..So no, with CR it was in fact a tight game….In fact, a 1 score game….Who knows what would’ve happened had he not gotten injured.

To claim it wasn’t a tight game is disingenuous.

[RoboUte]

It’s not, the tide of the game had entirely turned following the half. On the play we’ve been discussing the announcers even noted a telling stat. That Cam had only been pressured five times during the first half and also five times during the last possession alone (Our first of the half if I recall). Do you think a possession where our QB got hit five times and the injury were entirely unrelated? The fact of the matter is that although the points were still close we were a few possessions into a game that was suddenly shaping up to be a blowout, they had figured us out on both sides of the ball in a way that they didn’t in the first half.

Could anything have happened? Sure, but I can’t discuss maybe with certainty. I can only discuss what actually happened. Was the game entirely out of hand, going into half, no, you’re totally right in that it wasn’t. But unfortunately for bowl game Utah there’s two of those things and one of them was a slaughter. And 7 points is big deal to a team like us who historically wins on field position and keeping games low scoring.

Even if we continued our rate of offensive production we’d have still lost. So not only would I need to be convinced that Penn State wasn’t absolutely owning the 2nd half, which is impossible because they objectively were. I would need to be convinced that Cam would be MORE productive in the 2nd half than in the 1st. And frankly Penn State probably could’ve put more on us if we’re talking about maybes.

[D T]

It was too early in the 2nd half to conclude they had us figured out & were unequivocally going to beat us down, particularly with CR’s ability to improvise, which is his game & will always be his game.

The difference in the game essentially boiled down to TWO broken plays in PSU’s favor.

The original point was that it wasn’t a blowout with CR in the game & based on his history, odds are it would’ve remained within reach had he not gotten injured.

[2008 National Champ]

Rising was 8-21 when he went down (38%)

[D T]

1 TD game & driving with him.

[RoboUte]

It was too early in the 2nd half to conclude they had us figured

True, it was. But it’s not anymore, and they had.

[D T]

Minus CR, sure.

[RoboUte]

You it have backwards. Bryson Barnes gained more yards, completed more passes than Cam Rising, and at a higher percentage, gaining more yards per play, with seven fewer minutes of playtime. Bryson Barnes objectively outplayed Cam Rising in this game. Lets hear your defense for 8 completed passes 6:30 into the 3rd quarter. Try to base some of it in reality, I know you love your stories.

[D T]

BB engineered a TD drive against backups…..Overall, he played scared & it showed.

CR was working his magic when he went down…..It’s vacuous to claim we were better off with Barnes.

I misspoke regarding the two long TDs [although one did in fact occur AFTER], but have been spot on otherwise…..Get out of here with your tripe.

[RoboUte]

No defense for that then? Come on, get creative. You obviously have it in you.

Oh you were absolutely wrong about more than that. “driving at midfield”. Not driving. Not at midfield. Blatant lie. “Cam rising was working his magic”. The man gave us 95 yards in 3.5 quarters. If that’s magic to you I think it would be hilarious to hear your description of even a mediocre game. It’s got to be absolute poetry. And you didn’t misspeak, you lied. There is a difference. Own it. And don’t think it’s not obvious that you have yet to even remotely respond to the litany of frankly dismal numbers Cam had put up in that game. Just because you ignore something that shatters your point doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

Dude just quit with the suspense already and leave your wife for Cam, or at least keep your rose tinted glasses on at home. I don’t want to see you caught up in comparing one goatee to another, thinking that the grass is always greener on the other side. Stay strong

[D T]

Your inane rhetoric doesn’t even remotely reflect reality.

With CR it’s a one score game, period.

You can go on all you want, but that’s a FACT.

“BB was better than CR!” Bwhahahahaha

[RoboUte]

For the record it’s obvious when you google new words to use.

Here’s the deal, the numbers say I’m right. The numbers say you’re wrong. The same ones you refuse to talk about (oh I do wonder why). I win.

[D T]

Google words? Are you that insecure?

You won nothing. You’ve been wrong all along. It wasn’t the beat down you made it out to be & this fact frightens you. Remarkable really.

[RoboUte]

You dropped this, king.

[D T]

Just admit you were wrong about what the game was with CR in it & move on already.

[RoboUte]

The problem with that is that I’m honest. So if I ever say I’m driving at midfield then I’m driving at midfield. I don’t need to live in an alternate reality to be potentially correct. Which feels good. You want to hear about it?

[D T]

37 yard line is as close to midfield as you can get…..And getting a 1st down means you’re driving.

Just acknowledge you allowed your emotions to take over & move along already.

[RoboUte]

37 yard line is as close to midfield as you can get

Hm that’s weird I can think of 13 closer yard markers, so 25 in total since we wouldn’t count the 50 twice. Have you tried counting or anything like that? Wild new technique, but kind of advanced for some, admittedly.

Oh is that the accepted definition of driving? Here I was thinking it was a subjective term of progress. I actually value yardage as more of an indicator of driving since you can score without ever getting a first down, just like Penn State did. Speaking of that Cam’s rush for 9 yards on that play (oh what a whopper! who needs 87 yard rushes when you’ve got 9) accounted for ~10% of his total offensive production on the day! That’s math though, which comes after counting. You’ll have to take my word for it. What an incredibly magic performance.

[D T]

Blabbering nonsense…..My comment stands.

[RoboUte]

I knew I’d seen you somewhere.

[D T]

Zinger!

[chinngiskhaan]

The Rose Bowl is a bit of an exception. It matters more than the other bowl games (which matter almost none).

[MDUte]

Big difference between NY6 and regular bowl games. NY6 matter, regular bowl games don’t whatsoever.

And losing to tOSU and Penn State was a bummer but making it to those games is a huge deal and there’s no shame in losing to top quality teams on the big stage.

[Uteanooga]

DT that is a fine point regarding the Ohio St. Rose bowl. I had forgotten how close we were. Looking at the box score- Utah gave up 573 passing yards and 683 yards total offense. Yikes. That is what I was remembering and completely forgot that despite our depleted defense we were in the game at the end. I stand corrected.

[Central Coast Ute]

Yeah, once tOSU started keying on Bernard, who was an RB playing CB, it was a tall task. Phillips played well and kept the Utes in the game, so they went away from him and went with the obvious mismatch. That year, the injury bug struck the CB position. I can’t help but think if they had a true CB in there and only forced 2 or 3 of the completed passes to be incomplete that the Utes may have won. Of course, what could have been doesn’t matter, but still.

[Yergensen]

A lot of focus on the secondary that game because we had a RB playing back there. Don’t forget DL got zero pressure that game.

With a healthy secondary and no pass rush, a world class QB like Stroud still picks us apart all day long. He was playing backyard nerf football, 20 Mississippi rush against us.

Our Oline and Dline are key to getting to the next level. We typically lose in the trenches to the blue bloods.

[MDUte]

Agreed. But even with the defense not being at full strength that game I think the play that really turned the tide was the muffed punt. We were in great shape up until then. But that mistake got them a quick easy score and the momentum they needed.

[Yergensen]

That play nullified CP3 pick in OSU end zone and led to a quick OSU TD as opposed to flipping the field.

That blocked punt was maddening. I think we had even changed punters from the first successful punt to that one. Maybe I’m remembering wrong.

Apart from Covey ST was a sh!t show that season.

[2008 National Champ]

Sure things could have been better for Utah if they had a healthy secondary. But don’t forget that Olave and Wilson sat out that game. How much worse could it have been?

[Utes 69]

Nonsense if bowl games do not matter why go. I am a devoted fan from the early seventies. Nothing worse than going to a bowl and not showing up. Only thing worse is losing to tspp. I don’t think the gen X kids get it.

[MDUte]

The only reasons why teams want to go to bowl games is 1) because you get an extra 15 days of practice/development for next year’s group of underclassmen. And 2) it’s an end-of-year reward for the players who have worked hard all year long.
But that’s it. Outside of those 2, bowl games are 100% meaningless. Couldn’t care less that Utah lost to Northwestern. And I’d feel the exact same way had we won…who would’ve cared if we won the stupid, nobody gives a rip, Las Vegas Bowl?? Nobody!

[The Miami Ute]

Well, I for one care about any game that Utah plays. If the athletic department doesn’t care about games like the Las Vegas or Alamo Bowls, please let me know so that I, and others like me, can stop wasting thousands of dollars of our hard earned cash on what you view as a meaningless scrimmage. Because if you as a football team don’t care about a game you surely can’t expect me as a fan to care for you.

[stbone]

The bowl games aren’t meaningless, but the 23 FSU players opting out of an NY6 bowl tells you that the games don’t mean nearly what they used to.

Other than the playoffs, bowl games are now just exhibition games. Of course you want to look good and you use it to develop your upcoming players, but with the opt-outs, the result of many bowls don’t really reflect on the season.

[Central Coast Ute]

I get your point, Miami. The athletic department might care, but not all of the players do. For example, in the Alamo Bowl, Jayson Johnson chose to sit out. And if I recall correctly, Clark Phillips sat out the second Rose Bowl. If the players don’t care, why should I care enough to spend thousands of dollars to attend? For a more egregious example, look at FSU. It seems like most of their team sat out their NY6 game and it showed on the field.

[Trailgoat]

Agree, non-playoff bowl games are a holiday money grab for the networks and coaches. Most schools lose money or barely break even on the non-impact bowl games. If Utah does not make the play-off I doubt there’s much interest from fans and players to play in some meaningless bowl game especially after the NU bowl game. No way a healthy Rising, Kuithe, and many others are going to play in a bowl game outside the play-offs. NIL will also be in play. KW gets a nice bonus check for going to a bowl game, why not the players as well? No pay = no play. Transfer portal Barnes at QB tells the story; 8-13 for 55 yards, 2 INTs, 5 sacks. Barnes head was out the door-no different than the employee showing up for work during the last two weeks after putting in notice for a new job. After watching the NU game, no way would I go to another bowl game. If the players don’t show-up, why should the fans? I know this sounds very Eeyoreish, its where college football is headed.