Whoa!! ESPN pundits praising Utah (video)

[Anonymous]

Watch the video.

[ProudUte]

Saw that last night.  It is good for the Utah football program to get all of this free positive publicity.  It is fun to be in the mix.  But, I will honestly be very happy two win the next three games and let the chips fall where they may.  The Rose Bowl on January 1 would be very nice.

Go Utes!!!

[UtahFanSir]

ESPN projects bowl matchups for the NY6. Of all the bowls, the Cotton Bowl in my view is the least desirable. Well guess what. ESPN has Utah in the Cotton Bowl. Then of all the potential opponents, one is coming from a G5 conference, you know, other than the P5. So Memphis State (9-1) is slotted in, from the American Athletic Conference that also sports Houston.

ESPN Bowl Match-up Projections. Scroll down to the second story in that thread.

All of the other P5 programs are what we might call storied teams, you know, the perennials in the SEC, Big-10, Big-12, etc.

What I see here is not at my table, you are not worthy. You get the kids table. No one wants to see Utah, and you don’t have the best HS athletes.

Its typical and I find it immensely insulting. Of course, its premature also, but the conditioning by ESPN has already begun. This is where Larry Scott needs to earn his pay.

The projected match-ups are all top 10 teams against each other. The Big Boys’ table. Now to be clear, they show the Capital One Orange Bowl matchup as No. 10 Minnesota vs. a coaches poll unranked Virginia Tech (7-3, 25th in the AP). Again, Minnesota is in the Big-10 (that has 12 teams, you know) also not one of the traditional Big Boys that the public has been conditioned to view. I don’t know how good Minnesota is, but I think Utah is one of the best four teams in the country right now, and that will become more evident over the next 10 days. And of course, these projections will change.

Utah and Minnesota in these match-ups are the only Top 10 teams not projected to face another Top 10 team. Furthermore, the difference in ranking between Utah and Minnesota and their respective projected bowl game opponents is large, 11 and 15 spots respectively.

Despite such weak praise, you can see the lack of respect by ESPN and others, because that is what it is.

 

 

[Hellhound152]

Stop.  Being. a. Victim. 

Fact, the current ESPN “projection” created by Heater Dinich is based only on current CFP rankings.  Fact, the Orange, Rose, and Cotton bowl all have contractual obligations to conferences or the CFP g5 champ.  Fact an unranked ACC team will be in the Orange Bowl.  Fact, a G5 team automatically goes to the Cotton Bowl this year.  Fact the Big 10 and Pac 12 will have teams in the Rose Bowl.  Fact, Oregon is currently 6th and slotted for the Rose Bowl, Fact, there are only two at large spots and Utah would is slotted for one of them in the current projections that are entirely based on the current CFP rankings and nothing else.

ESPN is not insulting the Utes, LSU is not going to tank so the SEC gets two teams in, there is no conspiracy by the PAC 12 to keep the Utes off television.  If the Utes TCB the last 3 games worst case is Rose Bowl and best case is the Playoff.

[UtahFanSir]

“…there is no conspiracy by the PAC 12 to keep the Utes off television.” Who said that, you? Because I certainly didn’t.

[Hellhound152]

Others, I just threw it in there because it is one of the top 5 “the Utes will get screwed” fan theories currently floating on this and other ‘fan’ pages.  

On the bright side, I don’t know who is closer to melting down, BYU fans because Utah is getting “exposure” or Oregon Fans because Ryan Leaf said Utah would kill the Ducks if they played today.

[UtahFanSir]

Utah is going to take care of business. Obviously, that is up to them, yet I have a lot of faith they will. The Oregon matchup assuming it come about could be an epic game. Of course, I’m biased, Utah wins and does so nicely.

My issue with ESPN is the conditioning. I’ve laid it out clearly, demonstrating also a ton of confidence in this team, its capabilities and the fact that projections before the fact are simply that, projections. Yet ESPN controls a lot of bowl games viz. TV broadcasting rights. Yes, ESPN is recognizing Utah some of late. Really, Arizona and Colorado are not that great of football programs right now, so style points Whittingham doesn’t like to put up are kinda important now. But it will be what it will be.

Assuming the Ducks and the Utes are the matchup on Friday, December 6th, that game will have a lot on the line for Utah.

[Hellhound152]

ESPN is not a news outlet, the sooner that myth is put to rest the better your life as a sports fan will be.  They are in the content production, distribution, and promotion business.  The opinion of the commitee is what matters and right now, they are believers.

[GameForAnyFuss]

Correct on both counts.
First, ESPN is not news and their employees are not journalists. ESPN is a megaphone to advertise its own properties and brands.
Second, the committee likes Utah. That’s probably because the chairman is Oregon’s AD and he wants Utah to be as highly-ranked as possible because it would benefit Oregon in the CCG, win or lose. That’s also working to Utah’s benefit, win or lose.

[voxnihili]

I agree that Utah is often treated differently than the blue bloods by ESPN but the projection to go to the Cotton Bowl and play a G5 team isn’t that big of a slight – this year. 

ESPN’s projections are based largely on the current rankings (i.e., they assume the higher ranked teams will win the rest of their games and this includes the Ducks beating the Utes. So based on that, the only available at large spot will be in the Cotton Bowl who also has to take the G5 team as well.

The top four teams will fill out the Peach and Peach Bowls. The Sugar will take the highest ranked SEC and Big 12 teams not in the playoff, per their contract. The Rose would take the PAC12 champion and Big Ten highest-ranked team not in the playoff, based on their contract. Finally, the Orange will pair an ACC team against the highest-ranked available Big Ten, SEC, or Notre Dame team. As stated above, the Cotton then has to take the G5 team this year.  That leaves only one at-large spot in the NY6: the other Cotton Bowl spot.

It might suck but it’s the way the contracts are written and isn’t really ESPN showing a lack of respect. Win out, beat the Ducks, and get at least the Rose Bowl sounds good to me.

 

tl;dr: If the Utes aren’t in the playoff or Rose, there is only one available spot in the NY6 and it is the Cotton Bowl against the G5 (regardless of ESPN’s opinion)

[HoosierUte]

It’s a great time to be a Ute when the worst-case scenario is an NY6 game! Although I would be disappointed w/ a G5 matchup (somewhat hypocritical of us, but oh well)

[voxnihili]

It’s worth noting that the worst case scenario isn’t a NY6 Bowl. If the Utes win the next two but lose to Oregon, they may drop a couple spots in the ranking. In that case (and if Oregon misses the playoff), they may no longer be the at-large pick and we’ll be looking at an Alamo Bowl bid (against a Big 12 team).

[PhiladelphiaUte]

vox:

For what it’s worth, if we’d dropped to the Alamo Bowl, we’d likely get a better/more-interesting opponent than having to face some lame midmajor in the Cotton Bowl.

I’m not suggesting we turn the Cotton Bowl down though.  After all, a Cotton Bowl trophy would look much nicer next to our Fiesta and Sugar Bowl ones, than would an Alamo Bowl trophy.  All I’m saying is that should we get bumped from the Cotton, it won’t be all THAT bad.

Do you know what the difference in bowl payouts are between the Cotton and the Alamo?

Answer:  The Cotton Bowl pays out roughly $13K more.  That’s it.  ~$13K.  So should we get the Alamo, we’d wind up giving only $13K, and gaining a better opponent.  That’s a whole lotta silver in that lining there, don’t ya think?

[voxnihili]

I agree – the Alamo Bowl against a Big 12 opponent would be a pretty good consolation prize. Personally, I wouldn’t view the Alamo as a huge step down from the Cotton. There’s a bit of a prestige there (a full set of NY6 trophies would look nice…). I was only pointing out that the Utes could drop out of the NY6 slots if they win the next two but lose to Oregon.

[UtahFanSir]

Thanks for the explanation.

If Oregon is in the Rose Bowl, it may have beaten Utah or not. Oregon could end up 12-1, meaning they beat Utah, and do not make the CFP. So the Ducks go to the Rose Bowl.

If Utah is 12-1 and in the Cotton Bowl against a G5 program, then the Utes also don’t make the CFP despite beating Oregon.

I don’t think you are, but are you suggesting in that event, playing the NY6 G5 representative is the best Utah can hope for?

We have two variables here, who wins the Pac-12 and whether or not the Pac-12 champion is invited to the CFP.

[Central Coast Ute]

If Utah is 12-1 the worst they can do is the Rose Bowl. 12-1 means they’re conference champs and will play in the Rose against a B10 team, or in the playoff against LSU. The Cotton Bowl against a G5 team isn’t even possible at that point.

[voxnihili]

If Oregon is in the Rose Bowl, it may have beaten Utah or not.

The only way Oregon is in the Rose Bowl without beating Utah (assuming both win out) is if Utah gets selected to the playoff.

As Central Coast Ute said, if the Utes are 12-1, they are in the Rose Bowl (at worst) or the playoff. The only way the Utes end up in the Cotton Bowl is if Oregon wins the Pac-12 championship (beats Utah) and doesn’t make the playoff (so is the Rose Bowl selection) and Utah still gets an at-large bid.

In that case, yes, the G5 opponent is our only at-large option – but that applies to whoever ends up being the at-large selection this year.

[PlainsUte]

So to go to the Cotton it means Oregon beats Utah in the Pac-12 Championship and Oregon goes to the Rose Bowl, not the Playoff?  I’d give each a 50-50 chance of happening, so call it a 25% chance that Utah ends up in Cotton.  All things considered, any NY6 bowl is also not a bad consolatoin for a 2-loss team.  If Utah plays the G5 team there I predict a blowout win.

[voxnihili]

Exactly.

[Central Coast Ute]

Correct. The winner of the CCG goes to either CFP or the Rose Bowl. The loser goes to the Rose, Cotton or Alamo Bowl.

[noneyadb]

If Utah goes to the Cotton Bowl does Fotu, Moss, Anae, Johnson, Huntley, Blackmon, Bernard ,or Burgess even play? They’re all NFL prospects, what’s the point of playing in a meaningless bowl game vs G5?

[123punt]

It’s possible someone might sit, especially if they are a little banged up and want to rest before all the NFL draft precursors start happening.

That said, this is a group led by standouts that chose to come back for their senior seasons. They’re going to be fired up to put on that uniform one last time.

[PNW Ute]

The bowl projections have nothing to do with feelings or storied programs versus new kids on the block or any other conspiracy theory. Utah couldn’t get into some of the NY6 bowls, they’re locked into certain conferences.

Rose Bowl – Pac 12 vs Big 10 no matter what. Utah could get in.

Sugar Bowl – SEC vs Big 12 no matter what. Utah can’t play in it.

Orange Bowl – ACC vs highest ranked Big Ten, SEC, or Notre Dame. Utah can’t play in it.

Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl – College Football Playoffs. Utah could play here, most likely in Peach.

Cotton Bowl – Highest ranked Group of 5 Team (unless one makes the playoffs) vs At Large. Utah could play here.

 

If Oregon beats Utah in the CCG, and Oregon doesn’t make the playoffs, the Cotton Bowl is the only NY6 bowl Utah could get into.