Why Utah is not #1

Don't get me wrong. It is a special thing to go undefeated in D-1 football, no matter what conference you are in. The parity in college football has never been more evident, so going undefeated in say, the Mountain West conference, does indeed prove that you are a great football team. However, it does not mean that you are best team and deserving to be #1. I think you'll agree with me by the end of this article.

Comparing Utah and Florida's schedules:
Florida beat 10 bowl teams this season, who went 6-4 in bowl games.
Utah beat 6 bowl teams this season, who went 3-3 in bowl games.

Florida beat 5 teams ranked in the final AP poll, with an average ranking of 11.8 (5,6,13,14,21).
Utah beat 4 teams ranked in the final AP poll, with an average ranking of 14 (6,7,18,25).

Both teams played Alabama on a neutral site and both beat them. However, Florida beat them when the game meant everything to BOTH teams. Utah beat them when everything was on the line for just Utah. Alabama was also without their stud OL Andre Smith against Utah. The result? 8 sacks for the Utes. Clearly Utah showed up to play this game, and Alabama just showed up to receive their bowl gifts.

But Utah Didn't Lose, and Florida Did
This is true. Utah went 13-0, while the Gators went 13-1. The Gators one loss came to Ole Miss back in September as the result of the Gators playing a pretty bad half of football. Turnovers (3) and missed opportunities (missed PAT at end of game, and, missed 4th and 1 conversion) did the Gators in as they lost 31-30. Yet in my mind, Utah has a couple of losses of their own.

Playing in the SEC is tough, because if you play a bad quarter or a bad half, you will probably lose the game. Yet, in the Mountain West, you can do that and still come out with a win. Take Utah's game against Air Force. The Utes turned the ball over 3 times and barely escaped with a 30-23 win. Turning the ball over 3 times and still winning is a rarity in the SEC. Or, take the New Mexico game. The Utes had 2 turnovers themselves, didn't cause any turnovers, and barely won 13-10. AGAINST NEW MEXICO!!!! IN NOVEMBER!!! New Mexico didn't even go to a bowl game and finished 4-8 on the season. Surely if Utah is such a dominating team deserving to be #1, they could have, and should have, destroyed a team like New Mexico. Finally, we can't forget about Utah's 13-10 win over TCU. Utah was outgained 416 yards to 275 years. Plus, the horned frogs had two chip-shot field goals that would have tied or won the game in the 4th quarter and missed them both. Boise State would have played Alabama in the Sugar Bowl if TCU had a half-way decent field goal kicker. As far as I am concerned, those wins are just as good as losses.

But back to Ole Miss. Yes, the Gators lost. Yes, they lost at home. However, they lost to a team who went 9-4 on the season, with those four losses coming at a TOTAL of 19 points. Ole Miss is a great football team, and even proved it by going into Texas and beating up on Texas Tech on New Year's Day. Losing to them looked less and less of an eye-sore as the season went on.

The odds makers in Las Vegas even put a hypothetical line on a Utah versus Florida matchup. They would put the Gators as 14 point favorites. While those guys aren't always right, it is something to think about.

Where does Utah Belong?
Utah is a top team in the country, but surely doesn't deserve #1 consideration over the Gators. Be happy with #2 in the AP poll and #4 in the Coaches poll. And pray to God that a playoff is on the horizon.