I have long thought that God was a BYU fan. How else can you explain the miraculous events that have taken place in their sporting history? Jim McMahon’s amazing comeback to beat SMU in the 1980 Holiday Bowl. Danny Ainge’s coast to coast drive against Notre Dame in the 1981 NCAA tournament. The Associated Press turns a blind eye to a weak schedule and awarded the Cougars the 1984 National Championship. These are just a few in the long line but more recently they have been more subtle.
The holy war has been a popular venue for these unexplainable events. The doink hear round Utah as Ryan Kaneshiro hits the upright to miss his 3 field goal of the day to award BYU the 1998 WAC championship. In 2000 while Lavell Edward coached in his last rivalry game. BYU converts an amazing 4th down in route to another victory that makes you shake your head. John Beck’s scramble and touchdown pass in 2006 once again sealed Utah’s fate (Harline is still open). In 2007 BYU’s best receiver, Austin Collie, get behind every Utah defender on a 4th and 18 late in the game to convert and send Utah home with yet another loss.
However, in recent years there have been signs that God has followed the masses in changing sides from Blue to Red. Urban Meyer’s arrival to Salt Lake City in 2003 sealed the deal. Utah’s program has been elevated from irrelevant to the formal announcement of their joining the
PAC-10 in 15 years. BYU has become the irrelevant school when we talk about these two programs. Utah, whom was attached to the BYU coat tails for so long, no longer needs them. Last Thursday you could hear a collective sign throughout Utah County as the announcement was made. It was followed by the murmur of “Why has God forsaken us? We are his school.”
Yes God you have forsaken us. Oh, well……At least you gave us 84!!!
This will be an interesting time to prove all that the media has been saying. If Utah can move to the Pac-10, run the table like they did in the MWC and then win a BCS Bowl, then BYU and Utah fans can throw it in the face of the press, particularly the BCS, and Utah can ask for the BCS Championship trophies that they feel they should have received.
ReplyDeleteHowever, a much more likely scenario will take place. Utah will move to the Pac-10 and much to the demise and disgrace of Utah fans will show just how mediocre the program really is. They will end up with a 7-5 record over multiple years barely making bowl games. Eventually they will pull out a few good seasons as Oregon St and Stanford randomly do. BYU will still be in the MWC conference arguing that they are the better team sitting on a 10-2 season after losses to TCU and Boise St. And the question will still be asked, Did God forsake BYU or Utah?
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