You just can't over-hype this Saturday's game between #3 TCU and #5 Utah. Oh, we'll try. We'll say that this is the biggest regular season game of these players lives, and the reward will be beyond their wildest dreams. But the truth is, that's exactly what this game is.
The last time the 3rd-ranked team in the nation came into Rice-Eccles Stadium, BYU beat Utah 24-14 on its way to the 1984 national championship. That game was obviously not as critical to Utah as it was to BYU. So, this 3rd ranked team, TCU, represents a much more important challenge to the Utes.
The 2004 BYU game was obviously huge, since it vaulted Utah to its first BCS bowl game in school history. The 2008 BYU game did the same. But, this is the first time ever that two Mountain West Conference teams are ranked in the top-5, with a BCS bowl game and possibly a shot at the national championship hanging in the balance. The Utes have never played a team ranked this high, while being ranked themselves this high.
TCU has won 22 straight regular season games, while Utah has won 21 straight at home.
ESPN knows how big this game is, and college football fans all across the nation know this is the game of the year so far. It's just a shame it's being televised on CBS College Sports. Man, this TV deal really stinks.
It's going to be chaos inside that stadium this Saturday, and I personally cannot wait. Just imagine a victory over TCU, which will be extremely difficult, considering TCU owns the top-rated defense in the country. The worst case scenario (if Utah goes undefeated), would be a spot in the Rose Bowl. In that scenario, Oregon would be in the national championship game, and the Rose Bowl is committed to taking the BCS-buster if it loses a Pac-10 or Big-10 team to the national title game.
That's the worst case scenario. The Rose Bowl.
The best case scenario, would be a spot in the national championship game itself. For that to happen, Oregon and Auburn would each have to lose, and the voters and computers would have to wake up (computers can sleep, you know) and realize the Utes deserve a shot. It could happen. It really could.
That's why this week's game is so huge. The stakes are unprecedented. This is history in the making. It's time to fulfill some dreams.
