Belated 2008 Championship Adds to Utah's BCS Legacy
It’s ten years too late, but finally justice is served. The University of Utah—led by head coach Kyle Whittingham and star quarterback, Brian Johnson— has finally staked a rightful claim to a national championship.
Wait, what?
Okay, okay, so the BCS recognized championship was awarded to and will remain with our old buddy, Urban Meyer, and the Florida Gators. Anyone remember a decade ago when Whittingham challenged that team to a winner-take-all duel—while also voting his own team, no. 1? Now the Utes can finally order national championship rings, raise a banner, maybe bring the boys back and thump, “We are the champions,” through the Rice-Eccles speakers.
But if they weren’t the winner of the BCS Championship game, then how?
Well, a recent change to the NCAA record book now acknowledges a poll called, Anderson/Hester, which helped significantly shape the BCS era at that point in time. The Gators are still recognized by all of the other recognized polls, including the BCS and AP—but there was no clean sweep of the honor.
Could the 2008 Utes have beaten the Gators? Who knows, but a Whittingham vs. Meyer battle would have been an epic one to witness. While we’re on that topic, I don’t know if the 2008 Utah team could have beaten the school’s Fiesta Bowl squad of 2004. That year there was no doubt, because of the undefeated USC Trojans. Although that title was later stripped away due to NCAA violations, no new champion was put in USC’s place. That’s right. Not runner-up Texas, not Auburn, and not Utah—the latter two both being undefeated.
Why do I bring up the 2004 team? Am I trying to take away the luster of the Sugar Bowl win? Absolutely not and I bring up both teams for an important reason. You see, the BCS was supposed to be an iron clad system and meant to cater to the big-money conferences—the AQ (Automatic Qualifier) schools. Then came the Utes, demolishing nearly every school in its path in 2004, on its way to earning a top six finish before their massive party in Tempe. After 2004, the system was altered as a team from a non-BCS conference only needed to be in the top 12—I’m looking at you, Boise State. When the Utes made it to the Sugar Bowl, they became the first team to bust the BCS twice, and they did so, as if the initial rule still existed—both times qualifying by landing in the top six.
The only way to compare 2004 to 2008—in order to find out the best team in school history—is to let the stat geeks dive deep into the numbers. The 2008 group was special, and now they finally get an appropriate honor. Still, the 2004 team broke down barriers for the seven other teams that would soon follow.
When it all comes down to it, banners are nice, rings are fantastic, and raising a national championship trophy is special too. Bring it all on and let the celebration begin—where’s Port O’ Call when you need it? However, the most important thing that this belated honor does, is further cement the University of Utah’s place in college football history. The Utes are, in large part, responsible for the evolution of the BCS and what has now become the College Football Playoff.
They are, “The BCS Busters,” an honor you one day make a movie about.
Because of Utah, the system became more inclusive. It’s still far from perfect, but because of Utah, the “little guys” can continue to dream big.