SALT LAKE CITY ― There’s something beautifully simplistic about winning and taking out everyone in your way. Even the tentacles of contradiction can’t touch you.
Or to be specific, the unorthodox and unexplainable from the 13 men and women of the College Football Playoff selection committee.
So Utah has decided to take the process into its own hands, and eliminate all doubt. If you didn’t believe before, you better at least recognize what’s now unfolding in the foothills of Wasatch Range.
It’s not like we haven’t seen it before.
If there’s one takeaway from Utah’s 28-20 victory over No. 9 BYU, it’s that history — and another breakout, unbeaten season — is here again. Like it or not, SEC and Big Ten.
There’s Heisman Trophy-worthy quarterback Devin
Dampier, and skill speed all over the field. There’s a punishing opportunistic defense, and mojo from a first-time head coach.
No different than the days of Brian Johnson and Stevenson Sylvester, or Alex Smith and Eric Weddle. It’s happening again, despite the fortunate schedule, despite the carnage all over college football that has allowed the Utes to reach a lofty No. 3 ranking.
If it looks and feels like a championship run, it probably is.
There’s the ability to respond to adversity, and embrace success without crumbling in the moment. And the absolute desire to prove everyone wrong.
Utah could’ve wilted any number of times Saturday in the biggest game of the 100-plus year bitter rivalry. Every time BYU threatened, the Utah defense had an answer — including four game-saving interceptions of Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier.
But these unique moments, these undeniable inevitables, have been part of this program’s history for the past two-plus decades.
No one bought Utah way back in 2004, when a young coach named Urban Meyer had an unbeaten team from the Mountain West that didn’t get a chance to play for a BCS national championship — so the Utes took it out on Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.
Or 2008, when a young coach named Kyle Whittingham had an unbeaten team from the Mountain West that couldn’t get a sniff from the BCS — then beat the brakes off big, bad Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Beat them so badly, in fact, that the greatest coach in the history of coaches had to come up a lame excuse for getting his ass kicked. Alabama “didn’t care” about playing in a major bowl game, Nick Saban declared.
Think about that disgusting disrespect.
Saban then may as well be the CFP selection committee now. The Mountain West then may as well be the Big 12 now.
And Utah is still turning 3-star recruits into 5-star players. Still making smart personnel decisions, and developing players like few do in college football.
Still playing smart and aggressive and angry. An unwavering philosophy from Meyer to Whittingham to now first-year coach Morgan Scalley. He was an All-American safety for Meyer, then coached with Whittingham for nearly two decades before getting the only job he has ever wanted.
You think he’s going to sit in the big chair and suddenly make drastic changes? There’s almost nothing different from Utah under Meyer and Whittingham.
They run option football from the shotgun, and spread defenses out to take advantage of mismatches in the pass game. They fly around the field defensively, creating havoc and forcing bad decisions.
All four of Bachmeier’s interceptions that killed scoring drives were avoidable. Each were forced because of pressure, and poor decisions in response to the pressure.
Which is sort of like Utah since the early 2000s. You don't like us? You don't want us in your party?
Fine, we'll force our way into it. The difference this time around, in this unbeaten season, is there's a spot at the BCS/CFP table.
Now everyone has to deal with the Utes.
Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. Listen to him daily, from 12-2 p.m., on 1010XL-Jacksonville.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Utah has a message for CFP, SEC and Big Ten: Deal with us now
