Utah Truly Deserves Its BCS Bid

Many may argue that the mid major conferences like the Mountain West and WAC don't belong in the BCS. They are too small and are not deep enough to contend with the likes of the SEC or the Big 12.

Utah is out to prove those people wrong. The Utes are ranked sixth in the BCS and are 12-0 on the season. Utah beat rival No. 18 BYU 48-24 at home last weekend to finish their season.

People like to argue that the mid major conferences don't play quality opponents. Well Utah has beaten three ranked teams this season: No. 14 TCU (10-2), No. 18 BYU (10-2), and No. 17 Oregon State. They also traveled to Michigan and squeezed out a 25-23 win at the Big House to open their season.

Utah may not be an offensive juggernaut like the Oklahomas or Floridas of the world but they can certainly score points. Utah ranks 17th in the nation in scoring offense averaging 37.4 points per game. They are ranked inside of the top 60 in all offensive categories.

The Utes offense is led by senior quarterback Brian Johnson. He has thrown for 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. He has also put himself among the nation’s leaders in completion percentage by completing 68.3 percent of his passes. Johnson is also second in the Mountain West with a passer rating of 148.33.

Utah establishes their balance on offense with two solid running backs. Junior Matt Asiata and senior Darrell Mack have combined to rush for 1,204 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Utes leading receiver is Freddie Brown who has 65 catches for 775 yards and seven touchdowns.

The strength of this team is no doubt the defense. The Utes are 14th in the country in scoring defense. Utah also ranks 17th in the nation in total defense giving up an average of only 295.92 yards per game.

While that may be impressive, it’s not even the strength of the defense. Utah is tied for fifth in the country in turnovers forced, with 28 on the year. The secondary has intercepted 17 passes this season which, is tied for tenth in the nation. Their turnover margin is +11 overall.

Utah is also very good on special teams. They are third in the nation in punt return yardage allowed. The Utes also rank 30th in kickoff return yardage and net punting average. Senior kicker Louie Sakoda is 21 for 23 this season on field goal attempts.

This Utah team has a legitimate shot to beat any team they have to face in their bowl game. They are most likely to play in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona.

This is the same bowl game in which Utah became the first mid major team to play in a BCS game. They beat Pittsburgh back in 2004. This is also where Boise State upset highly ranked Oklahoma and Adrian Peterson just two years ago.