Rivalry

We had developed a very good rivalry with USC. That was really fun, especially since they out-recruit us by a long shot. I was happy with that, and even Oregon. We have had a good back and forth with them as well.

BYU thinks the rivalry is too nasty because they won and the people who are p**sed are on the other side. You won’t see a fraction of that when it doesn’t go their way. The “too nasty” business an attempt at grabbing moral high ground when you don’t personally have anything to bitch about.

I also don’t think it’s become too nasty. The nastier and more competitive it gets the more BYU, its, staff, fans, and players relax their … various standards to win football games. I love to watch their fall from grace in the name of sports, and they’re already well along the way. Someday when we’re way down the line I’ll smile when they’re everything they used to hate, because then Utah will have won more than just the head to head. Who has time for a higher calling when touchdowns are on the line anyway.

The biggest problem with the rivalry is it spills over in to our everyday life. Other rivalrys don’t have to wake up with their rivalry flags next door.

Part of what really does make this rivalry so toxic is the religious undertones. byu is 95+ percent lds in their fanbase and because they are literally directly associated with the church all the other people who grow up in Utah and aren’t lds are automatically Utah fans. This in turns makes some of those people really who really hate the church for whatever personal reason hate byu more than they maybe deserve, and the feelings are easily reciprocated both ways.

One of the best things about not playing byu is that it’s easy to be happy for my friends that are byu friends instead of worrying about how it affects Utah’s season

Under Bronco it was easy to root for them to have their bus drive into a ditch and miss every game. I hated them, I hated their holier than thou “we’re God’s team doing God’s mission here on this green turf mentality”. Unfortunately many of their fans still have that mentality. I like Coach Sitake, I like Coach Hill, I like Coach A Rod. I have nothing against most of their players, because I don’t know most of their players. I honestly prefer not being in their conference and just playing every few years. It keeps things friendlier. I really feel that this rivalry is fed by local media. They eat it up, it makes their job so easy. If I could vote, I’d honestly say play them every four years.

I prefer never to play BYU ever again. I’m widely traveled and god-damned if this rivalry doesn’t remind me of the Catholic/Protestant divide in Northern Ireland. BYU has its flags and murals and so do we…it’s just too personal and, unlike other rivalries I’ve been part of, you can’t get away from it. I mean, the cul-de-sac I live in is split between BYU and Utah grads…so yeah, if we never play BYU ever again I won’t be sad…

I like the rivalry with BYU too and want to keep it.

Why? Because it’s not just another game to either team or fanbase. It’s a game that no matter what else is going on, we care about it, and they care about it too.

This year has sucked, but if we had won the BYU game, I could have ended the season feeling warm and cozy that at least we took care of BYU. (And how great would it have been to beat BYU during one of our crappiest years while this has been one of their best years?)

While losing on Saturday was probably the most angry and unhappy I have ever been after a game, I felt those feelings because the game mattered to me, and I desperately wanted Utah to win.

I would like to continue playing games that matter, no matter the outcome. So bring on BYU every year. We won’t win them all, but heaven help me, I will love and relish every win we get over those guys.