Just some ramblings:
1. What a great time to be a Utah football fan! Kids finishing high school now know almost nothing but greatness from Utah football. It has been a great run. 2004 Undefeated and Fiesta Bowl win. 2008 Undefeated and Sugar Bowl win. Pac 12. 4 straight Pac12 championship games. 2 straight Rose Bowls. Incredible run we have enjoyed.
2. If I am a top recruit, I would love to play for Whit and co. Watching the post-game interview with the broadcast crew and Whit, there was a part where a couple players interrupted the interview and hugged Whit. Whit just rolled with it. Players love him. Other coaches get googly-eyed around him (see Urban Meyer in that same interview). He puts players in the NFL. And for those that do not, he has created a culture of success and excellence that prepares these young men for the world beyond football. The defense and offense have tough identities. And the on-field sucess is top tier.
3. Found it hilarious when the Utah bench was mimicking the USC towel dudes during a fourth quarter kickoff.
4. Love that neither USC or UCLA won the conference this year. Screw them.
5. Rising’s reaction to Caleb Williams’s fingernails was great.
6. I may be the only one who doesn’t know this, but who was the older guy on stage during the trophy ceremony? Eccles?
7. Utah should really reap some spoils (whether with high school recruits or transfers) from two straight Rose Bowls. See point number 2. I would not have said this until recently, but I really think Utah has become a place where top players are wanting to play. It is not USC or Bama, but I believe Utah’s program has its own culture that is very desirable and it is getting the national attention it deserves. Over the next month, Utah has an incredibly strong recruiting pitch to give.
Fun times!