Re: What do you know of the Runnin' Utes of Utah?
I freely understand you're frustration. But how are we to build a tradition if no one will play us? And if they do, disrespect us in the process.
Our history hasn't been a long history. Prior to Ron McBride coaching our team we had a very long tradition of losing or barely reaching mediocrity. Coach Mac took us to heights that we had never been to before. Once the program plateaued we found Urban Meyer. Many of us feel the Meyer abandoned us for the money. He could have had that tradition started here, and really gone down in the history books of college football.
As it stand Coach Whittingham took over, and has built upon the foundation that Meyer, and McBride started. One thing that my school can, and should, hang it's hat on is that we are the first program, from a NON-BCS conference to return to the BCS games. And we were the first NON-BCS team to make it in under the much more strict rules prior to the 2005 loosening of the standards. If we were to go back to the 2004 standards, we would be in once again.
To say that Utah lacks a winning tradition would be incorrect. To say that Utah lacks a long winning tradition, I'll grant you that. But in the last 20 or so years, Utah has created a winning tradition, and attitude. Our fans, and team, no go into games expecting to win or lose close. We no longer hope to not be blown out.
I hope that we, Utah and Bama fans can at least respect each other enough to know that it will be a tough game.
As a consideration, much of what has Utah fans riled up isn't that you guy's don't know a whole lot about us. It's the apparent disrespect that our team is getting from part of your fanbase. We saw much the same thing from A&M fans in 2003, and Michigan fans earlier this year. Both learned the hard way the Utah has a good program, and our athletes are pretty damned good.
Talk to y'all later.
Good Luck.
--cyclingute51
