| Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley | | | | really was no fight in 'Bama from the beginning. |
| After more than 50 years of watching football it | | | | In a word or three, forget John Parker Wilson, |
| pains me to say it, but Alabama came to play in | | | | who was no match for the Utah's Brian Johnson. |
| the 2008 BCS Sugar Bowl and Utah came to win | | | | Johnson completed 27-of-41 for 336 yards and 2 |
| the Sugar Bowl. Guess what happened? Utah | | | | touchdowns with zero interceptions. Johnson was |
| made Alabama look like half the team it is, winning | | | | named Most Valuable Player and finished his |
| convincingly, 31-17. | | | | career as Utah's winningest quarterback (26-7 as |
| Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban did not help his | | | | a starter). Senior wide receiver Freddie Brown |
| cause. After guiding Alabama to a perfect 12-0 | | | | caught 12 of Johnson's 27 completions for 125 |
| record before losing to Florida 31-20 in the SEC | | | | yards. |
| championship playoff, Saban announced to the | | | | Neither team had a running game. Alabama came |
| world that his club was still the only team to have | | | | into the game averaging 196+ yards on the |
| an undefeated regular season in a "BCS | | | | ground, but the Utes stopped them dead in their |
| conference". | | | | tracks, limiting the Crimson Tide to 31 yards on |
| The Utah Utes, who came into the Sugar Bowl | | | | 33 carries (that's what 8 sacks will do for you). |
| with the nation's only undefeated record at 12-0, | | | | To say that the Utes dominated both sides of |
| took umbrage at Saban's remark, and then | | | | the line would be an understatement. |
| proceeded to take it out on Saban's players, who | | | | But enough about what Alabama did not do. Utah |
| were not prepared to win the Sugar Bowl against | | | | deserves high praise. I have been an Alabama |
| Utah. | | | | football fan since the glory days of Bear Bryant, |
| As the legendary Lou Holtz would say, Utah is not | | | | Joe "Willie" Namath and Kenny "The Snake" |
| nearly as good as the Utes looked in the Sugar | | | | Stabler. Having said that, it is doubtful that |
| Bowl, and Alabama is not nearly as bad as the | | | | Alabama would have won the Sugar Bowl even if |
| Crimson Tide looked in the Sugar Bowl. The Utes | | | | the Crimson Tide were on their game; Utah |
| were totally focused, and the Crimson Tide had | | | | looked that good. |
| no focus at all, as evidenced by the 3 quick | | | | It's not hard for me to understand why Alabama |
| touchdowns Utah scored to run up a 21-0 1st | | | | was favored by 10.5 points in this game. The Tide |
| quarter lead. | | | | played 5 AP Top 25 teams and beat 4 of them |
| A 3rd-down sack of senior quarterback John | | | | before arriving at the Sugar Bowl. Utah played |
| Parker Wilson on Alabama's first possession gave | | | | and beat 2 Top 25 teams. Alabama's strength of |
| Utah the ball and the Ute's senior quarterback | | | | schedule was much more difficult than Utah's. |
| Brian Johnson completed 5 consecutive passes for | | | | That does not mean Utah was not a great team; |
| 19, 14, 22, 7 and 7 yards as Utah scored before | | | | it simply means that a lot of poll voters and |
| Alabama could turn around and get into the right | | | | football fans did not realize just how great. |
| coverage. | | | | In stomping Alabama into a Tuscaloosa mud hole, |
| On Alabama's second possession, John Parker | | | | Utah made history by becoming the first team |
| Wilson (you always sound more important with 3 | | | | from a non-BCS conference to win 2 BCS bowl |
| names) promptly threw an interception and Utah | | | | games. The Utes topped Pittsburgh in the 2005 |
| had the ball on 'Bama's 32-yard line. The Utes | | | | Fiesta Bowl under Urban Meyer before Meyer |
| wasted no time scoring again, putting them up | | | | became head coach of the Florida Gators. Utah |
| 14-0. | | | | was left out of the BCS national championship |
| A second 3rd-down sack on Alabama's third | | | | game in favor of perennial powers Oklahoma and |
| possession gave Utah the ball back and Johnson | | | | Florida. |
| led his Utes' down the field and found senior wide | | | | Florida would win 24-14 over Oklahoma to |
| receiver Bradon Godfrey on an 18-yard | | | | eventually be declared the 2008 National |
| touchdown toss, making it Utah 21-zip with more | | | | Champion. There is no arguing about this; |
| time to play in the 1st quarter. | | | | whichever team wins the BCS national |
| At this point, it began to dawn on some of the | | | | championship game is the national champion, |
| mighty Crimson Tide players that they needed to | | | | period. |
| stop sulking over their loss to Florida or the final | | | | Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, QB Brian Johnson |
| score might end up 84-0. Utah had no such lapse | | | | and the rest of the Utes were left wondering, |
| in mental attitude. The Utes were on their game | | | | "What else do we have to prove?" |
| like a bee on honey, and everything was tasting | | | | Utah even lost the top position in the final AP Top |
| sweet like success. Utah's defense would record 8 | | | | 25 Poll as Florida was declared No. 1 and Utah No. |
| sacks and 2 interceptions. The Ute offense would | | | | 2. Utah did receive 18 first-place votes but could |
| slice and dice the Crimson Tide defense like a | | | | not overcome Florida's 48 first-place votes. The |
| blender demonstration by a huckster at the | | | | drumbeat for a national championship playoff |
| county fair. | | | | series grows louder every year the BCS system |
| While Alabama would begin to fight back with 17 | | | | is in place. One honor did come to Kyle |
| unanswered points, making it 21-17 early in the | | | | Whittingham as he was named BCS Coach of the |
| 2nd half (probably after a great halftime speech | | | | Year by the American Football Coaches |
| or a tongue lashing by coach Nick Saban), there | | | | Association. |