Rivalry Week. Sort of.

Here it is, the, BIG GAME. The Holy War. Whatever. Just don't refer to it as a match up sponsored by the Mormon's Credit Union, because I don't remember their name, I don't know who's won that trophy, any year, and don't care. And, to quote, Bill Murray in, Meatballs, "It just doesn't matter...!"

Completely off the subject, but when the Mormon Republicans in the Legislature were hating on Credit Unions a few years ago at the behest of Zion's Bank, why didn't the church get rid of theirs? I'm just askin'?

And it doesn't matter any more because we are OUT of their LEAGUE starting next year. Always have been as a University, but that's another, "rant". And this year? Do you really care if the Utes go to the Las Vegas Bowl or San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl? I know I don't because chances are, I'm not going to make the trip to either one of them.

I'd rather they ended up in the Kraft Foods End Hunger Bowl in San Francisco like we did 5 years ago when the PAC 10 didn't have enough qualifiers. My wife grew up there, so it's easy to talk her into that trip. And we love that town.

I really don't care if we win on Saturday or not. Well, I DO care, but not like I cared for the last 40 years. Because we are leaving them behind in the college football world. They shot themselves in the head because of a crummy TV deal, only to get another crummy TV deal, but with a bigger payoff.

And they will be playing on Wednesday nights in the fall, instead of Saturday afternoon.

And this is what really makes this week less than important. Next year, we might play on Friday night once a year. Or maybe a Thursday once in a while. But we will play ALL of our games on national TV, EVERY Saturday. Rake in about $15 Million every year after the first three years, and every year. EVERY FREAKIN' YEAR, our goal at the start of the season is to win our Conference (same as now) and play in THE ROSE BOWL (WAY different from now). If we have a mediocre year, if we go 6-5, we could STILL play in the Las Vegas Bowl. But a GOOD year? Rose Bowl. Or BCS National Championship Game.

That School Down South, can go 12-0 every year from now until eternity, when they get their own centrally heated, wall to wall carpeted, planet, Kolob to live on for time and all eternity, And they will never, ever, play in a Rose Bowl.

And if their schedule includes, Weber State, La Tech and Army every year? They won't get a shot to play in ANY BCS Bowl Game. We have left them behind in every way.

Now, I can hear the yelling from Provo, "We have a national title! We have a Heisman Trophy!" Yeah, whatever. YOU'RE national tittle is the reason we have the abortion that is the BCS instead of a playoff. Congrats on your Heisman. Enjoy it, it's you last one.

The BCS still sucks, but if it's to stay with us, and there is every indication that it is, I'd rather be part of it than not. So once we have two of them, I'm going to walk down Center Street in Provo with a sign that says, "So long bubble! Every one knows your password is 1984!" By that time, you could have the biggest football stadium in the FCS (read Division 1 AA) because that's where you're heading.

I'll always buy my tickets, even though I might not always go to the game. And I'll always root for my Utes. But I'm going to all the away games I can, because I like Tucson and Los Angeles a lot better than Laramie and Albuquerque.

So, yeah, it's rivalry week. But I don't care much. I want my team to win, but there is nothing, absolutely NOTHING on the line here. Of all the Bowl Games we can get, they are about the same. And after this year, tsds is NOT a rival. Colorado will be our rivalry game.

Tsds is just another, non-conference game that fills out our schedule. And even if they win, they can, "rise and shout" about it, but it doesn't really matter. Even if they DO beat us, we're still playing for a Rose Bowl. And they aren't. Ever.

WE are now the rich guys from the camp across the lake. And, "Even if you play so far above your heads that your noses bleed for a week to ten days! You still won't ever get the Roses! They will go to the rich guys from the camp across the lake! So, It just doesn't matter! It just doesn't matter...!"

Repeat ad infinitim, Cougars.