Utah Should Feel Thrilled About the Big 12

From The Andy Thompson Show 7/22/2024

Transcript:

The University of Utah entered the BIG 12 with their feet dragging, like a husband being pulled into TJ Maxx on a Saturday afternoon.

Kyle Whittingham has implied that the Utes stay in the BIG 12 will be temporary. "it will be a few years before we play UCLA again, but I think with the changes on the horizon, we'll be, at some point back together again.”

Whittingham won the two Pac 12 championships. Two Pac 12 coach of the year awards. Made two Rose Bowls. Got to play USC, Oregon, Washington every year, and often times beat them to the acclaim of the national media. From 2008 to 2018, Whittingham found himself on almost on every list of most underrated coaches in America. More recently he's listed as a top 10 coach in America. And he's making 6.5 million dollars per season. All of this esteem and pay increase was generated by his success in the PAC 12.

Four seasons of 10 wins or more. 9 Consensus All America Players. 39 draft picks since 2012.

The PAC 12 was beddy beddy good to Whittingham and the Utes.

So when the conference imploded and the Utes were forced to go to the Junior Varsity conference with a bunch of Guaranteed Rate Bowl dwellers, Alamo Bowlers, Independence Bowlers, Pop Tarts Bowlers...Whittingham said I'm a rose bowler. I belong in the big 10! Oregon Washington USC...I've been beating those teams and they get to go play in the big house and the horseshoe while I'm stuck in Waco and Lubbock Texas? I'm ashamed to be in the BIG 12.

What Kyle and a large contingent of Utah fans don't understand is nobody cheers for television networks. And grant of rights money doesn't buy you into national championship contention.

3 out of the 4 biggest college football prognosticators this year have Utah picked to be a top 4 seed in the college football playoff this year meaning they'll have a first round bye. They're in the top four with programs like Ohio State, Georgia and Florida State! That's a pretty prestigious group their Kyle. You know who never delivered Utah to a college football playoff? The PAC 12. And neither would the BIG 10 this year. The only conference in the country that could possibly get Utah a top 4 seed in the playoff this season is the Big 12. You want prestige Kyle? You got it in the dust bowl! The grouping that matters isn't which conference your in. The grouping that matters is are you in the 12, and even better are you in the 4. The BIG 12 is giving you that opportunity in year one. I'd rather you just say thank you and be on your way.