Welcome to the Pac12.....

[USC 619]

....it's time to recruit with the big boys. I wish you guys luck in the years to come, we need a strong Utah team to help our conference get it's due respect.

 

[UtahStu]

So, what exactly does recruiting with the big boys entail? Are we going to need money bribes like in the SEC, or coaches who get on a knee and beg for a recruit to come like in UW, or coaches to make promises they can't possibly keep to recruits like ASU, or oversigning a class with an impending schollie restriction like USC?

 

[Ute Dawg]

Thanks for the well wishes and I agree. Our recruiting will have to really elevate to become and remain as a great team in the PAC 12. I wish I could say best of luck to USC right now but still am a bit stung by the Ryan Henderson decommit.

 

[chazzed]

Originally posted by UtahStu:
So, what exactly does recruiting with the big boys entail? Are we going to need money bribes like in the SEC, or coaches who get on a knee and beg for a recruit to come like in UW, or coaches to make promises they can't possibly keep to recruits like ASU, or oversigning a class with an impending schollie restriction like USC?

lol

You nailed it. I would not take any tips from an SC fan, unless it is entitlement advice.

Welcome.

 

[FifteenSmash]

Originally posted by USC 619:
....it's time to recruit with the big boys. I wish you guys luck in the years to come, we need a strong Utah team to help our conference get it's due respect.

More self aggrandizement from the ranks of the University of Spoiled Children, of course.

 

[jefferysl]

UW fan here...you guys all already competitive in recruiting. Oregon State, Stanford, and Washington State always follow the "diamond in the rough and coach them up in the system" model and win with it (WSU was good 10 years ago...). Arizona and Arizona State both were competitive as soon as they were invited to make the old PAC-8 into the PAC-10. Same same here. Competition will be tough every week, though. You'll earn more money, have better national exposure, and it'll help your recruiting.

 

[trojan bill]

Well I also wouldn't take any advice from a Berkeley goon either about how to conduct themselves as a fan. Nor how they do as a football program. They've mastered the art of being goons in the stands, and losers on the field.

Please forgive the clown from boycott city, they haven't seen a Rose Bowl since Eisenhower was in office.

Good grief, the Nerds from Stanford have been to several since the Dirty Golden Bear has been. If I were them, I'd be embarassed.

 

[SCglory]

What it means in theory I have no idea. What it means in practice is that you probably won't be getting the top tier talent on a regular basis. But with sound coaching you can narrow the chasm somewhat. But in any case, if I were a fan/alum of a school like Utah, I doubt I'd be pounding my chest much. The Pac12 is a major step up, and football may be the tip of the iceberg. It's a great move for the Utes if they can sustain it.

 

[NYC Ute]

Utah recruits as well as anyone and they have for quite a while. The "Big boys"...wow, where have you been? In the past 5 years, Utah has played and performed as well as anyone. When you win a Fiesta Bowl by killing Pitt and 4 years later destroy Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and end up 2nd in the nation then your recruiting is Fine.

December 25, 2001 Las Vegas Bowl Utah 10 Southern California 6 Ron McBride
December 31, 2003 Liberty Bowl Utah 17 Southern Miss 0 Urban Meyer #21
January 1, 2005 Fiesta Bowl Utah 35 Pittsburgh 7 Urban Meyer #4 #5
December 29, 2005 Emerald Bowl Utah 38 Georgia Tech 10 Kyle Whittingham
December 23, 2006 Armed Forces Bowl Utah 25 Tulsa 13 Kyle Whittingham
December 20, 2007 Poinsettia Bowl Utah 35 Navy 32 Kyle Whittingham
January 2, 2009 Sugar Bowl Utah 31 Alabama 17 Kyle Whittingham #2 #4
December 23, 2009 Poinsettia Bowl Utah 37 California 27 Kyle Whittingham #18 #1

 

[trojan bill]

NYC no question the Ute's WON their way into this Conference. That you gotta have mad respect for. Here is the issue from a TALENT perspective now that you are in the Pac 12 and no longer the Mountain West. The SEC dominates headlines because they have fanatical fanbases, plenty of talent at the top 1/2 of the league in particular, and win on big stages. That sells for sure. The thing that sets the Pac apart is the closeness of competition within the teams WEEK IN WEEK OUT.

You put Vanderbilt, Miss St, Or Kentucky up against Florida Bama, and LSU over a 10 year period and how many wins you see over a 10 year period?

The separation amoung Pac teams in the heart of the weekly league schedule isn't that great. Bottom feeders don't tend to stay down long. Wazzu who has to recruit to Siberia, won the league 2x in the last 15 years, and had 3 10 win seasons in a row. Vandy has NEVER come close to that success level.

You have to play 9 Conference games in this league, and the gap in talent on a week in week out level won't be how much more talented you were going up against the lower tier of the Mountain West were Utah BLEW the doors off that talent level.

Back to back games @USC then BYU, later host ASU, @Pitt and @Cal, Oregon St, @UofA...That changes things a TON.

 

[brista21]

Congrats on you official entry to the Pac-12 and welcome to the BCS club! Would love to see Rutgers and Utah get a series together in the future!

 

[aged_wolverine]

Congratz to you guys making it to an AQ conference where you have belonged for a while.

I hope everything works out great for ya

 

[Nole N Utah]

Helloooooo PAC 12! Go Utes!

The problems on the offensive line and results against TCU the last 2 years are more than enough evidence to show that the Utes do not recruit as well as everybody. I'm looking forward to better prepared talent coming into the program.

 

[wazzubruce]

The last person Utah needs to take advice from or listen to is scglory, or otherwise known as 'gloryhole' on the cougzone site. I guess he attended WSU at one time and now just comes there an thrashes the place. Anyway...
Utah is a great football school and a great fit for the Pac. Welcome.
We at Wazzu look forward to battling with the Utes. It won't take you long to start hating sc, oregon and the dub, that other school.