Best of the 2000's Counting Down the Mountain West Top 10 Teams: #1 2008 Utah Utes

Now, it is time to continue the countdown of the decades best team, and now we move to the number one spot. 

#1 Utah Utes 2008 (13-0)

This team was expected to be good, but not this good.  This team had close calls with multiple teams and needed two come from behind wins against Oregon State and TCU.  No one was talking about BCS until the TCU matchup when Utah was 9-0 heading into that game, and then even more after their win.

The Ute offense was not as explosive as the 2004 team besides outside of a few games but they just kept winning and positioned themselves toward a BCS run.  On the way QB Brian Johnson lead them to a come from behind wins over Oregon State, TCU, and then they needed kicker Louie Sakoda for the actual game winners against the same teams as well as the Air Force win.

The BYU game at the end of the year was the last hurdle between the Utes and the BCS.  At the time BYU was 11-1 and ranked 14th prior to the game, and then the Utes went out and destroyed BYU 48-24.  The game was close up until midway through the third quarter when BYU QB Max Hall continued his day of turning the ball over.

Then the BCS announcement came with the Utes getting matched up against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.  Alabama was ranked first most of the year until their loss to Florida in the title game, and most figured Alabama would be in for an easy win.

However, the Utes came out strong to a quick 21-0 lead and never looked back in embarrassing Alabama.  That win put Utah second with 16 votes in the AP poll for number one, and at the time the Utes were the first team to have two undefeated BCS seasons; yet they did not have a national title.