Quick Hits: Utah Jazz, Utah Football, and BYU Football

School is over and it is time to return to the blog...

No Jazz Fans Are Talking About This Season - This is a very odd season for the Jazz. Normally Jazz fans are looking forward to see what the team is able to accomplish this season with an eye for a NBA championship. Yet, ever since the Jazz were eliminated by the Lakers in last years playoffs it seems as if the organization, fans, players, and media are only talking about on thing, this coming off season. This off season is so critical to the future of the Jazz it is hard to look at anything else. The problem is nobody is focusing on this season, and the chances that the Jazz have to go deep into the playoffs. People are more concerned over who will opt out at the end of the season, and who has trade value over the long term. Boozer trade scenarios have been the most interesting. Media personal have been proposing trades that seem plain dumb if you want to compete for a championship this season. Trading Boozer for a bad expiring contract makes little sense. It won't give the Jazz more money this off season to spend on other players, and it won't give a player to the Jazz this season that will help them win. With the talent of players on this year team (When healthy, and that is a bigger question mark) it seems people should be focusing on this year, and not so much the next.

AP Got the Final College Football Poll Dead Wrong! - Utah was the national champions this year. It is hard for me, a lifetime BYU fan to admit this, but the Utes did more than any of the other teams to get a piece of the championship. They were undefeated. The Utes didn't have to explain away any losses. USC lost to Oregon State, sorry your out! Texas dropped a game to a Texas Tech team that turned out to be not that good, and their big win is over Oklahoma who lost to Florida, sorry Texas is out! Florida is the only team that could make a case of being national champions. The problem is they lost a game to Mississippi. Florida also won a bowl game that was poorly played. Oklahoma had multiple opportunities to put points on the board against Florida and they beat themselves more than Florida beating them. The Sugar Bowl was never in doubt from beginning to end, Utah was in control and the better team. Utah didn't create the system or even like the system; however, the Utes played within the system and were the only team to be undefeated. The AP had a chance to use logic and vote the Utes to the top spot, but they even missed out on the chance. Many of the voters admitted they never watched the Utes during the season, and didn't even watch the Sugar Bowl. Yep, those are the people deciding the national championship.

Collie Goes Pro - Austin Collie is going to enter the NFL draft, and this is one of the few times I agree with a player leaving school early to enter the draft. This is the high point of Collie's stock. What would Collie get by playing another year at BYU. It would have been awesome to see Jacobson, Chambers and Collie together. It would have improved the Cougars chances to win big games against Oklahoma and Florida State next season also. The problem is team will focus more on Collie next season if he stayed at BYU. He also runs the risk of injury, and even if he has another great year it would be hard for him to repeat as the top yardage receiver. Collie knows that best case scenario for him is to get selected in the 3rd round. He also knows that there is a chance that he could fall considerably to later rounds or even undrafted. Yet, having the stats he put up last season will make the difference in him making an NFL roster.

BYU Outlook for Next Season - With Collie gone what happens to BYU? Collie leaving might be a great thing for BYU. The problem that BYU had on offense last season was Max Hall keying in on Collie. He would force balls to Collie when other options were open. The BYU offense is at its best when the quarterback uses multiple options. If Tonga becomes eligible next season that gives BYU two threats of catching the ball out of the back field with Unga and Tonga. Jacobson returns from his mission, and Chambers should have sufficient time to become at least the number two option in the offense. Pitta should return, and George is a great option on the field when he gets the ball. IF Hall learns that he has a huge number of offensive weapons on the field, and SPREADS the ball he should be just fine. More importantly for BYU is the defense. Manti T'eo might be the biggest recruit ever brought into BYU, if the Cougars could land him. T' eo is ready to make a difference on whatever team he plays for next season as a freshman, and if Bronco is relying on LDS athletes to lead BYU then getting T'eo to play for BYU is an absolute must. T'eo could possibly be the best linebacker to ever play for BYU. If BYU wants to be a nationally competitive program they need the top tier recruits.