Alabama fell short of the SEC title and a perfect season thanks to Florida. The SEC West Champions went thru a somewhat weak looking SEC West Division and two of the low teams of the SEC East.

Utah went undefeated, beating Michigan in Ann Arbor, winning the Mountain West, becoming the team from a non-BCS conference to go to a BCS Bowl.

HATTER'S PICK - Alabama (Close game)

Update: Looks like 'Bama forgot to play defence in the first quarter! 21-0 at the end of the first? Oops! Good work Utah!

'Bama played like UT

I guess we get to see if Utah is for real...

UPDATE: ...and they are. Or are they? Damn, need playoffs...

Giving myself a posthumous one-star rating because (like many of you) I sure as sh#t picked this one wrong.  Another argument for a playoff system.  Another BCS party-crasher.  Another logical reason that won't make a damn bit of difference.  Congrats to Utah for proving me, the experts, and sports fans on RIA wrong.  Then again, it was karma for 'Bama coach Saban- truly one of the opportunistic whores in a profession rife with carpetbaggers.  Guess the 'Bama boys read too many of their own press clippings. 

Alabama.   This one might be a dance at the slaughterhouse.  Utah is cute, but they don't have the chops for this game.

There is no doubt that Utah has a good football team, but I think Alabama proved that they are the second best team in the nation this past Saturday. Bama will win, and I think this one may be a bit one-sided.

Update: Congratulations to the Utes. They proved everyone wrong including the "experts", the odds-makers, and yours truly. In the absence of a playoff, they are the best team in the nation and deserve to be national champs. In the regular season they beat BYU, gave TCU its only loss, and beat Oregon State, who beat Southern Cal. Last night they convincingly defeated the second best team in the best conference in the nation- the SEC. They are the only undefeated team in Division 1A football. Utah is the best. Oklahoma and Florida should be playing to determine who is #2.

Update: This is why D-I needs a playoff. Utah just beat Alabama 31-17. The team playing next week for the National Championship beat Alabama by the score of 31-20 less than a month ago. Utah hasn't lost a game all year, which is something no other team in the nation can claim. Utah might not be the best team in the country, but I wish a playoff was in place so that another team could beat them on the field and settle the issue.

12/20/2008 - Its always exciting to see the underdog team get a BCS berth. It will be interesting to see if Utah is more like a Boise State or a Hawaii. If they play like the Rainbow Warriors did last year against Georgia, then it will have people wishing Boise State got the BCS bid instead of the Utes. It will also provide support for the idiots who don't want to see a playoff. However, if Utah can beat Bama in this game, it will create an argument that they should have played for a National Championship, and a greater case for the playoffs will be made. I don't know if this will be one of the best matchups of the Bowl season, but I sure am hoping for a Utah win. 

Utah has beaten more impressive teams than Alabama this year, so I'll take the Utes by ten. -Are you serious??? Alabama beat Georgia and Mississippi (both top ranked teams). Plus, no team in the SEC is a pushover. Teams have to come to play every week or they will get beat. Hell, Kentucky was 4-0 before beginning there battle to stay above five hundred in the conference. Utah would have a tough time against a sub-par SEC team. Alabama will roll over them.

Utah has a Powerful running game. Matt Asiata is as tough as it gets. And i think utah's Defensive backs are the best in the country. Not to mention Utah's Defensive line. Also, Brian johnson will be a big factor. I think if the Utah team comes out that smashed byu they will win. But if the utah team that beat tcu San diego state, and oregon state comes out, Utah will get a beat down.

Utah has beaten more impressive teams than Alabama this year, so I'll take the Utes by ten.

Utah is just straight up dominant(in the mountain west) Everyone knows that the game is gonna be a BLOW OUT!!! Bama is Domimant in the whole country. They will probably kill my favorite team the Utes.

It'll be interesting to see if Utah shows up for this game and makes it interesting, you know Alabama will.

Great matchup-Alabama is over rated and Utah should beat them.