Final 2012-13 Football Season Thoughts

BYU

-The Cougars were the most under-performing team in Utah according to Sagarin.  The Computers show that the BYU should have beaten Utah, Boise State and San Jose State.  In addition, BYU should have beaten Weber State, Hawaii and Idaho by larger margins than they did.
-BYU's best win was against Utah State, but according to the computer polls, the Cougars did not defeat anyone who they should have lost to.
-BYU was the only bowl team not to allow a touchdown.

-BYU's worst loss was to Utah.  (The weakest opponent, according to Sagarin, they lost to.)  They should have, according to Sagarin, defeated Utah by 7 points.
-BYU was 2-4 against teams that played in the post-season in 2012, beating Utah State and Georgia Tech and losing to Boise State, Notre Dame, Oregon State and San Jose State.
-BYU's regular season opponents were 4-2 in Bowl games.  Utah State, Boise State, San Jose State, and Georgia Tech were victors where Notre Dame and Oregon State lost.

Utah

-Utah's best win was against BYU.  Otherwise, they did not beat anyone else that they should have lost to or lost to anyone they should have defeated.  Their worst loss was Washington.
-The PAC-12's bowl performance, outside of the BCS Bowls won by Stanford and Oregon, did not do credit to the conference.
-The Utes played 7 bowl teams in 2012, going 1-6 against those teams.  They only beat BYU.  They lost to Utah State, Arizona State, Arizona, Washington, UCLA, Oregon State and USC
-Utah's opponents were 4-3 in the post-season.  Utah State, BYU, Arizona and Arizona State were victorious.  USC, Washington and Oregon State lost.
-Utah played the most difficult schedule of any team in the state of Utah.

Utah State

-The Aggies did not lose to anyone that they should have defeated, according to Sagarin.  They also did not beat anyone they should have lost to.  (The latter is not meant to diminish their great season, a mark of a good team is to leave nothing on the table and to have no regrets.  The Aggies have no regrets.)
-Kerwynn Williams had the best bowl game by a running back.
-Utah State finished with the highest ranking of any non-AQ school.
-The Aggies played only 3 bowl teams in the regular season, going 1-2 against those teams.  However, Louisiana Tech should have, but did not appear in a bowl game.  USU defeated San Jose State but lost to BYU and Wisconsin.
-USU's best win was Louisiana Tech and worst loss was BYU.
-The Aggies regular-season opponents were 2-1 in bowl games.  BYU and San Jose State were victorious where Wisconsin was defeated.
-USU played the weakest schedule of Utah's 3 FBS teams.
-The WAC closed out football with two ranked teams and one in the RV category.

Weber State

-The Wildcats had a very rough season, but they did beat Southern Utah in Cedar City, a game they should have lost according to Sagarin.  They did not lose to anyone they should have defeated.  But only Idaho State is in that category.
-Weber State's worst loss was to Northern Colorado.
-Four of WSU's opponents earned post-season games.  Webers foes were 3-3 in the post season.  Eastern Washington was 2-1, losing in the FCS semi-finals after winning 2 games to get there.  BYU was victorious in their bowl game.  Fresno State and Cal-Poly lost their post-season games.
-Weber State played the weakest schedule of any team in Utah.

Southern Utah

-The T-Birds were inconsistent against the computers in 2012.  They did beat Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona who they should have lost to.  But they also dropped 3 games that they should have won to Sacramento State, Weber State and North Dakota.  Those three losses were by a total of 9 points.
-The Thunderbirds best win was against Eastern Washington and the worst loss was to Weber State.
-SUU played 3 teams that played in the post-season, going 1-2 in those games.  They beat Eastern Washington, but lost to Utah State and Montana State.
-SUU opponents were 4-2 in post season play.  Utah State won their bowl game.  Montana State was 1-1 in post season play.  Eastern Washington was 2-1.
-Southern Utah played the strongest schedule in the Big Sky Conference.

Other Observations

-Boise State, in the Las Vegas Bowl, won a game thanks to a made field goal.  Hopefully, that breaks the curse.
-The winner of the Bowl Challenge Cup: Conference USA.  Victors UCF and SMU will not be in C-USA next season, but will join the Big East.
-The MWC has not won the Bowl Challenge cup since BYU and Utah left.
-Many bowl victors received no votes in the final AP and coaches polls.  They include Arizona, BYU, Louisiana Lafayette, SMU, Central Michigan, Baylor, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Rice, Syracuse, Michigan State, Georgia Tech and Ole Miss.  Most of these teams have records that do not justify a ranking.
-Bowl losers that were still ranked: Notre Dame, Florida, Kansas State, LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Northern Illinois, Michigan and Nebraska.
-The only ranking I can take issue with is Florida still being ranked ahead of the team that beat them in the Sugar Bowl, Louisville.