Tide Tidbits - December 11, 2008

So... how is Utah's offense preparing for Alabama's defense?
How will Utah prepare for a Crimson Tide defense ranked No. 3 in the country? I spoke today with Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig about that very topic. But first, Ludwig gave his general thoughts of UA's D. "Their personnel looks great," Ludwig said. "They got big, fast guys who run to the ball and they're extremely well-coached. It's fun to watch them play defense."

Utah Utes hyped for Sugar Bowl match-up with Alabama
A lukewarm response from the state of Alabama regarding this year's Sugar Bowl was not shared in Utah. The Utes (12-0) are viewing their Jan. 2 matchup against the Crimson Tide (12-1) in New Orleans as one of bigger games in school history, their own personal championship game to replace the real thing. To go unbeaten for the second time in five years and not get a sniff at the big prize, as Utah coach Kyle Whittingham put it, "can be a little frustrating."

An unlikely hero
Brian Johnson wasn’t supposed to be the starting quarterback of a team playing in a major bowl game. He wasn’t supposed to be groomed as the successor to a first-overall NFL draft pick who finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. None of that would have ever happened if Urban Meyer hadn’t seen the native of Baytown, Texas, play in high school. Meyer, the former coach at Utah and now coach of the Florida Gators, liked what he saw and recruited Johnson to understudy Alex Smith, who led the Utes to an undefeated season in 2004 before being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.

This is why Tebow should win the Heisman
Ballots for the Heisman Trophy were due at 4 p.m. today and Florida's Tim Tebow, Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Texas' Colt McCoy have been named the three finalists. Tebow should be the winner. In comparing the three quarterbacks, you can't go strictly on season stats. If so, Tebow couldn't compete with McCoy and Bradford. But if you study the numbers, you see that Tebow is just as effective -- if not more so -- and does it against far better competition.

Roll Ride!