Utah is 13-0, but the voters who help determine the BCS rankings know that the Utes are probably about the fifth best team out there. How do they know? They just do, okay!
Several voters in the Harris Poll have admitted out loud that they did not watch Utah play a single game this season before the Utes dismantled Alabama—a team that spent a significant chunk of the season ranked No. 1—in the Sugar Bowl. Yes, it's technically part of their job to evaluate all the teams they are theoretically ranking, but it's not like they can get the Mountain West Sports Network on their cable systems. And ESPN only broadcast one Utah game this year (their season opener against Michigan), so they certainly aren't going to waste any valuable air time talking about them.
Keep in mind these are actual quotes from actual voters:
• “I did not see them play [in the regular season]."
• “I didn’t see any live games. I just [saw] highlights.”
• “I don’t recall if I saw them play specifically during the regular season. I don’t remember a specific game.”
Of course, as Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson points out, the conference could have all their games beamed off the surface of the moon using laser beams and people still wouldn't vote for them because it's the frickin Mountain West. But by all means, we should continue to let part-time football watchers who can't afford satellite dishes determine the sport's ultimate champion.
Utah out of sight, out of mind [Yahoo]