Southwest Baptist be damned! 

A very good victory by the Utes tonight and even though Oregon isn't going to be a Pac Ten power this year, it's still nice getting a victory over a program that beat you last season. 

Utah now sits at 5-1 on the season, have won five straight and look to have moved past the debacle that was Southwest Baptist. We aren't out of the woods yet, but this team looks to be improving every game and that is a huge sign of progress.

I'll have more on the game tomorrow, but for now, basketball looks to be righting the ship.

This is the first true test for Jim Boylen and the Utes. Oregon isn't as impressive as last year, but they're still a Pac Ten team and a victory here could mean a lot for a program still trying to find its identity under Boylen. Tip is set for 7:00 MST at the Huntsman Center, so if you don't have anything to do, get out and support the Runnin' Utes!

Here's to a good game and a Utah victory!

At the top of the hour, they'll be announcing the Mountain West Conference awards, so I'm going live here to discuss the results for those who don't have the mtn. So keep your eye here for the latest.

1:58: Not sure what to expect out of these awards. The All-Conference team will be interesting to see, as it should be a race between Hall & Johnson at the QB slot. 

1:59: Great moments in MWC History showing the history of the Pit. Definitely one of the most historical stadiums in the Mountain West.

2:00: Ok, here we go. About to begin. Excited? I am.

2:01: They're discussing how the teams are selected through the 9 coaches, 2 media members in each markets and there you go. 

2:02: Brian Johnson Offensive Player of the Year. Congrats, Johnson!

2:03: Johnson being interviewed now, talking about the awesome season and how the team progressed from being just ok in the first half to great in the second. Said the defining moment of the season was the Oregon State game because of the fact he wasn't playing well and how they found a way to score 11 points in 90 seconds to get the victory and keep the undefeated season alive. Showed the true character of the team and how they battled. Johnson also said the 2 minute offense was successful because he was comfortable running it and felt the senior leadership on offense helped run it well, esp ecially when they sped up the pace. He said the season was far more harder than in 2004 because of the close games and the tough times made it so special.

2:04: Kyle Whittingham named Coach of the Year. No shock there.

2:05: Whittingham says it's the most enjoyable season of his 25 year coaching career. Loves his staff and players, enjoyable to be around. Said Johnson has been the team leader this year and set the pace, couldn't be more proud of what he has accomplished. Talked about how he struggled at the first part of the season, but how he played his best football when it counted most, in the second half of the season. Says he's deserving of the award. Whittingham said the goal was to win the Mountain West at the beginning of the season and felt anything else would be icing on the cake.

2:06:  A break. After the commercial, Defensive Player of the Year will be announced.

2:08: All-Conference team announced, I only caught Johnson at QB, I'm sure they'll list it on the site later, though.

2:09: Freshman of the Year, Tim Jefferson of Air Force. Not a surprise there. 

2:10: Interview with Jefferson, he seems humbled by it, thanking his team more than anything. Said the award was not his goal, but added to the season. Also said it was difficult being a freshman quarterback, how it was scary to lead the 22 or 23 year olds on the field, since he was only 19. Feels he answered the challenge well. 

2:11: Jerry Hughes named Defensive Player of the Year.

2:12: Hughes said his goal this season was to do his job. Nice. 

2:14: Louie Sakoda named Special Teams Player of the Year. That's a shocker. Not.

2:15: Sakoda's goal was to help the team any way possible this season, but also to leave a legacy at the school. He definitely has. Had no idea his career would be this successful, as he had an average year his first season.

2:16: There you go. Todd Christensen up after the break to discuss the awards, but does anyone really care what he thinks?

I'll have the all-conference team ready when they put it on the site and I'll throw it up here.

With the 2008 season awards being released today by the Mountain West, I thought I would publish Block U's awards. They don't count for anything and probably have a bit of bias to them, but what the hell, right? If they can release their awards, I can do the same. 

Let's begin! 

via www.suzannegaudetbenefit.com

Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year

This was not an easy choice, as there are some very deserving players in the conference this year. However, the person I did choose has shown on the football field to be the best player in the Mountain West Conference. I say this because he not only showed true leadership throughout the season, but did so in the most perfect of ways. While other players may have been more successful statistically, the leadership by this individual on the field is the biggest reason for his team's success. Because of this, I feel the Offensive Player of the Year should be...

Brian Johnson, Utah

Shocker, a Utah blog picking Brian Johnson as the Offensive Player of the Year. But you can't deny what he did this season. The 2008 Utes will go down as the second best team in Mountain West history (next to the '04 Utes) and their leader, Brian Johnson, is a big reason for this.

Battling injuries in 2005 and 2007, Johnson delivered the Utes a perfect 12-0 season and though his play wasn't perfect at times, his clutch performances against Air Force, Oregon State, New Mexico and TCU has made him a Utah legend. Sure, his stats aren't jaw-dropping, but sometimes you've got to look beyond the numbers to find a truly great player and there is no question Johnson's leadership and fight this season is a big reason the Utes are undefeated and playing in their second BCS bowl game in five seasons. In fact, only two Mountain West quarterbacks can claim such an honor as playing in a BCS bowl, Alex Smith and soon Brian Johnson. 

Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year

I went back and forth with this decision, as the two players I had in mind were both deserving of this honor. Ultimately, though, I decided to go with who I felt had the better overall performance and one of the largest impacts on his team. As I said with Brian Johnson, the success of a player should also directly tie in with the success of the team. Some defensive players have a big enough impact to lead the team and others might play a vital role, but may not be the biggest single reason for that team's success. With Utah, Brian Johnson is the reason the Utes went 12-0, as he was the player to consistently step up and perform when the team needed him the most. That isn't to say other players weren't important, but the success of Utah this year directly correlated with his ability. Because of this, I feel the Defensive Player of the Year should be...

Jerry Hughes, TCU

The Ute in me wanted to select Paul Kruger, namely because of what he had to battle through to get where he is today. But it's tough to go against Hughes, who has put together a spectacular season and helped put the TCU Horned Frogs at 10-2 on the season. In fact, the Frogs were a defensive stop on fourth down away from not only claiming the Mountain West title, but a possible BCS berth, as well. 

Hughes is a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the lone non-BCS player on the list. He leads the nation in sacks and tackles and has been the player behind TCU's tops in the nation run defense. To put it simply, he's pretty much a beast and the major reason TCU's defense is one of the best in the country. 

Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year

This really isn't up for discussion, right? I mean, we all know who'll get the award and there is no reason saying it was a tough choice, because it wasn't. Because of this, I feel the Special Teams Player of the Year should be...

Louie Sakoda, Utah

It's pretty easy to select Sakoda, who has been the Mountain West's most successful kicker. He's the leading scorer in Utah history and his field goal as time expired against Oregon State kept Utah's undefeated season alive. While Brian Johnson might be the biggest reason the Utes are 12-0, Sakoda's success at field goal kicking and punting is another reason, as well.

Utah fans know full well how special teams can bite you in important games. This season, though, there was never really any fear Sakoda couldn't get it done. He's the best kicker in Utah football history and easily the winner of this award. 

Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year

This one isn't really very debatable. I think we all know who'll win this award and it's well deserving, because his performance this season can be compared to only one other coach in Mountain West history and that guy is on the verge of coaching for his second national championship. That alone is the reason I feel the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year should be...

Kyle Whittingham, Utah

If you've read Block U over the last three seasons, you will know that I've been one of Kyle Whittingham's harshest critics. I was wrong. I was dead wrong, in fact, and this season proved that I really don't know what I am talking about. 

When Whittingham took over Utah in 2005, expectations were high. They always are when you inherit a team coming off a 12-0 season. Though many of us expected a step back, it was tough to swallow the 7-5 season that followed 2004's dominance.

In 2006, the 8-5 season had many of us questioning the future of this program, especially when Utah blew a huge halftime lead against New Mexico. Then there was the meltdown in Las Vegas last year, a game that will always be remembered as Black Saturday here. It was ugly. So ugly, that even I suggested the Kyle Whittingham era was on the verge of collapsing. Again, I was wrong. That game, that moment, proved to be a turning point for this program and Utah has only lost one game since. Kyle Whittingham deserves all the credit for that turnaround and even though I've been wrong in the past, this I know I am right about. 

When Whittingham emerged from the wake of that devastating loss to Rebels, he didn't panic. He didn't allow the team to crash and burn, like what had happened in 2002, after the Utes lost a close one on the road against Arizona. Instead, he forged onward, barely changing anything and the leadership he showed in the days and weeks after that terrible loss is the reason Utah football stands at 12-0 now.

He could have blown the program up. He could have fired his assistants, forced a change at quarterback and thrown out the entire gameplan. Instead, he stayed the course and it proved to be the right move. The next week, Utah soundly defeated Utah State, on their way to a then career-high seven game winning streak for Whittingham. Though his team lost another heartbreaker to BYU, by the middle of that run in 2007, we knew Utah was being led by the right guy and this season, we honor him for it. 

Update: It does appear Andersen very well could be going to Utah State, so maybe you can already add one of these names to the list. 

The worst part of success is that everyone else wants a piece of it. We saw this first hand when Florida stole Urban Meyer from us and UNLV went after our offensive coordinator. When Whittingham took over officially after the Fiesta Bowl, things were pretty much a big mess. Players were leaving, coaches had left and the future of the program was in doubt. Which explains why Ute fans are currently awaiting news about future hires, because I don't think any of us want to relive the events following Urban Meyer's departure four years ago.

Not every coach is going to leave, but it's very likely some do. So let's look at the possibile changes for the 2009 season.

Kyle Whittingham

Whittingham's name has been thrown around quite a bit in Seattle as a replacement for Ty Willingham, who the Huskies fired a few weeks ago. While Washington is a BCS program, it's one in pretty bad shape and would most likely require the biggest rebuilding project in the country. Though I think Whittingham could eventually turn around a program like that, it's not going to be easy and will most likely take years. That's where things get tricky, because it could be four or five seasons before he even sniffs a winning record there. If that were the case, does Washington have the patience to keep him, even if fans are howling and does Whittingham risk it? I am not sure he does. That means, if I had to bet, I would say Washington is not Whittingham's next stop. 

Andy Ludwig

Ludwig is probably not going to land a head coaching job and I think he's just fine with that. However, becoming the offensive coordinator for a big time program is not out of the question. It's not clear what job he would take and it probably won't be until a few more hires are made. Since generally new coaches who are hired happen to be assistants, some solid programs are going to be in the market for them. That's where Ludwig comes in. 

Gary Andersen

Andersen is very likely to leave Utah for a head coaching gig one day. It might not happen this season, but it will come soon enough. I do not, however, see Andersen leaving to become a coordinator at another school, unless it's a major program like Florida or USC. Florida is probably a more likely option than the Trojans, since Urban Meyer is still connected to Whittingham & Utah, but outside of that, if he bolts, it's probably for the top spot. 

The thing is, right now, Andersen's best option is Utah State and that isn't a very good one. The Aggies are a mess and Andersen has to know going there will pretty much kill any future head coaching dreams if he fails. Of course, the success at a program like that could be used as a springboard to greater oppertunity at a more known school, but how likely is that?

Andersen very well could take the Aggies job, but I would lean toward him not taking it, holding out another year and maybe getting a better job at a more respectable non-BCS school. Andersen also probably has his eye on the Utah job if Whittingham leaves, so if he's open to the Aggies this time around, it could signal Whittingham is going to stay for at least another year.

Outside of the three major coaches on the team, position coaches are likely to change. I won't get into that because the list would be too long, but if there is going to be a turnover, it's most certainly going to come from there than at the top. So when will that happen? Well I guess we just have to sit back and wait.

While I've been slacking on getting reader input, I have been submitting my ballot every week, so at least I've been doing something right. But since there isn't much to talk about right now, at least not until tomorrow (MWC awards) and the seventh (BCS bowl announcments), I'll post this week's ballot and ask for input, as per the usual. 

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama	--
2	Oklahoma	--
3	Florida	--
4	Texas	--
5	Utah	--
6	Boise State	--
7	Southern Cal	--
8	Penn State	--
9	TCU	1
10	Ohio State	1
11	Ball State	2
12	Texas Tech	1
13	Oklahoma State	1
14	Cincinnati	3
15	Georgia Tech	3
16	Boston College	4
17	Oregon	4
18	Brigham Young	1
19	Mississippi	6
20	Georgia	5
21	Missouri	7
22	Oregon State	6
23	Northwestern	1
24	Michigan State	2
25	Virginia Tech	1

You can view it on the left or here. Go vote for who you want Utah to face, assuming, of course, they don't make the national championship (which isn't going to happen). 

For me, it's between Texas in the Fiesta & Alabama.