Two ranked teams, undefeated in conference play, will battle with a possible Bowl Championship Series at stake in front of what is expected to be one of the largest crowds in Rice-Eccles Stadium history.
In attendance with all those fans sporting black clothing for the Blackout will be bowl representatives from six bowls, including the Fiesta, Sugar and Orange, and several members of national media outlets.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said earlier this week tonight's contest is a game like any other the Utes have played.
No one believed him. Everyone knows better. The buildup and hype has been bigger for this game than any other played in Rice-Eccles Stadium that hasn't involved that team down south.
"We don't need a motivation speech by the coaches," Utah receiver Bradon Godfrey said. "We don't need one, there is nothing that needs to be said. Everybody knows what is at stake, and that's enough."
Tonight's game between the No. 10 Utah Utes (9-0, 5-0) and No. 11 TCU Horned Frogs (9-1, 6-0) marks the highest-ranked teams to ever play against one another at Utah.
It's also only the fifth time Utah has been ranked and played a ranked opponent. The Utes have won all four previous meetings.
"You play to play in games like this," Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen said. "It's fun to be undefeated nine games into it, and it's fun to be competing for a championship with three games left. That is what you play for."
This is unfamiliar territory for TCU, too, which hasn't played in a game when both teams have such high combined rankings since Nov. 14, 1959, when the No. 18 Frogs defeated No. 2 Texas 14-9.
TCU's only loss this season was 35-10 to Oklahoma, then ranked No. 2 and a team TCU coach Gary Patterson has drawn comparisons to Utah.
"We don't have to tell the kids anything," Patterson said when asked how big the game was for TCU. "You have to get up for the games you're supposed to win, but the big games take care of themselves."
Teams play to prove themselves, and both Utah and TCU would like to prove they are the best in the MWC and deserving of a BCS bowl. The Utes boast one of the best records against BCS teams at 15-10 since 2000, but they haven't fared as well against ranked opponents.
Since 1936, when The Associated Press started ranking teams, the Utes are just 11-45 against ranked opponents. However, they are 4-2 since the 2003 season.
Tonight's game is expected to give the Utes some legitimacy or expose them as overrated, much like TCU's 32-7 win over BYU did to the Cougars.
It's a game where pride, rankings and postseason hopes are at stake. Sure, those elements have been with the Utes all season, but they haven't been matched by a team so similar on the field at the same time with the same goals.
TCU has a more productive rushing offense, Utah has a more productive passing offense. Both teams average 36 points a game. Both teams have great rushing defenses, although TCU's is even tougher than the Utes'. TCU doesn't allow as many points as Utah does, either, but give the Utes an advantage in the intangibles category for playing at home in front of a jacked-up crowd.
Will it be like any other game? Hardly.
"We are going to have the fans and the MUSS and everybody is going to be there and rooting for us," Utah safety Robert Johnson said. "We finally got the black jerseys our fans wanted. It's going to be rocking."
lwodraska@sltrib.com
No. 11 TCU at No. 10 Utah
Today, 6 p.m., CBS College Sports
