This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Get your signs ready and pick out your camping spot: ESPN's popular show "College GameDay" will broadcast outside Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday and Saturday as part of the buildup to the Utah-TCU showdown Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
The last time the crew of Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Erin Andrews was in town was in 2004, when Utah beat BYU 52-21 to finish the season undefeated.
Saturday's game between the Horned Frogs and Utes has MWC title and BCS implications like that 2004 game did, only this time there could be more at stake since both teams are ranked high with several weeks of games remaining. It will be the first game in Mountain West Conference history to match top-10 teams.
Ranked No. 4 in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches poll, TCU is the highest ranked team to visit Rice-Eccles Stadium since 1984, when No. 3 BYU beat the Utes 24-14.
The No. 6 Utes, who were thrashed by TCU 55-28 a year ago, are eager to prove they belong in the BCS talk as much as the Horned Frogs and Boise State, the two teams who most often get the backing of ESPN's analysts.
"It is going to be a showdown," Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn said. "They are having another great year. Their defense is having another great year, too. We need to go out and play a perfect game."
On Friday, ESPN will broadcast segments for "SportsCenter," "College Football Live" and other ESPN shows from the set in the Rice-Eccles Stadium west parking lot from 10 a.m. until noon.
On Saturday, "College GameDay" will start broadcasting before 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. MDT. —
How have Utes done historically vs. top-5 teams?
1977 • L, No. 5 Oklahoma, 62-24
1984 • L, No. 3 BYU, 24-14
1989 • L, No. 4 Nebraska, 42-30
1990 • L, No. 5 BYU, 45-22
*2009 • W, No. No. 4 Alabama, 31-17
2009 • L, No. 4 TCU, 55-28
* Sugar Bowl