This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

You're a star football recruit who grew up in the state of Utah.

You have serious potential.

BYU and Utah, as well as other schools, want you.

National Signing Day is bearing down.

You have your parents' support and they're backing you, no matter which school you select. They may be fans, favoring the red or the blue, they may even have longstanding connections to one university or the other, but, in this case, they want what they should want — what's best for you. You want what's best for you. It's your call. You're inclined to stay local, for all the familial conveniences that provides. The deadline for decision is drawing short.

What you gonna do? Where you gonna go? Who you gonna sign with?

Life is full of tough choices, and this is one of them.

You're no Einstein, but you are smart. Education is important to you. Almost as important as playing football. You're willing to play school. You want a degree. But nobody ever tripped all over himself to talk to you because you were a good student. What sets you apart, what you really long for, is a realistic shot at the NFL. You're also kind of a spiritual guy. And a disciplined guy. And a conscientious guy. First and foremost, relative to your competition so far, you're a great football player. Kyle Whittingham knows this, and so does Bronco Mendenhall.

It's your pick. Where you taking your talents?

If you look at NFL rosters, you see that BYU had fewer than 10 players listed this past season. Utah had as many as 25.

Advantage: Utes.

If you look at level of competition, you see that Utah is settled into the Pac-12, and regularly faces about as stiff a test as there is in college football. This past season, the Utes played at Michigan, at UCLA, at Oregon State, at Arizona State, at Stanford, at Colorado. They also played host at home to Idaho State, Fresno State, Washington State, USC, Oregon and Arizona.

They went 9-4 overall, 5-4 in league. They beat Colorado State in the Vegas Bowl.

Next season, they play seven games at Rice-Eccles, including Michigan, Utah State, Cal, Arizona State, Oregon State, UCLA and Colorado. On the road: Fresno State, Oregon, USC, Washington and Arizona.

The Pac-12 thing is huge.

BYU faced Connecticut, Texas, Central Florida, Boise State, Middle Tennessee and Cal on the road, going 4-2. At home, the Cougars played Houston, Virginia, Utah State, Nevada, UNLV and Savannah State, going 4-2. They compiled an overall record of 8-5, playing as an independent, and lost to Memphis in the Miami Beach Bowl.

Next season, the competition moves upward, with BYU playing at Nebraska, at UCLA, at Michigan, at San Jose State, at Missouri and at Utah State. It plays Boise State, UConn, East Carolina, Cincinnati, Wagner and Fresno State at home.

The Cougars want badly into a P5 conference, but, as of right now, prospects are slim.

Advantage: Utes.

If you look at the head coach, Utah has Whittingham, BYU has Mendenhall.

Mendenhall is 90-39, Whittingham 85-43, although the former, over the past four years, has faced considerably easier competition.

Bronco has supporters, those who think highly of him, and he's no slouch. He runs a mostly clean program, but he is kind of an oddball. He's socially awkward at times, and, as one former star player whispered, confuses his team with strange comments at strange times. He's close to a few players, but to some, he is clunky and off-putting. He's a terrific defensive mind, but sometimes makes curious strategic decisions that are a bit baffling.

Kyle loves great defense, and is a gifted defensive thinker, so much so that those who criticize him believe the Ute offense suffers because of his lean. Much of the turnover at offensive coordinator can be attributed, at least in part, to that. He's learned from some of his early mistakes in regard to connecting with his players, and regularly meets with team captains to gather their input. Overall, he's bright, if not particularly enlightened offensively. There's a reason he was BYU's first choice back in 2004. He still would be.

Advantage: Utes.

If you look at assistant coaches, it gets a little complicated.

Utah lost both coordinators after this past season, the greatest loss being Kalani Sitake. He was a great evaluator of talent, a great recruiter and stirred great loyalty and effort from his players. Utes who know John Pease say players like the coach who has all that NFL experience. He's a stud. As for the two-headed OC situation, nobody really knows how Aaron Roderick and Jim Harding will work out. Harding's star has risen and quarterback Travis Wilson likes Roderick. As for Morgan Scalley and assistant head coach Dennis Erickson, they're simply good football guys to have around.

At BYU, Robert Anae has grown as an offensive coordinator, although his personal skills with players still fall short. Mendenhall will be the defensive coordinator again, when he should focus on being the head coach because … that's what he is. A lot of staff — such as Kelly Poppinga and Paul Tidwell and Garett Tujague and Mark Atuaia — is solid, good.

Advantage: Utes.

If you look at Mormon environment, BYU continues to sell LDS recruits hard on a spiritual setting that is unique to the school in its comprehensiveness. That's both a positive and a negative, insofar as the honor code being at times a tad too comprehensive, aggressive. The program certainly accommodates those who want to serve church missions.

Utah has the largest LDS Church Institute program at any school anywhere in the country. If an athlete wants that atmosphere, he can have some of it — without the extras that come with the honor code at BYU, such as grooming standards that prohibit in most cases beards and longer hair, etc. Utah also accommodates missions, and has LDS coaches on staff.

Advantage: Cougars.

If you're looking at diversity …

Advantage: Utes.

So, what you gonna do?

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.