...I've been a Utah fan since 1972, I remember quite well the really, really lean years, when the only way a season could be considered a "success" was to win the last game vs the bitter rival.
Utah's focus has grown beyond that single game. BYU's focus is bigger than any single game, isn't it? I hope so, because that's a bitter place to be.
Bob Vance nailed it above that the primary force behind all this angst from BYU's side is the weak November schedule. If BYU had a long series lined up with Texas or ND and the game was the last game of the year, they wouldn't think twice about letting the Utah series take a pause. I would completely understand that, though if the tables were reversed, you guys got into the B12 and we were still in the MWC, I'd be bent, too.