There are big games and really big games. Then there are really, really big games.
Such is the case Thursday at Rice-Eccles Stadium when Bowl Championship Series contenders Utah and TCU square off. The Utes (9-0) are No. 8 in the latest BCS standings, while the Horned Frogs (9-1) are in close pursuit at No. 12.
The game is sold out and will be broadcast to a national audience on the CBS College Sports Network.
It's the highest-ranked matchup in Utah football history. The Utes are 10th in the latest Associated Press poll, and TCU is 11th.
This will be just the fifth game a ranked Utah team has ever played against a ranked opponent. The most recent was the 2005 Fiesta Bowl when the fourth-ranked Utes defeated No. 19 Pittsburgh 35-7.
The other three games came in 1994, and Utah prevailed each time.
While ranked 18th in the AP poll, the Utes traveled to Fort Collins and topped No. 15 Colorado State 45-31.
Four weeks later, No. 21 Utah edged No. 20 BYU at Rice-Eccles Stadium by a 34-31 margin.
The Utes rose to 14th by the time they defeated 18th-ranked Arizona 16-13 in the Freedom Bowl later that year.
Historically speaking, when it comes to rankings, Thursday's game tops them all.
Bill Marcroft, who broadcast Utah football games for 36 years through the Fiesta Bowl victory, calls it a "dream matchup" between the Utes and Horned Frogs. Especially, he said, with all the ramifications, including the BCS.
In that regard, Marcroft noted, this week's game could be the biggest in Utah history.
However, he still points to the annual rivalry with BYU as the grandest of them all. Whenever and wherever it's played.
"Any Utah-BYU game is always bigger than any other game," Marcroft said. "Particularly when it's for all the marbles, and that's the way it should be every year. Every year Utah and BYU should play for it all at the end."
This year, however, TCU is in the way. Led by quarterback Andy Dalton and defensive end Jerry Hughes, the Horned Frogs knocked BYU out of the driver's seat with a 32-7 victory in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 16.
Since then, Utah and TCU have been on a collision course. The team that prevails Thursday will remain in the running for a lucrative BCS bowl bid.
The Utes shifted their focus to the showdown shortly after Saturday's 13-10 win over New Mexico in Albuquerque.
"Our team has just been riled up ever since the plane ride home," said All-American kicker/punter Louie Sakoda, who added that the new black uniforms the Utes will sport for the TCU game have added to the excitement.
"Everyone is kind of on a high," he explained. "And we seem to do pretty well with the quick turnarounds. Everyone focuses in."
It's a mentality that head coach Kyle Whittingham preaches. He declined to label the upcoming game as the biggest in Utah's history.
"I'm not into that drama. I just think we play them one at time," Whittingham said. "I know that's fun to talk about, but we just have to take care of our business."
Reporters have asked Whittingham about "biggest games" at home before. It came up when No. 11 UCLA visited Salt Lake City last season.
This time, however, things are different with both teams being ranked — and so highly.
"It's certainly one of the more higher-profile games that we've had in here," Whittingham acknowledged. "But to say it's the biggest one ... I couldn't say that."
Liz Abel, associate athletics director, agreed. She said that title could be placed on a variety of games over the years.
"Is this the biggest in terms of the two highest-ranked teams? Yes. But is this the biggest game ever? You could make a case for games that we've had this year and games that we had in 2004," Abel said. "Simply because we had to be undefeated."
Utah's attempt to duplicate its historical success in 2004 is drawing a lot of national attention. In the past two days alone, Abel has set up interviews for Whittingham and quarterback Brian Johnson with the New York Times, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, ESPN.com and the Houston Chronicle.
Credential requests for Thursday's game also have been made by CBSSports.com, Lindy's sports annuals and rivals.com. The Orange Bowl is sending four representatives and the Sugar Bowl two. Folks from the Poinsettia, New Mexico, Fiesta and Insight bowls also will be in attendance.
"It's got a lot of national attention, which is great for our players. It's exciting to get those guys in the national spotlight," Whittingham said. "But we can't treat this different than any other week."
As such, it's business as usual.
"Everything is on the line every week of the season. It's a situation where when you're in a conference race, every conference game counts as one. It's all the same," Whittingham said. "So you've got to approach it with the same work ethic, the same mentality, the same level of focus and concentration. That's just the name of the game.
"This game is big. The next week will be big, and the next week will be big. Every week is big in the conference race."
Some games, though, are just bigger than others.
"People want to see two good teams play, and that's what we have Thursday night," Johnson said. "You've got two good teams battling it out, and we'll see who comes out on top."
The winner, he added, also will have a leg up in the Mountain West Conference title chase.
"It's obviously a huge game," Johnson said. "It's a big conference game, and our goal as a team is to win the Mountain West Conference title."
Two ranked teams squaring off with BCS and conference title implications, he noted, is sure to satisfy any competitor.
"I don't think you would want anything else."
Heavyweight fight
UTAH (9-0 overall, 5-0 MWC)
• No. 8, BCS standings
• No. 9, USA Today Coaches Poll
• No. 9, Harris Interactive Poll
• No. 10, Associated Press Top 25
TCU (9-1 overall, 6-0 MWC)
• No. 12, BCS standings
• No. 11, USA Today Coaches Poll
• No. 12, Harris Interactive Poll
• No. 11, Associated Press Top 25
Blackout at the U.
No. 11 TCU at No. 10 Utah
Rice-Eccles Stadium
Thursday, 6 p.m.
TV: CBS C
Radio: 700AM
E-mail: dirk@desnews.com