You didn’t have to be a sports fan to know that the University of Utah beat the odds – long odds, in fact – by winning their second PAC-12 Conference championship. Not only did a trio of other teams have to win or lose setting up the chance, but the Utes then had to defeat a favored University of Southern California team led by a quarterback considered to be the best college player in the country.

By now, you know what happened. USC jumped out to a quick lead in the first quarter, but the Utes forcefully knocked them around for the rest of the game – and it was also a mauling hardly anyone predicted.  

One guy did. An executive for a major sports betting firm told me prior to the game that he smelled an upset. USC was favored to win by three points; he said the smart move was to bet on Utah.

And what did he say after the game?

“The betting was absolutely crazy,” he said. “We have never had a larger amount of money bet on a college game this season – and almost all of it was on USC. Every 15 seconds or so we were getting five-figure wagers on it: $15,000 on the Trojans, $10,000 on them, $25,000 on USC.”

The single largest amount spent on sports wagering in the U.S. came last year in the Super Bowl, resulting in $180 million of legal wagering. The Utah-USC game didn’t approach that amount, but the executive told me the totals were unprecedented for a college game, especially one featuring two West Coast area teams.

But what about Utah? Did anybody throw their wallet down on the Utes?

“Yeah, we had one guy,” he said. “When he kept seeing all the money placed on USC, he decided to buck the crowd.”

The man bet $85,000 on Utah to win the game outright.

He had faith. And the Utes also have Cam Rising, a story in courage, patience, and loyalty.

There are people who downplay the importance of sports. They see it as a dim entertainment for folks disinterested in the more important parts of American life. It’s just a game they’ll say.

But the Utah-USC game was rooted in a once-entrenched American value: loyalty. Sports analysts will tell you that USC’s program is built on having above-average and superstar players suit up for one or two years and then leave to cash in at the National Football League. If a player is annoyed, he leaves for another college and someone else steps in. Utah, on the other hand, has traditionally succeeded by recruiting young players, often unknown, then molding them into a system. There’s little come-and-go; Utes typically stay and improve and play multiple years. Often they play all four years at Rice-Eccles Stadium and then graduate.

Sports provides a focus on the state. I’d venture more people in Alabama are aware of the Utes victory than they are of Bryce Canyon or Temple Square. An appearance in the Rose Bowl makes Utah look “cool.”

In the coming years, BYU will have the same opportunity to “sell the State of Utah” if it becomes a powerhouse in its new conference. But for now, everyone throughout the state should appreciate what Utah accomplished and cheer them on at the Rose Bowl.

Even if you’re not a sports fan!