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Out of the debris still settling after Utah's 36-3 loss to Boise State, the Utes' worst defeat at home since 1989, here's a news flash: Nobody has a frickin' clue how good or how bad the Utes are. Although, suddenly, there are painful new suspicions on the latter.

All anybody really knows is this: The Utes bit the big one Saturday against the Broncos.

And this: Anytime they play a decent team, they get crushed.

Northern Arizona, Utah State and San Diego State, they have all handled. UCLA and Boise State? Well, true measures can be a cruel mother.

The Broncos basically toyed with the Utes, slapping them silly, batting them around, letting them tear off their own limbs, before wholly consuming them in front of the eighth-largest crowed ever at Rice-Eccles Stadium. It was the eighth-largest crowd until about halftime, when Utah trailed 23-3, and from there, the place dwindled from ample to sparse. By the end of the third quarter, the home team down 30, you could have landed a hot-air balloon in the stands and not blocked anybodyıs view.

For good reason: The Utes stunk.

They gained less than half as many offensive yards as Boise.

They didnıt force a Bronco punt until five minutes remained in the third quarter.

They earned just eight first downs.

They got chewed up by a nasty, imaginative Boise State offense like a hungry horse on a bundle of hay.

They threw four interceptions.

"It was like a bad dream," said quarterback Brett Ratliff, who tossed and turned through some wicked REMs, a nightmare that included a personal line that went this way: five completions in 21 attempts for 30 yards and three picks.

"I couldnıt do anything right," he quite correctly said.

What he got absolutely incorrect, besides nearly every pass he threw, was a subsequent thought.

"They were better than us today. . . . But thatıs just today."

Wroooooooooong.

Sell those bogus goods elsewhere, Brett.

Boise State is a legitimate BCS bowl contender with proven talent, strong coaching, and a mature offense that has established rather forthrightly what it can do. The Utes wouldnıt beat the Broncos consecutively if the two teams played every week from now ıtil Kingdom Come.

They punched Utah in the mouth "Our defensive front was out-physicaled," said Ute coach Kyle Whittingham and it had no positive response, revealing an alarming weakness timid hearts that could be exploited by the best of whatıs left on the Utesı schedule. Fortunately for Utah, most of what remains is dog meat.

"When everyoneıs playing well, we can be good," Weddle said, in a tone that was more hopeful than assured. "I can say that weıre going to finish strong, but . . . I donıt really know."

After the three straight wins over soft teams, Whittingham said, "I thought we were taking a step in the right direction." He called Saturdayıs disassembling "a step backward."

And while looking ahead to conference play, searching for solace there, Whittingham, when asked if his team is good enough to win the Mountain West, answered: "Thatıs a question we donıt have an answer for."

He added: "Weıll see what kind of team we have."

A good guess is, the Utes are a team capable of beating everybody left on their league schedule with the possible exceptions of Texas Christian and Brigham Young. Thatıs who and what they are.

What they arenıt is a magical team with enough weapons to threaten the BCS. Even after the loss at UCLA, there were whispers among some that Utah might have a shot at doing exactly that.

No way.

While their exact position on a sliding scale from mediocre to decent is less than fixed at this juncture, that much, at least, is certain.

Boise State, on the other hand, has a real chance.

"[The BCS] is always in the back of our minds, and this is just one more statement on our part in that regard," said BSU quarterback Jared Zabransky. "Obviously, thatıs our big goal."

For the Utes, after Saturdayıs loss, only two things remain: To find themselves, and to win a conference closer in quality and depth to the MAC than the SEC.

They still can be the Kings of Nothing.

For them, that will have to do.

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GORDON MONSON can be reached at gmonson@sltrib.com. To write a letter about this or any sports topic, send an e-mail to sportseditor@sltrib.com.