When I sought to place the Holy War in context with other rivalries around the west and the nation, there was only one place to start:

Ivan Maisel has been covering college football like no one else for decades — from his time at the Dallas Morning News and Newsday to his tenure with Sports Illustrated and, for the past 15 years, as a national writer for ESPN.

Yes, Maisel has attended the Holy War. He has also seen Army-Navy and all the other great rivalries.

He was in the stands at Cal in 1982 for ‘The Play.’

Michigan-Ohio State? Been there. Get Pac-12 Conference news in your inbox. Sign up for the Pac-12 Hotline newsletter.

USC-Notre Dame? Done that.

Georgia Florida? Of course.

The Red River Rivalry? Too many times to count.

Alabama-Auburn? Maisel has seen decades worth of Iron Bowls.

In fact, Maisel has attended a game in every Power Five stadium but one. I cannot think of anyone — current/former journalist, TV analyst or coach — who can make that claim.

(The exception for Maisel is Vanderbilt. He has been to the stadium but not a game).

Maisel witnessed one of the memorable Holy Wars: The 2004 game, when Urban Meyer had Utah on the brink of a BCS berth and was expected to leave Salt Lake City for a powerhouse program.

“I was fascinated by how big a deal the game was,” Maisel said. “When the teams are in the same state, there’s always a certain toxicity. Then you throw religion into it — real wars have been fought over religion. It has the regional component and the religious component.

“I had always assumed you had the LDS people and then all the rest of the state, and that they all got along because they had been living together for so long. Related Articles Pac-12 Networks: Examining viewership for the Olympic sports

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“But then I saw the game and the emotions, and it was so fervent. It made me think, ‘Oh, this is interesting.'”

Maisel noted the impact of realignment, not only on the logistics of the Holy War — the teams did not play in 2014 — but also on the emotional balance.

“Clearly, the fact that Utah has not only landed safely (in the Pac-12) but has upped its stature, and BYU is trying to make the Independent model work — clearly, that has bruised some feelings,” he said.

I asked him to bottom line the Holy War.

“For level of emotion, I’d definitely put it in the top group,” he said.

“When people list the great rivalries, some are recognized for the tradition by the entire country. But once you get into the realm of degree of emotion, national recognition is less important.

“The mix of religion and regionality in that game is quite a brew.”

*** Previous articles on the Holy War:

Fan poll: Vote for Utah’s greatest win

Ranking Utah’s best wins and worst losses

Podcast with ex-Utah coach Ron McBride

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