But just playing in a bowl game, any bowl game, does not match winning the National Championship. Period. Winning the National Championship is the ultimate goal for any school in any sport in the NCAA. That is the pinnacle, the greatest thing you can achieve.
And yes Utah's bcs bowls are forgettable to everyone that isn't in the state of Utah. No one else cares, they simply don't. It doesn't matter if it was news at the time, it doesn't matter if Utah fans think it is super duper important, no one else cares, they just don't. And no most don't remember. Next time you're in L.A. or New York, or Miami, or wherever, frind some guy wearing a t-shirt or hat of some school and ask them about Utah winning a bcs bowl and maybe they recall they did it but I'd bet they couldn't tell you what year, who they beat, or really anything at all in detail. Mainly because they just don't give a crap.
But ask them about BYU winning the National Championship and more than likely they going to know quite a bit more, even if it a negative opinion about it. That's because it is the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Those actually matter, pretty much forever.