My spring prediction

ALUF,
I think you’ve captured the floor – 7-5 is possible. I have a hard time believing Utah loses five road games. Defense travels and we’ll have a strong defense this season. I’m also sold on Dampier after watching him and talking to a few insiders about him. If he stays healthy, the offense can be special.

I like the U in the opener against UCLA and I feel like the other four losses you predict could go either way. Do we get two of those and end up 10-2 or 9-3? That’s where I’m hoping the U ends up.

Thanks for the discussion – I am pretty optimistic and see this season as being a great bounce back

UCLA – win – they haven’t proven that they can compete against teams that punch them in the mouth. Lots of new components – the team that gels first wins – I’m betting on our defense winning this one.

Cal-Poly – if we don’t win this one – well then – we suck

Wyoming – win – this is a terrible game to have on the schedule – it’s basically a no-win for us – but i predict a win

Texas Tech – win – They have the NIL and the hype but I think we win this one

West Virginia – loss – Rich Rod is such a blow hard – I hope we win but could be a tough one especially at night

ASU – win – Revenge game – hope we are more hyped up than our revenge game against UofA last year – still thinking win

BYU-P – Win – these guys were not great last year but got every bounce they needed – I don’t see that happening again – I think we win this by at least one TD

Colorado – win – Deion will wish he left with the kids – tough year coming for the Buffs

Cinny – win – not a good team –

Baylor – Win – the Cam Rising revenge game – not a chance we lose to these guys –

KSU – win – these guys are not good

Kansas – likely a toss up – we still win – I think their QB will be injured by now and they will be a shell of how they start the season.

Book it – we are in the Big 12 championship game this year

I’m optimistic this Utah team will be in the thick of contention come November.

Utah has a good defense … and the strength of the offense is the O line. The rushing offense will be very fun to watch and the good news about that is Defense and Rushing Offense typically travel well in college football.

Utah will lose a few games but 5 losses isn’t happening in my opinion.

Utah will beat ucla. They are a complete mess. They have a QB and literally nothing else.

New Coach any player with talent transferred and the biggest prima Donna in CFB at QB.

Utah by 14

@byu-provo-loss

Such a nightmare place first of all. Probably at night and they’re unreal at home. It’s close, wish this was in slc this year as I think we would win. They return just about everyone and added some studs. They make the big xii championship and cfp imo unfortunately. Ready for the hate incoming

Do you hangout at Cougarboard? Just kidding.

While I don’t want to discount byu since they have a lot of players returning, I think they are still byu – meaning last year was their best team in 25+ years, and they couldn’t beat Kansas at home to secure a conference championship appearance. And in the rivalry game anything can happen. But byu lost some key players to the portal, and the players they obtained puts their portal ranking at dead last in the conference. So, perhaps the portal was a net loss for them? I think so.

Byu won a lot of games last year by “luck” – yes I know that the word “luck” is extremely unpopular for some people given that byu won games and that luck doesn’t matter. Win or lose, luck or no luck, the team has to execute. However, the amount of positive improbable outcomes and plays (especially late in the game) that byu had in their favor was pretty much off the charts. That isn’t sustainable.

However, look at last year’s rivalry game. I know what happened last year doesn’t dictate what happens this year. However, byu beat Utah by one point – ONE. It was Utah’s worst team in 25+ years, and byu’s best team in 25+ years. With Utah’s 3rd string QB. In his first start ever. With an injured foot the whole second half. With a penalty called against Utah that 95 times out of 100 won’t be called that gave byu the opportunity to win (yes Scalley’s D should have stopped them, I know.)

Given those parameters, byu had the opportunity to squash Utah by 30. But they only won by ONE. ONE – that is the number just after ZERO. That is telling to me. And what it tells me is that Utah – if relatively healthy (meaning Utah isn’t playing QB 3 or 4) – Utah wins. In convincing fashion. Whittingham isn’t going to make this his last season (assuming that is the case), without beating byu. I suspect he has been studying byu and preparing all off season. Just a hunch. Utah 35, byu 13.

7-5 sounds reasonable to me. While we might be better, I think it’s also possible we could be even worse than that. Last year was abysmal, and I’m still not convinced the changes we made will actually make us a better team this year. Beck and Dampier both have potential, but let’s be honest, stealing the best of New Mexico is far from a sure thing for success.

I don’t think I know enough about this year’s team to make a prediction so I’m staying out of that game.

I do wonder why people think that the number of transfers Utah will be counting on this season to make big impacts is a positive but then use the reliance on transfers as a reason why other schools will lose to Utah. Haven’t we all convinced ourselves that development is the Utah strength instead of having systems that kids can come in and be immediately successful?