Are our expectations realistic?

[ProudUte]

I have been a Ute football fan for over 50 years and I have never seen expectations so high, including my own.  Some seem to think that anything less than a conference championship will be a failure.

On the positive side, we have:

A ton of starters returning

A senior QB and an experienced backup

One of the top returning running backs in the conference

A top 5 Dline

A great group of DBs returning

On the not-so positive side:

An inexperienced Oline

No all-conference level wide receivers.  They are experienced and okay, but no game breakers.

KW has not been able to win the big games in PAC 12 play and there have always been some head-scratchers like ASU last year.

I do believe that this needs to be the year.  We will lose a ton of great players after this season.  If we had an experienced offensive line, I would say we are a top 10 team that could play with anyone.  But, the truth is, we don’t have a great line and it will be difficult to score on great defenses IMO.  However, I am not sure that we will be playing a lot of great defenses outside of UW.

I hope to have a fun season and enjoy the ride like 2004 and 2008.

Go Utes!!!

 

 

[Central Coast Ute]

A two loss team can win the conference this year. I think that’s why it’s championship or bust, along with the fact that the Utes were one freak pick 6 away from going to OT in the CCG last year and we all know if it went to OT and the game came down to field goals, Utah wins that game.

Solomon Enis can be a game breaker. He’ll be better this year. Couple him with Covey, Dixon and Simpkins and they’re looking really good. Plus you have Nacua and a few others. The O line might take a couple weeks to gel, but they will.

[ProudUte]

I agree that our wide receivers are not bad.  However, if you compare them to top offensive teams – we are not in the same ballpark.  

Yes, a two loss team could indeed win the conference.

[Central Coast Ute]

I agree our receivers aren’t at the same level as good passing teams. I think it’s changing however, although not as quickly as we would like.

[ayoriver]

https://247sports.com/college/utah/Article/BREAKING-2019-Juco-linebacker-Trennan-Carlson-commits-to-Utah-Utes-football-recruiting-132309648/

[Central Coast Ute]

Nice. L.B depth was a huge concern but with this addition and if Juarez is eligible I’m hoping it will shake out ok.

[PhiladelphiaUte]

Isn’t Juarez a graduate transfer?  Why WOULDN’T he be eligible immediately?

[Central Coast Ute]

I heard he might not graduate on time to enroll for fall semester. I don’t know the transfer rules all that well so he may very well be eligible.

[Dwight89]

As fans we all suffer from optimism bias. We put more weight in the things we have going for us (returning starters, awesome D-Line, etc.) and then we are more dismissive of very real concerns (O-Line, wide receivers). Every fan base does this.

 

 

[GameForAnyFuss]

This is right. Fans, by definition, are fanatics. If we were rational, we’d be called rats.

So yes, we’re too optimistic. But not nearly as bad as some other fanbases (looking at you now, BYU-P).

[whitlessham]

The elephant in the room is this guy. Petersons pimp hand is strong.

 

[SkinyUte]

And we don’t have a kicker.

[Tony (admin)]

That we know of.

[ayoriver]

I share that sentiment. Our two previous kickers were a former skier who became Automatic, and a walk-on soccer player who didn’t win the job coming out of camp but turned into an award winning NFL draftee. Realizing I’m posting this in the thread about unrealistic expectations, why isn’t there more optimism about Strauch, who actually has P5 game experience, albeit minimal?

[PhiladelphiaUte]

It’s because P5 game experience notwithstanding, he wasn’t really that great.

[PlainsUte]

Hope Springs eternal, that’s what the off-season is all about!!