I have lowered my expectations

[ProudUte]

I would never tell another Ute fan how they should feel. Everyone is different. I am as much a Ute fan this morning as I was before the Oregon game. However, I have lowered my expectations for the remainder of the season.

I believe we felt a false sense of accomplishment after the USC win. USC has a horrific defense. Our offense looked much like it did against Oregon State this last Saturday. When I sit back and realize that we are down 2 QBs, 2 RBs, 2 TEs, a receiver, and an offensive lineman – I guess it shouldn’t surprise me. (I still hoped for and wanted more.)

We have very little offense. Oregon focused on Vaki when he was in the game. I think Ludwig could have been a bit more creative in how we used him. But, I doubt that would have gotten us 30 more points.

We are what we are. We will have no easy games left even though we are entering the easier part of our conference schedule (at least that’s what we thought in August). I think we will go 2-2 in the remaining 4 games.

Of course, we want to prepare to win every game. But, I think we need to get some players prepared for next season. I hope we can get our two 4-star CB recruits some playing time. We will need them next season.

[UteBacker]

Proud, I think you’ve stumbled upon the secret of happiness… no expectations. Some of us tempered our expectations a few weeks ago, so even though the game on Saturday was very TCU-esque, it hasn’t affected me nearly the same. Maybe it’s that I understand what I saw out there a little more than I would have several years ago. This Oregon team is simply better than us in about every facet of the game. Sometimes that happens and there’s nothing you can do about it. I had us going 7-5 a few weeks ago but with the nice win at USC, I’ll bump us up to 8-4. With the health-hell that we’ve been through this year, I’ll take it!

[22Ute22]

Exactly. Oregon is a damn good team AND they are healthy. We are an above average team but we are ravaged by injuries. Very few teams, if any, would be able to do well with our injuries this season. Oregon without Nix would be drastically worse.

[W16Ute]

My new goal for the year is to beat all the teams that go with us to the Big XII… Might be a stretch goal but it is possible.

Glad we sent the LA schools to the B1G with losses.

[Charlie]

Another way to look at it is the 2024 Big 12 is certain to send a team to the playoffs as opposed to the Pac 12 that has had great difficulty getting a team into the playoffs. Utah stacks up well in the 2024 Big 12

[Jim Vanderhoof]

I agree. We got caught up in the hype of game day and the USC win. Game day motivated the ducks and we just showed up. They have a much better offense with play makers. Nix is a veteran QB and he got rid of the ball quick and negated our pass rush.

Losing Barton on defense really showed. I’m disappointed we didn’t give them a better game. I’ve been a Ute fan since the sixties and never would have believed we could come so far as a program. It’s been a remarkable ride and good friend of mine that I went to all the Utah football and basketball games with died the year before Urban came to Utah. I wish he could have been here along with all the other die hard Ute fans that didn’t live long enough to enjoy the transformation.

I’m with you Proud Ute as a proud Ute!!

[Tony (admin)]

It is what it is. We have a hell of a program, but this season we have way too many injuries to overcome, despite the next man up mentality.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Maybe it’s fate? Cam and Kuithe come back. We pick up a couple WR and a physical RB in the portal. Everyone returns on defense and we move to the big 12 where we can win the conference and get the 12 team CFP. Even with Cam and a healthy team getting through the pac 12 undefeated would be nearly impossible. A four team CFP was a long shot. Next year is doable with the schedule and expansion of CFP. I could spend the last of my retirement going to playoff games. I believe in fate!!

[KLars04]

I think an 8-4 season would be quite the accomplishment considering everything that has happened to this team this year with the injuries and how tough the PAC 12 has ended up being. What would be crazy is if we do end up 9-3, we actually will end up having the same regular season record as the 2 previous teams. Obviously not playing for the PAC 12 championship will feel disappointing but if we can manage 9-3, I’d make an argument that this is one of Whitt’s best coaching years in terms of just finding ways to win with a depleted roster, especially a depleted offense.

Still lots of ball to be played and unfortunately there isn’t a gimme left on the schedule since ASU has been playing better, Arizona is looking like a top 25 team all of sudden and colorado can put up points if your not careful. Washington is a very good team, beatable for sure but I doubt they will overlook us.

[2008 National Champ]

Who is this “we” you speak of?

8-4 has been the correct prediction since January. Anything above that is gravy

[The Miami Ute]

I picked 8-4 and that was under the assumption that we’d see both Rising and Kuithe this season. Unreal that Utah is 6-2 despite having more casualties than the French in World War I.

[2008 National Champ]

Rising and Kuithe playing but nowhere near 100% was baked into my prediction. I thought the team would be 5-3 at this point with those two playing at least half the games so far. My only miss was them winning the first two, but Baylor was this [] close to being a loss anyway.

I was skeptical about that Arizona roadie – 4th tough game in 5 weeks, 2nd roadie in a row – but just couldn’t go down to 7-5. Now it’s looking like I should have been even more worried about that game than I was In August

[utefansince79]

We’ve gone 3-0 against the Golden State teams, and 0-2 against the Beaver State teams. Four games left against teams from Colorado/Arizona/Washington.

[DataUte]

We’ve had 3/4 B1G games (2-1) with one left + our 3 Big 12 games left with the 4-corner state schools (sorry, NM, I grew up with you but you are left out).

[Hellhound152]

I don’t think the team or the staff had any false sense of security. I sure as hell didn’t. What Ludwig has done is nothing short of impressive. Each week the offense has been like an episode of MacGiver where he escapes with a gun made of paper mache. The problem is Jackson is his pocket knife and the escape never works without the pocket knife. If the Utes finish 3-1 down the stretch this will be right up there with the Jon Hayes bowl team as far as coaching jobs go.

I still can’t help but think the staff got some really bad intel on the injuries. Make no mistake they could have landed JT Daniels or Bachmeier with the promise of 3-6 games as a starter with the schedule the Utes were facing. That schedule alone would have made great tape even if Cam came back for Cal.

[The Miami Ute]

That 2011 Jon Hays team had a completely healthy John White IV for the whole season. The Wolfman rushed for over 1500 yards that year and was the main reason why the Utes did anything.

[Hellhound152]

Not withstanding the Wolfman (who was spectacular). 8-5 against 11 P-5 teams and BYU before the recruiting gap with a roster almost devoid of P-5 talent in the two deep, having to rebuild 60% of the offense mid year for the elite offensive player and not losing the team during the 4 game conference skidder was pretty darn good coaching.

[BoiseUTE]

Come on really Bachmeier no thank you. We were better off with what we have, so he was so unpredictable passing up here at Boise State and pretty much the same at Louisiana Tech.

[Caliman]

And it came to pass, the haters of the all mighty pig king went into exile to the school down south. The pig king rose from the ashes on the third year as a starter. He humbled the non believers and took the B12 by storm. Many followers he had and totally destroyed 90% of the freshman virginity. He went on to claim the title of the mostest of all pig skins.