Offseason avoidance: USC and Stanford games reviewed

[Duhwayne]

Hey we looked good in those games! They’re both on YouTube. Had fun watching them while doing busy work.

Random thoughts:

+ I hope Ludwig keeps the bunch formation.

+ I hope Ludwig uses a blocking fullback. I loved what Shawn Asiata did for John White.

+ I hope Ludwig uses double and triple TE formations.

+ I loved last year’s D. Up with 2015 as my favorite in the last ten years.

+ If we use the three points above, we will have 10 yards a carry by the end of most games, even without sweeps and the read option. Add those and it could be 15 yards. Play action passing will be wide open.

+ I think a lot about Matt Gay. Mitch too until the new guy wins my heart.

+ Gosh we need better pass pro. Looked like just a regular team under blitzing pressure.

Perhaps others might want to talk about the real meat of our schedule? I recognize TDS is the opener, but IT HAS NO MORE BEARING ON OUR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE ROSE Bowl THAN NIU. Both games suck from a national rankings and SOS perspective.

Which games do you think will be a problem? Why does ASU seem to give us fits? 

[therealu]

Agree on the bunch formation and use of TEs. 

Besides the 1st game, winning at USC will go a long way in shaping this season. 

[FtheY]

Love the bunch formation. It provides so many options. 

[FtheY]

While BYU and NIU are equivalent in terms of bearing on the rose bowl, I think both may still be impactful:

-we need every single win we can get

-meeting or exceeding a 10 win threshold is a big deal, beating BYU makes that more achievable

-10 wins matters for recruiting and it may even help us land some local kids

-a BYU win helps offset the proverbial WTF loss

-if for some reason we don’t win the south, this win could help improve bowl selection odds

I think this is why so many Utah fans dislike this game, more risk than upside. It matters none in terms of big boy football, but we haven’t yet arrived and can’t afford to drop any games because we will be dropping some in conference.

Look at last year. 9-5 stung with how close we had Washington, twice. Say we lose to BYU and everything else stays the same. All of the sudden we’re 8-6, which feels much much worse. I don’t like it, but I think this game really matters.