Zoobs doing what Zoobs Do…

[PAC12Teams]

LOL at Mandel’s mailbag

Seriously, why are the Utes ranked so high? Cam Rising isn’t an elite QB. They don’t have a proven RB1. WRs are suspect. They lost the heart and soul of their D (Devin Lloyd) to the NFL. Their only wins last year during their Rose Bowl run were to Weber State and bad Pac-12 teams. — Chris L.

Well, it’s good to see we have at least one BYU subscriber.

You’re selling the 2021 Utes short on several fronts. He may not count as “elite,” but Rising was the third-rated passer in the Pac-12 last season. No proven RB1? Are you under the impression Tavion Thomas left the program? And I seem to remember the Utes twice destroying a 10-win Oregon team that beat Ohio State. Maybe not the same as beating the Buckeyes themselves, but quite a few rungs up from Weber State.

None of that makes me entirely comfortable ranking Utah No. 4 in the country in my post-spring Top 25. It does feel almost unreasonably high, given the three teams above the Utes — Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia — are generally operating at a whole other plane. It feels like I’m setting them up to tank, a la 2021 preseason darling Iowa State or LSU the year after it won the national title but lost practically the entire team. I don’t take lightly the losses of Lloyd, Britain Covey, Nephi Sewell and Mika Tafua.

But someone’s gotta be ranked that high, and anyone I swapped in for the Utes would have more questions than they do. I’ve got more faith in Rising than Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei or whomever Texas A&M plans to trot out at quarterback. First-rounder Lloyd will be hard to replace, but so will Kyle Hamilton at Notre Dame and Aidan Hutchinson at Michigan.

I’d currently divide the preseason landscape into four tiers. Alabama is Tier 1. Ohio State and Georgia are Tier 2. Tier 3 is teams like Utah, Michigan, Michigan State and Baylor that were pretty good in 2021 but have to replace some big names. And Tier 4 encompasses the likes of Texas A&M, Notre Dame, USC, Oregon and Ole Miss — complete wild cards due to a coaching change, mass personnel turnover or, in A&M’s case, the fact they’re going to be relying heavily on freshmen.

It should make for a fun, topsy-turvy season.

The Athletic

Mandel’s Mailbag: Are Alabama’s problems being ignored?

Let’s talk about the actual upcoming season for once, including Bama as a clear No. 1 and Utah’s top-five preseason ranking.

https://theathletic.com/3345230/2022/06/02/college-football-alabama-saban-preseason-predictions/

 

[UteFanatic]

I can’t even imagine being triggered enough by BYU’s ranking to write to a sports journalist and complain about it. BYU fans showing the nation how pathetic and jealous they are of Utah’s success. I love it.

[PhiladelphiaUte]

They did it to Phil Steele too — back when in the preseason of 2008, he’d predicted Utah would go undefeated and play in our 2nd BCS bowl.  He’d commented on it in his subsequent (re: 2009) edition.

[Tony (admin)]

“They don’t have a provem RB1?” Moron status elevated. 

[UteFanatic]

BYU fans don’t follow football outside of their own team and they prove it time and time again with garbage statements like that. 

Tavion Thomas is either the 1st or 2nd RB in the conference. 

[Central Coast Ute]

He’s the best. Charbonet is good, but I’d take Thomas over him as long as he holds onto the ball. Dye, doesn’t move the needle compared to those two.

[THEeyepatch]

Ridiculous comment by a butthurt zoob that when his P-5 wannabes played said weak Pac-12 teams could barely beat. I really can’t wait for the tds to get into the Weak-12, you’re going to hear a lot of word “parity” from the zoob sportswriters when they all start beating each other up. It’s Baylor’s and OK-State conference next season and beyond.