2008 National Champ

follow up:

Anyone notice that Vegas’s offense hasn’t missed a beat the last two games? Imagine having a fully qualified backup who was ready to take over if the starter got injured or was otherwise unavailable for any reason. I guess that can only happen at deep pocketed universities like Texas or UNLV.

I’d rate the possibility of Odom considering Utah about a 3 out of 10. He’s going to get an SEC/B1G offer after this season now that the stink of how his tenure ended at Missouri is gone. Both UNLV and Missouri are historically tough places to win so he should get a pretty look.

The offense Odom ran with Drew Locke (Heupel as OC) seemed pretty…[Read more]

oh, and welcome to the board. I enjoyed our conversations at Block U

It’s the same team that started the year. There were just 3 really bad opponents to make it seem better than it was. Oklahoma State is interesting for comparison though because you have two long-tenured coaches who seem to have lost the narrative at exactly the same time.

At this point, I’m trying to decide if two things are true…[Read more]

If you really wanted him, the time to get Cignetti was after last season. He’s not moving from Indiana until he gets offered one of the top 10 jobs like DeBoer did when he moved on from Washington.

I realize there haven’t been a lot of hiring opportunities since I started being a Utah fan in 1988 but what you need to try to replicate is the…[Read more]

2024 Utah isn’t even in the same conversation as 2024 Florida State when it comes to fan disappointment.

Fano is struggling with losing contain. I think Barton got blamed for a couple of his because the numbers look so similar. That 12 yard run by Leavitt to the left side in the first half was all on Fano taking too direct an angle to the QB.

Scalley’s D is missing two very important elements that he relies on almost to a fault. He doesn’t have an eraser at ILB in the mold of Lloyd, C. Barton, Bernard or Hansen (-on?). Reid is a step up from what we saw last night but he is not that caliber.

He also doesn’t have a safety who can play in the box or at the LOS. Ritchie looked like he…[Read more]

You and I are good Sal, at least from my point of view, and always have been. The title of the thread gave me the opportunity to say something I’ve wanted to for a long time and I went after it with both barrels.

I’m a contrarian by nature and don’t have an ego when it comes to my opinions being challenged. You may not change my mind but I…[Read more]

Definitely feels like the stranglehold JoePa had over Penn State.

How have Harlan’s other hires gone? I only follow Utah football and gymnastics and he did a terrible job by keeping Farden as long as he did.

It probably came off as more flippant than intended but the concept is sound. It’s more about making sure that all the pieces are in place for a seamless transition as quickly as possible so that you don’t allow an untenable situation to continue. I’m not there with Whitt and have never called for him to go but if the decision is that he needs…[Read more]

When the local media and Ute-centric reporters are openly making fun of the “game time decision”, you know you’ve lost the thread.

The score dictated leaving Rising in since it was never more than a TD difference. Whitt can always fall back on that logic. At the same time, look at the MLB playoffs. Aces get pulled in one run games because every game is must win. But for some reason, football coaches are married to the idea that the QB is off limits unless it’s a blowout…[Read more]

Is anyone calling for him to step down or be fired immediately? I think even his biggest detractors would say that is silly.

I think all anyone wants is for their to be a cold eyes look at 2023 & however 2024 ends up and compare it to 2021 & 2022 (both 9-3 seasons even if the allocation of the losses allowed Utah to play in the CCG) to see if…[Read more]

I disagree. It’s going to take some major refocusing in a short period of time but there is no reason Utah can’t go 5-1 or better the rest of the way. It has to happen on the field though and everyone needs to take ownership.

The players need to quit telling reporters how much they want to prove that the last game was a fluke and just get it…[Read more]

No, that’s not quite what I’m saying.

1) Cam Rising has the right and my complete endorsement to continue at Utah until his eligibility is complete or he decides to hang it up. I’m unequivocal on that. at the same time,

2) Kyle Whittingham (the head coach) and Andy Ludwig (Offensive Coordinator and QB Coach) are responsible to have plans B, C,…[Read more]

okay, one of us has to go to bed first 🙂

I don’t ever call anyone out specifically, even though it may seem so based on which post I reply to. I see something I want to respond to and it’s the premise, not the person. And the first sentence from the OP was definitely something that struck a nerve. If you feel you caught some shrapnel or…[Read more]

Absolutely.

Have you considered that keeping that decision a secret had no benefit to anyone in the moment? He was waiting to see his draft grade and it got folded into “will he, won’t he play against Penn State”. Once he got a UDFA grade, he played it up. Penn State didn’t seem fazed by him playing. And the last two years of the Ute QB…[Read more]

Yeah, somebody needs to check his Mt. Dew to make sure he’s not spiking it with PED’s

1 – Utah can absolutely make the CCG with 2 losses. 3 feels like a stretch with so many teams but it’s too early to do the math.

3 – The defense did it’s job in the 1st half and 3rd quarter. The 4th was more a combination of having to play from behind and that great play by Leavitt on third and long to Skattebo. That one turned into a back…[Read more]