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I can't hack all the negative crap. We will win at least 1 Pac-12 title …

Welcome Cyclones Fans! Forums Utah Utes Sports Football I can't hack all the negative crap. We will win at least 1 Pac-12 title …

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    • #7019
      89ute
      Participant

      with Whittingham. There, I said it.

      We are moving in the right direction. We moved from the top of the bottom third to bottom of the top third in 5 years. Whitt built the defense first, no big surprise here. Then special teams.

      I think he knew talent was only going to trickle in once we took the step up. Our recruiting bears that out. We were pulling in players with very few BCS/P5 offers. It makes sense, just because you hang a Pac-12 shingle off your roof does not mean kids are going to drop their offers from the likes of ASU and UCLA to come to Utah. I think most of us thought recruiting was gong to skyrocket. We also thought the week in week out against BCS/P5s was bulls**t. Wrong on both counts.

      Winning in this conference is tough. Last year we were 3-3 last 6 games. This year is shaping up the same way if we beat Colorado. We still don’t have the depth to get us to the top, that’s why I think Whitt kept robbing Peter to pay Paul. Here’s a good example, Butler-Bird. Why keep him on the offensive side when the QB isn’t skilled enough to survey the field or throw a guy open? He can make a much bigger contribution to winning on the defensive side.

      But, we have quietly been building a hell of an offensive line. We have a handful of promising redshirt freshmen lineman along with returning all of our starters next year sans Aiono. I don’t think this is an accident or a fluke. I think it was the next step in the building plan.

      I’m not down on our receiving corp either. We get our tight ends back (Moeai, Fakailoatonga) and wide out Patrick. We return all the other receivers except Scott. Also, instead of being totally screwed at QB, like we were in 2011,12 & 13, we’re in much better shape.

      I don’t think we take a step back next year, we probably stand pat, which would be pretty damned impressive.

      Go Utes, beat the Buffs.

    • #7022
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Here’s the problem: we had things set up just right this year and we didn’t capitalize. We’re not going to have anywhere close to the number of returning starters as we did this season. Next year will be two or three steps back. That’s not okay when we’ve just been taking one step forward. It’s time to bring in a fresh coaching style, playing without a legit QB in the Pac12 isn’t going to cut it.

    • #7025
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Next year will be a rebuild. New QB is a given, though that might not be a bad thing. I think this coaching staff rode the Travis Wilson horse way too long. We’ll be losing all of our LBs on the Defense. We lose Booker. We lose Hackett. It’s a rebuild year.

      • #7027
        89ute
        Participant

        Even losing all of our LBs, I just can’t see calling the defense a rebuild.

        Every other year we replace one record-breaking RB with another. I’m more concerned with linebacker than I am with running back.

        We have another Aussie punter coming who came from Pro Kick Austrailia, the same place Hackett came from. Punt team should at least be okay, and I can’t see calling this a rebuild either.

        • #7029
          Anonymous
          Inactive

          Booker is a legit NFL runningback. Guys like him don’t come around often.

    • #7030
      rbmw263
      Participant

      I love Wilson. He’s my guy. Ive said as such many times. But the hard truth is we have been a upper tier QB away from being a legitimate NATIONAL title contender 2 years in a row. We have been moving in the right direction, but im worried of a major step backwards next year. We’ll see.

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