Charlie

Goodness, lots of new names as expected but this time will likely include a lot of ‘first year in the program’ guys with several coming from HS. Looking forward to encouraging spring practice reports…

Compared to other Pac teams I would not view this team as fabulously talented. Great building blocks but not at all the level of talent of the top of the Pac. If the key players stay with next year we will have the best talent in several years. That talent with experience can give us a chance to compete with the top of the Pac but will not get…[Read more]

Don’t see this. A sixteen team conference does not make more than the two current conferences. The desperation is not at all close to this sort of move. The Pac 12 would try another commissioner before they would give up like that. Much more likely would be standardizing the P5 schedules with more P5 opponents. The P5 schools as a division…[Read more]

Beginning in 1957 we played the Y 8 straight years in SLC. Starting in 1928 we played the Y 15 times with only 2 in Provo. It’s been done before why not again? Games should be played mostly in SLC. Even better, mostly in SLC and alternating with USU.

Sometimes a school can have two great QBs each better than any QBs at other very good programs. Possibly, another school could take the second of the two QBs using that step to pass the first school.

Possibly, a very good QB, someone like Alex Smith, can get hurt and lose the job to a backup, move to another team and have more success than the…[Read more]

I remember when Miami was unbeatable, and Florida State, and Florida, even Penn State, Oklahoma, USC and others. It looks that way now, but then the new juggernauts show up. It does not flip fast but it always flips.

Post season games are different. Exactly half of all the countries very best teams lose. Top 15 teams loose half their games with other top 15 teams in general. One of the top 15 teams win 2 games. Not sure, but it seems more that half the CCG losers lose to another team that is still on a high. Often teams blasted in the postseason follow up…[Read more]

I have to be happy with a second place finish, best yet since last year we were not the second best ranked team. Can we be happy on the way up? Are we at the point that finishing second is not good enough? I think we have learned that the frustration factor is much greater for the team finishing second, much greater than that for all the other…[Read more]

That will be a common issue. Most all coaches have a much harder time with teams above them than below them. That is not just a Whitt issue. Until we are the clear best team in the conference we can expect to have a hard time betting the teams that are better. It has happened but those upsets are fewer for all coaches. The teams that finish…[Read more]

That is the math. When you have two 8 and 1 teams and a 7 and 2 team, it wipes out all the other teams. I expect you will always see this with 2 or more strong teams at the top. May be quite common. Thankfully, several others won 3 or 4 OOC games to gain a couple more with winning seasons. But the whole thing is graded on the curve.

It would be dumb to suggest everyone but the playoff teams should regret that they drank the Kool-Aid and got excited about football this year. Wait, Oklahoma suffered a beat down so is it all but 3 or should it be all but the champion? Good grief, should everyone not finishing in the top 4 or top 10 fire their coach and hire the ‘right’ one…[Read more]

He said 4 maybe 3 years. I am so happy to have players that are good enough that the NFL is calling them when they are juniors. Particularly when they graduate or come back to graduate. If we recruit players that start out elite, we must expect it. When we have players that quickly become elite, like Alex, we have to accept it when it occurs.…[Read more]

None of the top 15 in Az stayed home…

I think the younger crowd does not have as many negative impressions of Utah as do the older crowd. Moving from the MWC to the Pac did a lot to get rid of the small western Idaho feel. For every athlete that looks for lifestyle others look for no distractions. Remember many only have impressions from the last 5 years since that goes back to 8th…[Read more]

One way is keep Allen down near the basket, aggressively try to move it up the court, then I like our chances with Allen down low before the defense sets. Unfortunately, they were keeping #1 back guarding the rim and we needed another reliable ball handler to break the press. Still, like Colo, we were able to get him to make dumb fouls. So, I…[Read more]

There have been too many second chance guys work out to pass on these guys without spring practice. I expect both to be ready to go next year and the better of the two will be fine. Maybe not all conference QB but good enough to not be the reason we take a step back. We keep worrying about replacing DBs but it keeps working out.

Well…. No need to play the games, no need to watch a spring practice? Except it is not that simple. I will wait to see how ASU replaces Benjamin and wait to see what happens with the utes in spring practice. ASU has much more to do than sign some kids to get to the top of the south. They could easily move back a spot as much as move up.

The recruiting class is as good as I remember. The offensive game has their arrow point up the best in years. But our rebuild will start with the floor much higher than ever before. I think we will contend.

Patriots don’t need anything but a QB sneak for a yard. Everyone knows it is coming. I expect they practice it. Knowing the snap count should get you the first step. Fire low. QB can slide left or right to the best opportunity. Tom is not the biggest QB in the NFL, but for them it is rinse and repeat.

Being the more physical team can be done, week in week out gets tougher. Even the most physical team will not be able to keep it up long due to wearing down or having an off game. Utah is not the most physical team in the country at all. One of the most physical in the conference and better than average nationally. We are a long way from…[Read more]