🏈 Utah columnist bashes BAMA and Meyer

[BamaUte]

If you didn't notice, Louisville was a "maybe" comment. It may be unlikely, but is possible. Louisville returns a number of key players on offense, while Utah has some big holes to fill. It is an early season game. Kragthorpe has to perform in 2009 or he will be shown the door.

It may be a stretch, but Louisville does have some talent on the field. They ended the season horribly in 2008, but that same team also knocked off USF.

Johnson, Brown, Casteel, Mack, and Godfrey are gone from Utah's offense. Asiata is back, but the Utes don't have a proven QB, and Johnson was special. The OL should be solid, but how will they do if all they can do is run?

The defense will be solid with 8 starters back, but will the offense ans special teams help them in September? The Utes have a lot of questions going into the 2009 season, and if I were a Ute fan or writer, I would not be talking smack in advance.

I see them losing 3 games - maybe 4.

You can laugh at me, but SJSU is a trap game for them...

Opening road game of the season
SJSU was 6-6 in 2008
SJSU returns 7 starters on both sides of the ball
Utah has Oregon the next week

When you see the name you think "gimme," SJSU opens with USC. Dick Tomey is a good enough coach, and SJSU and has enough experience returning to use what happens in a beneficial manner.

Utah will be ok in 2009, but I don't see any way they can repeat their undefeated season.

I disagree with you on Louisville, I wouldn't even put them in the "maybe" column. Utah's talent is better than theirs, and Whittingham is eons above Steve Kragthorpe.

You'll get no disagreement from me on SJSU, though. I think we'll win, but they bring back a lot of talent. It will be a tight game.

Outside of QB, Utah's offense will be fine. David Reed will be the go-to guy, and we've got talent at WR from the last two recruting classes. Whoever replaces Johnson will be a step down, but if he can put the players around him in a position to make plays and not turn the ball over, it will be enough to take the pressure off the run game.

Of course we won't go undefeated again. But is that the only way we remain "relevant"? If we go 11-1 or 10-2 and finish the season ranked, does that vaporize any credibility we carry over from the 2008 season?

The original link that prompted this thread looks like a message board post, I agree. And he was quite belligerent/Napolean-like in the comments trying to defend his article. I don't want our fans to keep acting like they have a chip on their shoulders. It embarrasses me. But Utah's accomplished a lot in the last 10 years, too.

 

[kc]

I disagree with you on Louisville, I wouldn't even put them in the "maybe" column. Utah's talent is better than theirs, and Whittingham is eons above Steve Kragthorpe.

You'll get no disagreement from me on SJSU, though. I think we'll win, but they bring back a lot of talent. It will be a tight game.

Outside of QB, Utah's offense will be fine. David Reed will be the go-to guy, and we've got talent at WR from the last two recruting classes. Whoever replaces Johnson will be a step down, but if he can put the players around him in a position to make plays and not turn the ball over, it will be enough to take the pressure off the run game.

Of course we won't go undefeated again. But is that the only way we remain "relevant"? If we go 11-1 or 10-2 and finish the season ranked, does that vaporize any credibility we carry over from the 2008 season?

The original link that prompted this thread looks like a message board post, I agree. And he was quite belligerent/Napolean-like in the comments trying to defend his article. I don't want our fans to keep acting like they have a chip on their shoulders. It embarrasses me. But Utah's accomplished a lot in the last 10 years, too.

Every team has those fans that embarrass us. Lord knows Bama and Aubrun have them. :smile: I definitely do not stereotype other fan bases and know that a few do not represent the whole.:a:

 

[psychojoe]

I for one enjoyed the Ute visitors we had in the run up to our bowl game.