Utah football: Utes' second season in Pac-12 even harder than first - Salt Lake Tribu

[The_Douger]

But because there has been a 2008 we know he can do it again.

Completely different circumstances.

[Top Ute]

Boise's a way better program than BYU too.

You tell me, regarding scheduling. You guys bought out your remaining games against them.

I get tired of people complaining about their schedule, yet strangely they don't want to play them.

Hilarious! We dropped Boise from the schedule so we could play BYU in 2011-13.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[LA Ute]

Completely different circumstances.

Hey, do I have to come over there? You guys worry about your program and we'll worry about ours. Have some compassion! It's not easy to follow a team with a West Coast Spread Power Option Veer Pro Offense.

[Omaha 680]

But because there has been a 2008 we know he can do it again.

SU: Man of faith.

[pelagius]

But because there has been a 2008 we know he can do it again.

But be careful. The equivalent season in the PAC-12 is not undefeated. By good benchmarking, in 2008 Utah was most likely in the 5-15 range in terms of true rating quality. The best estimate of quality is around 10th. That's a great season. In the next 7 years, I would not be surprised if Utah has a season that good. On the other hand, it is extremely low probability that it is an undefeated season. Most likely it is 2 loss team or if Utah is fortunate it is a 1 loss team.

[SeattleUte]

Completely different circumstances.

I bet you don't get to your 100 postes, asshole.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I bet you don't get to your 100 postes, asshole.

He hit that about 680 posts ago, silly.

[Cougarmandias]

But because there has been a 2008 we know he can do it again.

No, impossible. Because 2008 only happened by having bye weeks against weak mid-major teams and getting up for the handful of actual games on the schedule. Like Boise.

[kccougar]

Playing in the Pac 12 compared to the MWC is like playing full court basketball compared to playing HORSE. It's easier even to hit a single jump shot (i.e., beat a BCS team) when you're not as in HORSE winded and pushed to the limit all the time . That has been Boise's secret. Play one maybe two good teams in a year, and after several weeks of not playing at all, or at the start of the season, and get really high and prepared for it. Doing it week in and week out is a different story. The Pac 12 has chastened us Utes. We need to work up to it.

Utah State is not in the Pac 12.

[The_Douger]

Hilarious! We dropped Boise from the schedule so we could play BYU in 2011-13.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

You could have played us both. Just like you could play us in 14 and 15 if you wanted to as well.

[The_Douger]

I bet you don't get to your 100 postes, asshole.

I'm not quite sure you realize how awesome everyone around here thinks I am.

Asshole.

[wapiti]

But because there has been a 2008 we know he can do it again.

Yeah, I expect Kwhitt can do that every 30 years or so.

[MartyFunkhouser]

This is not to discount 2008. It was a wonderful season, but nothing else has been even close to that under Whittingham. He consistently delivers teams in the 30s. This year it looks like Utah is more like a team in the 40-50s and not a team in the 30s. This is a drop-off but not a huge one. First, it strikes me that Utah's quarterback troubles alone are enough to explain the drop off. Second, Whittingham has gone to younger and less experienced assistant coaches. That also can help explain a drop off (but may pay off in the long term). There is just not any good evidence to suggest that playing in the PAC-12 is causing a drop off.

You are far too kind listing us in the 40-50 range this year.

[Top Ute]

You could have played us both. Just like you could play us in 14 and 15 if you wanted to as well.

No we couldn't have. We already had a roadie at Pitt on the schedule (return trip), as well as the trip to Provo. We cancelled Iowa State's return trip to SLC (and put Montana State in its place). The only way we could have played both Boise State and BYU was to have had zero home non-conference games and only five total on the season. Only a moran would insist that Utah go through with such a schedule in its first year in a new league.

I'm not going to debate 2014-15, as I wish we would play BYU in those years.

[Top Ute]

You are far too kind listing us in the 40-50 range this year.

Sagarin has us at 55. It's a fair assessment.