The addition of a new head coach, along with the return of many of last year’s starters, has engendered plenty of hope around town for Utah’s football team to do well this fall. However, the expectations of a few prominent college preview magazines have differing views.
The Sporting News college preview magazine predicts the Utes to finish fifth, while Phil Steele’s college football preview has the team finishing sixth.
Street and Smith’s college football preview, along with Lindy’s, has the Utes finishing only one spot out of the cellar, in seventh place.
“I love it, because expectations are low and we can just play our game and prove people wrong,” U safety Anthony White said.
U football coach Urban Meyer understands why some would think the Utes would finish so low.
“The conference is pretty strong, we lost a couple of really good players, and because of lack of respect for the school,” Meyer said.
Losing players like offensive tackle Jordan Gross, along with three starting wide receivers, will certainly hurt a team’s standing. But such a drastic prediction may be a little pessimistic.
Expectations don’t mean much, however, considering last year the team was predicted to finish first or second in many publications.
“I have been on teams who have been picked to finish first and last, but nobody knows,” Meyer said. “It’s disappointing, though, that we don’t get respect but we have to earn it.”
The biggest question mark hanging over the team is the new offense that Meyer is going to implement.
How the spread offense will fare, considering the talent that the Utes have at this point, may be the main question that prognosticators have with the team.
But coach Meyer knows his team will be ready for this season.
“If I didn’t have the insider information that I have, then maybe I would think the same as some of the preview magazines,” Meyer said. “But I know exactly how hard my team is working and I know we will be ready for this season.”