Sadly too many of us remember a loss at UNLV, among a few other WTF losses. It comes naturally to us. I’m working on embracing the high ranking, but damn it feels strange.
If you are still holding on to a loss from 15 years ago when your Starting QB was 6 or 7 that is just weird.
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I’ll speak for myself. I generally am optimistic each year, but am aware that things happen. The real reason I am cautious is I don’t want to be anything like the team south of us with delusional dreams of grandeur. Just realistic. But hey i have learned over the paste few years to own it. You are right, we are champs and should act like without arrogance. Just confidence. Go Utes! We earned the ranking.
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Don’t be afraid of the hype. Embrace the hype. Most teams that have a special season were hyped. It’s better to be hyped than not hyped. There’s usually good reason for hype or no hype.
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I agree that Mark Stoops has done an amazing job at Kentucky. In times past, you really didn’t have to worry about the Wildcats, but he has changed all that, and it is possible they could win the East, but I doubt you would find many Georgia fans who would agree.
The Utes have earned their ranking, so embrace it. The past is exactly that…the past. This year, it is Utah that is the elite team, and Florida,well, isn’t.
RR
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Kirby is going to find out what losing coaches and a major amount of players feels like. I may even go so far as to say he will lose two games. That late in the year game in Lexington being one.
Bingo.
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Just saw this. Not in the preseason AP Poll
LSU: 1st time since 2000
Texas: 1st time since 2016
Penn State: 1st time 2016
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It’s a delicate balance of not shying away from a high preseason ranking, yet not getting caught up in the hype. The mantra that helps get through the highs and lows is honor the process.
It’s one game at a time, and for this first one, the ESPN index has us as dogs.
I really hope Ludwig and Scalley have a robust set of cards to play, because my sense is Napier & his crew are going to do their best Urban Meyer vintage 2003 impersonation - use existing talent in a highly motivated way to shock the nation.
I like how KW is letting the heat in and ramping up the humidity & noise in the indoor facility. Then go a day early to help shake off the jet lag, and be primed.
(Ute fans have been through everything. Taking on the personality of our coach, if there’s any kind of stumble, we know how to shake that off and keep pushing forward, like last year.)
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Dang. That could make them fall all the way to number 5.
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Ron McBride made the WTF Loss a part of Utah Utes Football lore. The UNLV game was the most glaring of them as the Rebels were running the table in reverse that season before we came to town and ■■■■ the bed.
Hate to say the loss last season to Oregon State could go down as part of the legacy. Some of us were wondering if the team had any toes left after that game because we watched them shoot them all off. Blocked kicks…badly thrown interceptions…fumbles…we were a mess that day…and all after destroying USC a few weeks earlier. We almost had one against ‘Zona, too.
I am sure ‘Bama has had a few of them, otherwise your band would’ve never gotten its nickname “The Million Dollar Band.” You just haven’t had many over the last decade or so.
Last season’s losses drudged a lot of those old anxieties up for us.
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Last time they fell to 15 when they lost two regular season games. The same spot Oregon was when they lost 3 last season. So apparently there must be a PAC 12 bias by that logic. Lol
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Oh we’re a little weird. We are somewhat of a neurotic fanbase when it comes to pre/early season polls. I’m working on changing that feeling, but it’s still odd to see our name up so high in polls.
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Damn, breaks my heart. Especially Texas and Penn St. Sarcasm there for those who didn’t catch on.
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I think the ambivalent feelings about the preseason ranking may be more prevalent amongst the fans that are a little long in the tooth. (Does that say something about the demographic for this message board?) We can still remember the time when Utah football was taking body bag games against the big boys to bring money into the program. This program has come a long way since those days, but some of us still have a bit of sports PTSD.
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You may be correct. I grew up in the “1984” era of BYU, and its ever so lovely fanbase.
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Did we ever get out of that era? Listening to their fan base, I think we are still in it.
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I don’t know. Their fans in my age bracket may never have left that entitled feeling. I don’t have access to the younger ones, not living in Utah any more. I refuse to go to cougarboard because that’s a cesspool. So, much of my feelings to BYU is ambivalent. I don’t care much anymore, but I’m still haunted by their arrogance from so many years ago. I suspect a bunch of that ambivalence would change to dislike if we were in the same conference again.
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I’m in the same boat. I would like to be done with them in all sports. Even with the recent conference shake ups, we still have nothing to gain, and can only lose, by playing them in football. And in my opinion we have nothing to gain by playing them in basketball.
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My comment was intended my belief that preseason polls are meaningless.
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I just like the idea that we are starting out ranked high, for a change, and don’t have to “work our way in” to the poll. Now, go beat Florida convincingly and show that we belong there.
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