I posted this on the MWC board and thought that I'd throw it up here for discussion.

> Zoomie raises this question below and I (as a Ute fan) think it
> is an interesting one. I think Utah is good, but I really don't
> know how good. I'm pretty sure they're better than UNLV (52-14)
> and probably New Mexico, but we really won't be able to judge
> them until they play AFA in three weeks, assuming they beat
> Boise St. and NE La. (which they should). How they compare to
> the other 5 MWC teams is completely unknown. How good is
> Wyoming? I'm not sure I know the answer to that question either.

> Utah's early schedule is pretty shabby. It's not all Utah's
> fault (as has been discussed before). Wazzu was in the Rose Bowl
> just two years ago. Utah St. is actually pretty good (as BYU
> will find out Friday). Boise St. was a late fill-in to replace
> Kansas who backed out of a four year deal after getting thumped
> twice by Utah and NE La was a late fill-in to replace a
> conference game after going from 8 conf games (WAC16) to 7
> (MWC). At least there are no I-AA teams.

> Utah should beat Boise St. and NE La. SHOULD-- they did lose
> last year to Boise and have a tendency to lose a game or two a
> year that they shouldn't. If they do, they'll roll into Colorado
> Springs at 5-0, but against 5 not so good teams. But, if Utah
> can somehow squeeze out a win in Colorado Springs, look
> out....they may be the team to beat in the MWC. Will this
> happen? Your guess is as good as mine. Utah is good, they're
> better than last year's underachieveing team.

> Here's why I think Utah is good:

> 1. Maturity: Utes have a lot of returned starters and have
> better leadership than they've had since 1994.

> 2. Few Mistakes: The team that self destructed constantly last
> year has been nearly mistake free through the first three games.
> Penalties are way down.

> 3. Depth: The Utes have had their share of injuries, but someone
> steps up each time. They are deep in both lines and in the
> defensive secondary. They have 5 quality running backs (though
> losing Anderson would hurt) and the pre-season question-marks at
> receiver have been answered by a half-dozen new faces. They have
> two solid tight ends. The only place they lack in depth is at
> quarterback....if Arceneaux goes down so do the Utes chances.

> 4. Offensive Balance: Utah has the most balanced offense in the
> MWC IMO. The running game is solid with a veteran line and an
> all conference running back. The passing game has turned out to
> be better than expected with Arceneaux showing maturity and the
> new receivers stepping up solidly.

> 5. Solid Defense: The Ute defense is not flashy but it gets the
> job done with DC Whittingham's "bend but don't break"
> style. They don't give up the big play. They actually blitzed a
> little against UNLV and they can become even better. Red Zone
> defense has been excellent.

> 6. Improved Kicking Game: So far Whetman has been the answer to
> last years kicking woes which cost Utah 2 games. So far he's
> perfect on PATs and FGs and he boots it into the endzone almost
> every time. Punting is excellent as it was last year with
> Hunter.

> 7. Team Speed/Talent: I think that Utah has had as talented of
> athletes as anyone in the conference for the past five years or
> so. A look at former Utes in the NFL (Jamal Anderson, Luthur
> Ellis, Anthony Davis, Chris Fu, Henry Lusk, Kevin Dyson, Phil
> Glover) supports this. The Utes have as good or better talent
> this year, hopefully they'll finally make the most of it.

> Utah has potential, we'll see how it all pans out. It all comes
> down to winning on the field. Looking forward to renewing all
> the old WAC rivalries. Go Utes!!!!

The real question right now is not "how good are the Utes," but rather "how bad are the Utes?" As you correctly pointed out, we can't ask how good the Utes are until they start playing conference games. But, unfortunately, we can find out how bad they are much sooner than that. And, even though I am very optimistic, I am much more cautiously so this season. (I certainly don't want to go shooting my mouth off and having to stick my foot in it.)

I love your analysis, and think you are right on the money. Let's hope the answer to your original question continues to elude us until we are celebrating a nice bowl victory.

-- GO UTES !!!!!!!!!

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