Utah Football: Expectations for Next Season…

I’m not exactly putting the nail in the coffin of this Utah Football season.  But our Rose Bowl dreams are gone.  Success will be making a bowl game and if we get to the Holiday or Alamo Bowls it would be a miracle.  The downside could be a four win season.  And from where are hopes were, not a lot of that can be thought to be very exciting.

So what should we expect for next year?

Now I’m not all that upset at the coaching staff, we knew or should have known that this could be our reality.  There was no way we could be 100% Pac-12 ready when we entered the league and even Kyle has talked about this.  The Quarterback situation, which hasn’t been handled well, and the offensive line, which we just didn’t have Pac-12 talent/depth at in the MWC have bit us in the ass.

But at the same time we need to get better.  And here are some reasonable expectations.

1.  The Offensive Line problem is solved.  Next year we will get Marc Pouvave back from injury, hopefully an in shape Carlos Lozano and Jerimiah Poutasi will be a year older and wiser.  Add to that the recruits who we have from this last year and another strong class and we should have our O-line.  I expect this to be at least an average Pac-12 line that can get some things done.

2.  The QB problem is a long way to being fixed.  With Travis Wilson having spent a year in the system and talented incoming freshman Conner Manning combined with whatever Adam Schultz brings to the table.  They might be young and we can deal with some of that, but the days of having a Division II backup for our QB we’re praying doesn’t have his shoulders explode, well those have to be gone.

3.  Continuing the talent upgrade, like I complain about in basketball, to compete in the Pac-12 we need to be in on guys that other Pac-12 schools actually wanted.  At least in football we seem to be doing that.

4.  Improved offensive continuity.  I expect everything offense should be an order of magnitude better.  Brian Johnson will have had the job a year.  We’ll have a sense of who our QB might actually be.  We’ll have an offensive line that can actually block the plays that Brian calls.  Like I said, I’m not unhappy with Brian Johnson at all.  But in the last five years we’ve had five coordinators.  Having the same one for two straight years will be very very nice.

If you have any thoughts, comment here or find me on twitter @hoyosrevenge or on Facebook.