What We Learned At Pac-12 Media Days…

While I was off getting surgery, the unbridled excitement that was Pac-12 Media Days took place.  Sadly it didn’t look as fun as normal years.  We’ve lost Chip Kelly.  Lane Kiffin looks like a shell of his former self and we’re left with Mike Leach rambling about how his soup is too hot and everyone asking Mike McIntyre if he could get their bags.  So what do we know?

Oregon and Stanford good…

Colorado bad…

And no one thinks much of good ‘ol Utah…

Except me…

And as I’ve said before, I base this on a few things.  First, a whole lot went wrong for us last season, most of which is clearly going to be improved.  Second, as bad as things were, only Arizona St. really took us to the woodshed (and yeah Washington wasn’t fun).  Finally I think it’s the psychology of people.  They took a chance and said good things about us last season and got burned and this year they’re going to make the Utes pay with their prediction.

And beyond Kyle’s own motivation to get back Utah has a few more things working for us.  First, the Utes even leave the state of Utah until we go to Tucson in mid-October.  I think that will help us get a win over UCLA or Stanford (and I’m really believing in a Stanford upset).  Next we get Arizona St. in November in Salt Lake instead of September.  Even if its a nice day I still say it helps us.

Finally, even if things go badly, as long as Utah generates four wins by the time they go to Pullman, that still means wins over Wazzu and CU get the Utes to a bowl game.

I think all of this is going to make the folks who picked us 5th look a bit foolish in come November.