HLB

You make these post about the Utes as if you're at all of the practices and in all of the coaches' meetings. I'm about 1,400 miles away and haven't looked up one thing about Utes football, and I can tell you that Utah is a 9-3 to 10-2 team, in 2024, and should be playing for the Big12 Championship. They will be one of the conference's better teams.

And for good reason, because they're going to need to be able to flexible enough to bend over and take it up their backside.

For starters, who said that Oregon State wasn't extended and offer? Maybe Oregon State refused an offer to join the ACC. To that end, the author of this filing fails to recognize that over history, Cal and Stanford have had more national appeal to the general viewing audience than Oregon State. But who cares? The ACC didn't need Cal, Stanford, Oregon State or Washington State. None of those four were going to impact the ACC's viewership, attendance numbers, and etc. The ACC didn't need any of those schools. The ACC simply chose to extend a charitable offer to Cal and Stanford.

What? According to @Orange racism only exists in the deep south. Then again, he chooses to live in a racist state where 98% of their population is white. The school he chooses to support (as well as their chief rival) has roughly 1% of their student body that is African American. Meanwhile, they poach black athletes from the south to make up 60-80% of their football and basketball programs, allowing them to live off of the backs of these black athletes. That being said, the state of Utah's racial divide isn't much better. Many of the verbal attacks that I have received from @utenation and @Orange can easily be interpreted as hate speech and racist. @utenation has even gone so far as to fabricate false statements and narratives, about me, fabricating quotes and claiming that I made statements that I did not. And the leadership of this forum allows them to do so. All that being said, it's a shame that a contingency Idaho's white supremacist had to ruin this experience for a group of young ladies who merely wanted to represent their school in the biggest tournament they could ever ask to be a part of in what should have been a wonderful experience that would establish wonderful memories.

Unfortunately, UCLA is not (and for many years how) has not been, a destination school for head coaches. Which is a shame because they have all of the ingredients to be a destination school, but they've floundered in mediocrity since the 70's. I think Foster is about as good as they can get, right now. The other names you mentioned as potential candidates would have wanted to come to UCLA, and if they're not interested, then you can't blame the administration for not hiring them.

He may have been looking immediately after the ASU game but wasn't getting any offers - until now.

Merril Hoge delivers stern Caleb Williams warning as Bears dig in on keeping No. 1 draft pick (msn.com) The NFL talent will make him average.

Karl Dorrell coaching tree? I wouldn't even call it a bush.

The Innovator: Kalen DeBoer Poised to Bring Change, Explosiveness to Tuscaloosa (msn.com) Alabama has been the winningest CFB program and the trend setter for all of CFB since 2008. With his youngest team, and least experienced team (since his first season), Saban took BAMA to the playoffs. Had they not repeatedly shot themselves in the foot, and played so poorly against Michigan, they probably would have won another NC. Under Saban, BAMA had 12-wins seasons, or more, for 10 straight years. And now DeBoer wants to "bring change" to a program that has been the benchmark for all of CFB. Wow. Apparently he thinks BAMA, under Saban, wasn't doing things very well. He doesn't get it. He doesn't understand that the SEC is a tougher hill to climb, with a stronger slate of teams to conquer. There are very, very few weeks off. In 2024, BAMA has 7 games of note: @Wisconsin, Georgia, @Tennessee, Missouri, @LSU, @Oklahoma and Auburn. Coming in with the same offense and mindset that he had at UW will not lead BAMA to the wins needed to make the playoffs. Georgia and LSU are already losses. Tennessee is probably a loss. Missouri won't be an easy out. And Auburn will be much improved is never a sure win. As I stated before, I see four losses coming out of these seven games. If DeBoer tries to convert BAMA into the Alabama Huskies, which he seems to be intent on doing, it won't yield the results he thinks he will get. The weekly competition in the SEC is more difficult than the weekly competition he faced in the PAC12; and BAMA's 2024 schedule isn't the SEC's most difficult schedule. Nice guy. Wrong hire. BAMA fans, who have a low tolerance for losses, will also have a short leash if things go awry quickly. An 8-4 season at BAMA is intolerable and will greatly impact recruiting. Two seasons like this will have boosters calling for his dismissal. This is a Harsin 2.0 hire, that I don't think will is going to end well.

Looking ahead to the "new" B1G football season, with the additions of former PAC12 teams, Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA - here are my predictions: Oregon - has the easiest schedule of the former PAC12 members but should face defeat against Ohio State and @Michigan. Wisconsin could be a trap game. Washington - expect losses to Michigan, @Iowa, @Penn State and @Oregon. USC - LSU, @Michigan and ND, should be losses. @Minnesota could be a trap game. UCLA - Plenty of losses for UCLA in 2024: @LSU, Oregon, @Penn State, @Rutgers, Iowa, @Washington and USC. It will be a tough year for the Bruins.

Today the Big12 released the 2024 schedule, which included "new" conference members and former PAC12 teams, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State. A quick analysis of their schedules .... Colorado - to lose 5-to-7 games. K-State, Utah, Arizona and OK State should be losses. From games against Baylor, @Nebraska, @TX Tech, @UCF, @Kansas and Cincinatti - I would expect more losses. My 5-to-7 loss prediction is actually a conservative "guesstimate". Arizona - to lose 3 games: @K-State, @Utah and 1 more from the group of UCF, Houston, TX Tech, TCU and WVa. Whichever team provides that third loss, it will be a mild upset. ASU - to lose roughly 6 games; MS State, Arizona, Utah, OK State, K-State, @TX Tech. Kansas could be a loss as well. Utah - Expect 1 loss; @OK State. Houston or UCF could pull of upsets, but not likely. Baylor and Arizona will not be easy outs. Arizona and Utah should be among the top half of teams in the Big12. Utah could be playing in the Big12 Championship Game.

With the Saban retirement and the Alabama hiring of Deboer, a multitude of BAMA players have hit the portal, while several former Washington Husky players have been transferring to Alabama. At the same time, most the Alabama staff has been "let go", while several former Husky assistant coaches have been brought in. By all appearances, Deboer seems to be converting the Alabama Crimson Tide into the Alabama Huskies. I was afraid of that. Much like Harsin thought that coaching at Auburn was no different than coaching at Boise State, or anywhere out west, Deboer seems to think that playing in the SEC is no different than playing in the PAC12, and that he will bring UW to Tuscaloosa, without realizing this decision will transform Tuscaloosa into Tuscaloser. Last year's Alabama team was the youngest roster and least experienced Alabama team that Saban coached. They won 12 games, and had they not shot themselves in the foot with unforced errors and mistakes, they could have easily been up by 16 points, instead of 7 points, in the final minutes of their game against Michigan. Had they not had those self-inflicted mistakes, they would have played for a NC game. Michigan didn't beat BAMA as much as BAMA beat themselves. BAMA could have very easily been in the NC game, and most likely beaten UW. Now Deboer seems to think that he had a winning formula and winning roster, at UW, which could win anywhere, against anyone, at anytime. He didn't. If last year's UW team had played in the SEC, B1G and maybe the ACC .... they would not have gone undefeated. He will find this out in 2024, when Alabama will lose multiple games, maybe as much as four games. If Saban had remained, the roster would not have had the defections they've had, and a more experienced Alabama team would have probably been in the NCG for 2024 and 2025. As it stands, BAMA will struggle to reach the 12-team playoff. Because Deboer doesn't understand that playing in the SEC is a completely different animal than playing in the PAC12. BAMA has these games in 2024: @Wisconsin, Georgia, @Tennessee, Missouri, @LSU, @Oklahoma and Auburn. BAMA will lose four of those games .... Georgia, @Tennessee, @LSU and either @Oklahoma, or Auburn. And @Wisconsin and Missouri are toss-ups. Deboer doesn't realize what he's walking into. At Alabama, it's win a NC or bust. As is the case with most SEC programs, Alabama Boosters and fans will have a quick hook, and they won't let things go south for very long. As I said before, good guy, but not the right hire.

So, in the job market - in any industry - companies need to refrain from hiring talent from other companies and organizations, in order to improve their own company - and that's "not" the way to run a business (college sports is a business); am I understanding you correctly? Furthermore, Arizona is not a "destination" school, for CFB, and most likely never will be. Most schools are not destination jobs. Regardless of who the coach at Arizona is, that coach will ultimately leave to take on another job that is more in line with being a "destination school (job)" (or at least the next step up on the ladder of ascension towards a destination school. What is baffling to me is that neither Arizona or ASU produce annually strong contenders for most sports, while they exist in a state with an abundance of talent, and they neighbor other states where talent is plentiful. Given that both schools are located in climate-friendly cities, it would seem that they could accumulate plenty of talent, and be a force is all sports.

Fisch is an excellent hire for UW.

I know many at UW are disappointed to see Deboer leave Seattle and head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but rest assured, not everyone in Tuscaloosa is excited about the move either. Many fear that he will turn Tuscaloosa into Tuscalooser. After UW physically outplayed Texas and advanced to the NC Game, I acknowledged that I was wrong about UW, because I never saw them as a team that played physically enough to match with a physical team like Texas. And it fooled me. Because the following week, UW could not match the physicality of Michigan, who did to UW what I had expected Texas to do. What I also learned is that I was, and had been, right about Washington and the PAC12 all along: This was not a conference and a team that is as physical as other conferences and teams. The "one-off" win over Texas was an outstanding performance where everything lined up as a "perfect storm". But to suggest that that win demonstrated that Washington was as strong and physical as other top programs in the country would be an overstatement. When Portland State, Sacramento State, and other FCS teams defeated a PAC12 program (which seemed to happen every year); or when Hawaii, or Fresno State, Boise State, or anyone of the G5 MWC teams defeated a PAC12 team; that did not mean that those teams were capable of beating all PAC12 teams, week-in and week-out. It meant that those teams outplayed the one team they faced, in what may be called a "perfect storm" type of win. What UW's loss to Michigan demonstrated to me, was that UW was not built to regularly face top-tier physical teams and win with consistently. Over the last 20 years, the B1G, SEC and even the ACC have been bigger hills to climb than the PAC12. At Alabama, Deboer will quickly learn that the SEC isn't the PAC12. That the weekly competition is more physical, more talented, and more demanding. That the expectations of teams in the SEC is to win a National Championship. Winning the SEC Championship is just a formality in the process of playing for a NC. While Deboer and his family appear to be good people, on many levels, I'm afraid that Deboer will be blinded by the reality of life in the SEC, versus life in the PAC12 and MWC. As Lane Kiffin learned, "CFB and winning means so much more in the SEC". Bryan Harsin left Boise State and took his big ego to Auburn, thinking he knew more than he knew. Before the first season was over, Auburn fans already wanted him gone. Because of his lack-luster recruiting ("I recruited plenty of 2 and 3 start players at Boise State and we won games against P5 schools"). True, he had some "one-off" wins over P5 programs, but he underestimated of what life is like, week-in and week-out, playing in a P5 conference. And before his second season was complete, he was "out" at Auburn. While Deboer doesn't possess Harsin's ego, I'm afraid that Deboer will equally underestimate the things that Harsin underestimated, and won't be ready for the weekly grind, the fan expectations, and the intensity of how "CFB and winning means so much more in the SEC". In 2024, BAMA plays @Wisconsin, Georgia, @Tennessee, Missouri, @LSU, @Oklahoma, and Auburn. I think a Deboer-led team will lose at least four of those games (Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and either Oklahoma or Auburn) and the honeymoon will long be over. And recruiting will suffer. While the 2025 SEC schedule has yet to be released, playing @FSU and hosting Wisconsin won't be easy OOC games. And unless there is dramatic improvement, Deboer might receive the same fate that Harsin received and be out before the 2nd season is over. Deboer has a challenge that is higher than he realizes. This league is more physical, has more talent throughout the conference, and the weekly and season expectations are much, much higher. This isn't UW, and this isn't the PAC12. And like Harsin, I don't think he knows what he's getting into, and I don't expect his tenure at BAMA to last very long. And that's sad to say because he seems to be a good man. IMO, Deboer is not the right hire.

You need to go back and watch a highlight reel on Daniels. He's the best of the bunch.

There have been plenty of players with these abilities to get drafted in the NFL, and ultimately have short careers (because of the physical beatings they take). Lamar Jackson has been an exception. And Daniels does what you just described, better than Williams. The difference between the two is that Daniels will stay in the pocket more.

Given that Chicago has the first pick, and needs a QB, Daniels is the most talented option of the names you mention, and if he remains healthy, will have (imo) a longer career (as a starter) than the other names mentioned. Maye will probably go second to Washington. Nix is a 2nd-to-3rd-round pick. Penix is a 2nd-round pick (I like him with NE in the 2nd round). Williams will probably land with Arizona, @#4 New England will probably go the free agency route to pick up a QB (I don't know why no one has made Minshew a starting QB). Ohio State's Harrison will probably get picked by the Chargers, which would be a big addition for Herbert.

Tonight's NCG should be a fantastic game. The winner will be determined by which team controls the line of scrimmage and has the fewest mistakes. UW controlled the line of scrimmage against Texas, particularly against Texas' defense, and had significantly fewer mistakes. Texas, despite physically getting out-played and having more mistakes (turnovers, sacks, penalties, etc.) still had a chance to win in the final 20 seconds. And Michigan still had a chance to lose against Alabama, who shot themselves in the foot all night long. Mistake-free football is the catalyst in a game that appears to be evenly matched. My pick is that Washington will pull out the win because of Pennix and the UW receivers. If this game gets into the mid 30's, I think Washington wins. I can see Pennix throwing 5 TDs, to which Michigan won't be able to keep up. If this game is below 35, Michigan has a chance to win, and "may" win. My pick: Washington 41, Michigan 31. Enjoy the game!

In no way did I think that Washington could match the physicality of Texas. Why? Because there hasn't been a single PAC12 team that had beaten a top-ranked physical team, in OOC, all season long. The lone OOC opponent that met the criteria of "physical" (and I can't say that they were highly physical) was Notre Dame, who easily defeated their two PAC12 opponents. I thought Texas' front seven would stuff Washington's run and apply a lot of pressure on Pennix, to disrupt the passing game. I also thought that Texas would control the line of scrimmage, on offense, and grind out scoring drives, and pull away in the second half, for a large margin of victory. But I was wrong. From the "jump", Washington was highly physical, and continued to play that way up and until the finish. And Pennix was amazing. His passing ability, which he makes look so easy, was pinpoint and flawless. The only thing better was the catches made by the receivers, who demonstrated perfection at keeping and/or tapping a foot or toe in bounds, to complete the catch. It was surprising that Texas even had a chance to pull off a victory, in the final 20 seconds. It was a dominate performance by Washington. And I expect the NC game with Michigan to be one of the most epic NC games, ever. My money is on Washington and Pennix.

@utenation was referring to the upcoming 2023 bowls, and referencing Ohio State and Penn State who Utah played in the last two Rose Bowl games and were defeated in both games - even when Utah had a healthy team, while both Ohio State and Penn State had a lot of players to opt out. And in the case of Ohio State, they were very lifeless, after having lost to Michigan, not playing in the B1G Championship, and missing out on the playoffs. My point is that it wouldn't just have been Ohio State and Penn State, that Utah needs to avoid in the 2023 bowl season. In the 2023 bowl season (which @utenation was referring to, not the last 10 years as you alluded to), there are several teams that Utah would need a break from playing, in the 2023 bowl season (because of injuries). You made a stupid reply.

That's not a quote from me. The statements you present do not represent how I speak. I would never refer to myself by saying "I've been nothing but an amazing person ...." I would never say "People are just mean to me and don't appreciate me" - that's not my manner of speaking .... ".... get me so sad that I tag those posters every chance I get because I hate this behavior." Not my words. Nothing here makes md sad, nor would I make such as statement. "I've started my own threads just to get attention from the posters I accuse" .... Never made such a statement. "When I don't get that attention, I will go into the main P12 board threads to try and get more attention." Never made such as statement. "As soon as you, @utenation and @Orange grow up and stop the name calling, you will realize I'm always right. If @Chile_Ute wants to start acting like a child with insults, I will attack him too." .... Never made such a statement. Total fabrication by @utenation.

Booger McFarland's assessment. Booger McFarland Identifies College Football Playoff Team That Can't Play 'Big Boy Football' (msn.com)

For starters, I don't know who @Chile_Ute is. I know nothing about his character, but as a fellow Utah fan, you've obviously developed a good relationship with @Chile_Ute. To me, that makes me think that he's an immature child, too. There are several people on these threads. The only responses I receive are negative-name-calling responses from immature souls like yourself and @Orange, while my rating on these threads has a rating of "Excellent". FAR more times, I am right than wrong, on statements I make, but I'm not perfect. You seem to want perfection from me, but that's not realistic of anyone to expect from anyone. At least I make predictions, while you are afraid to put yourself out there. You are quick to mock those when they predict incorrectly, but you are too insecure to put your own predictions on these threads for others to see. I'll continue putting my predictions on the line, for others to see, including my prediction that Texas will easily roll over UW, in their semi-final game, 56-10. I think the game will be over by halftime.

My last pick is the pick that matters. Earlier, I projected Oregon to beat UW (and was pulling for Oregon to do so). But as the game actually came to fruition, I re-evaluated and changed my pick. People change their pick, all the time. And the final pick is the only pick that matters.