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OT: Utah

H

hedonistimpulse

Junior
Jul 29, 2018
791
224
0
5th ranked team in the country.
11-1 record.
Stable coaching staff with a quality head coach.
Not in a recruiting hotbed, but the university is located in a beautiful area.

Yet....#90 ranked recruiting class. Some crystal balls for a couple of local kids that are quality recruits, but how do you have the type of season Utah is having and sit at #90 nationally less than three weeks from the early signing day?

https://n.rivals.com/team_rankings/2020/all-teams/Football
 
C

CC_Lemming

All-Conference
Oct 21, 2001
4,023
1,441
0
hedonistimpulse said:
5th ranked team in the country.
11-1 record.
Stable coaching staff with a quality head coach.
Not in a recruiting hotbed, but the university is located in a beautiful area.

Yet....#90 ranked recruiting class. Some crystal balls for a couple of local kids that are quality recruits, but how do you have the type of season Utah is having and sit at #90 nationally less than three weeks from the early signing day?

https://n.rivals.com/team_rankings/2020/all-teams/Football
Click to expand...

Development of players, great coaching, and a relatively weak/down conference.
 
P

PeliniTheCrutch_rivals294365

All-Conference
Jul 4, 2016
8,269
3,869
0
Whittingham = not a good coach, but a great coach


One thing I look hard at to see how good a coach is ...how does his team play in bowl games. Now I get that some folk say that it’s a totally separate game and shouldn’t count and such, but that bowl game also shows how a coach can improve his team when given time and also how to motivate. Whittingham is a bowl-winning machine.

You see a team look uninterested and ill-prepared for their bowl game more than once, and I’ll show you a bad coach.
 
C

c3o

Sophomore
Apr 24, 2018
6,586
133
0
PeliniTheCrutch said:
Whittingham = not a good coach, but a great coach


One thing I look hard at to see how good a coach is ...how does his team play in bowl games. Now I get that some folk say that it’s a totally separate game and shouldn’t count and such, but that bowl game also shows how a coach can improve his team when given time and also how to motivate. Whittingham is a bowl-winning machine.

You see a team look uninterested and ill-prepared for their bowl game more than once, and I’ll show you a bad coach.
Click to expand...

never considered that but I like it
 
WHCSC

WHCSC

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2002
10,806
3,619
88
PeliniTheCrutch said:
Whittingham = not a good coach, but a great coach


One thing I look hard at to see how good a coach is ...how does his team play in bowl games. Now I get that some folk say that it’s a totally separate game and shouldn’t count and such, but that bowl game also shows how a coach can improve his team when given time and also how to motivate. Whittingham is a bowl-winning machine.

You see a team look uninterested and ill-prepared for their bowl game more than once, and I’ll show you a bad coach.
Click to expand...

So Scott Frost = good coach and Gus Malzahn = bad coach
 
X

xxUNRIVALEDxx

All-American
Apr 16, 2017
2,857
7,524
0
I think everyone misunderstood the question.

He’s not asking HOW they are 11-1 with 90th ranked classes, but rather WHY their current class is ranked 90th while having an 11-1 season.
 
H

hedonistimpulse

Junior
Jul 29, 2018
791
224
0
xxUNRIVALEDxx said:
I think everyone misunderstood the question.

He’s not asking HOW they are 11-1 with 90th ranked classes, but rather WHY their current class is ranked 90th while having an 11-1 season.
Click to expand...
Exactly. They only have 8 commits, all three stars, but they're looking up at teams like Arkansas State - seems improbable at best to be so low.
 
G

GeorgeFlippin

Heisman
May 29, 2001
38,563
35,543
113
It's obvious that while their recruiting isn't setting the world on fire, they have a HC and staff who recruit to their needs and style and they develop those players to perform at a high level. Kind of like the Cialis of college football!

Cincinnati and Memphis are others that don't crush recruiting most of the time, but lately seem to have it going. Yes, they'd have a hard time beating a lot of top 20 teams week in and out, but they're doing a lot right to get them where they're at today.
 
C

c3o

Sophomore
Apr 24, 2018
6,586
133
0
Baxter48 said:
Didn’t whittingham practically begged Eichorst for a interview and Eichorst blew him off because Barry alveraz wanted Riley to go to Nebraska?
Click to expand...

No idea. But I like his version of ball. Hope Frost can become as good as him
 
M

MOHUSKER

All-Conference
Nov 1, 2009
16,561
1,806
113
They have like 26 transfer/juco players on the roster, but mainly a well established staff that brings in players to fit their needs.
 
H

Harry Caray

All-American
Feb 28, 2002
71,001
7,232
113
Baxter48 said:
Didn’t whittingham practically begged Eichorst for a interview and Eichorst blew him off because Barry alveraz wanted Riley to go to Nebraska?
Click to expand...

Eichorst interviewed Whittingham. But still hired Riley based on the recommendation from the A.D. of our divisional rival.
 
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N

Nebraska_Reality

Redshirt
Oct 23, 2019
1,074
0
0
Jimmy Frank said:
Can’t Utah and BYU load up on 30 yr olds?
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The oldest they will usually be is mid-20s. Besides....it's not like they're playing in a semi-pro football league while on their missions.

Utah is the state school...higher percentage of non-Mormons. I even saw a drunk streaker once near their campus.
 
WHCSC

WHCSC

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2002
10,806
3,619
88
Beautiful place. I’d play there if I had the chance.
 
D

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,595
13,020
78
CC_Lemming said:
Development of players, great coaching, and a relatively weak/down conference.
Click to expand...
IF you watch Utah, one thing is apparent. They have some great speed at some skill positions. Those kids maybe weren't highly ranked out of high school BUT they're damned fast at some key positions. They're well coached but I've seen some Utah players in some real brainfart moments over the years too. Whittingham basically gave away a game I was watching a year or two ago with a stupid coaching move. I can't remember exactly what the situation was but he definitely wet the bed. Very good coach. They all make mistakes.
 
H

HuskerJack95

Junior
Oct 10, 2007
3,972
230
0
PeliniTheCrutch said:
Whittingham = not a good coach, but a great coach


One thing I look hard at to see how good a coach is ...how does his team play in bowl games. Now I get that some folk say that it’s a totally separate game and shouldn’t count and such, but that bowl game also shows how a coach can improve his team when given time and also how to motivate. Whittingham is a bowl-winning machine.

You see a team look uninterested and ill-prepared for their bowl game more than once, and I’ll show you a bad coach.
Click to expand...

ala the Pelini-coached Huskers in 2010 vs. Washington.
 
D

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,595
13,020
78
WHCSC said:
Beautiful place. I’d play there if I had the chance.
Click to expand...
Have you driven west out of Salt Lake City? It's anything but beautiful. Head north and I agree. It's really kind of a strange state IMO. The best thing about Utah is it borders Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons national parks.Winking
 
N

Nebraska_Reality

Redshirt
Oct 23, 2019
1,074
0
0
dinglefritz said:
Have you driven west out of Salt Lake City? It's anything but beautiful. Head north and I agree. It's really kind of a strange state IMO. The best thing about Utah is it borders Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons national parks.Winking
Click to expand...
SLC and Park City are awesome.

My dad worked out there for about 10 months in 1991-92. He and my mom went out to Wendover for a weekend. He said that the Bonneville Salt Flats was the most depressing place he had seen....and he's a guy that moved 25 times between kindergarten and his senior year of HS...and has been through some depressing small towns in the South, as well as Detroit and Philadelphia in January.
 
D

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,595
13,020
78
Nebraska_Reality said:
SLC and Park City are awesome.

My dad worked out there for about 10 months in 1991-92. He and my mom went out to Wendover for a weekend. He said that the Bonneville Salt Flats was the most depressing place he had seen....and he's a guy that moved 25 times between kindergarten and his senior year of HS...and has been through some depressing small towns in the South, as well as Detroit and Philadelphia in January.
Click to expand...
Just drove across there this fall again on the way to California. It's been years since I've driven to the north but I remember those Wasatch mountain ranges and valleys as being very beautiful as you head north to Idaho.
 
K

Kato

Senior
Dec 23, 2006
2,148
594
113
Live about 30 miles from the UofU campus, never been to a game.
 
S

Solana Beach Husker

All-Conference
Aug 7, 2008
14,102
1,245
0
PeliniTheCrutch said:
Whittingham = not a good coach, but a great coach


One thing I look hard at to see how good a coach is ...how does his team play in bowl games. Now I get that some folk say that it’s a totally separate game and shouldn’t count and such, but that bowl game also shows how a coach can improve his team when given time and also how to motivate. Whittingham is a bowl-winning machine.

You see a team look uninterested and ill-prepared for their bowl game more than once, and I’ll show you a bad coach.
Click to expand...

Tom Osborne was 0-8 in one stretch in bowl games. Utah is also the fastest growing state and has very close ties to California...population growth areas see an improvement in talent in all areas because people who are willing to move off their butts are generally better put together.
 
S

Suhrreal

All-Conference
Jun 1, 2009
7,380
1,049
0
Jimmy Frank said:
Can’t Utah and BYU load up on 30 yr olds?
Click to expand...

Yep this is the big thing. The LDS Church is big in Utah and they have a strong connection with the Polynesian population. I'd imagine a bunch of their kids are older, more mature dudes fresh off their missions.
 
E

Ewooc

All-Conference
Nov 29, 2010
6,114
3,053
0
I think the same reason Nebraska can go 4-8 and still pull in top 25 recruiting classes. History. While many don't want to admit it Nebraska is still a blueblood and a place recruits and their parents respects as a top level program. Utah is not, at least not yet. They have only been in a p5 program for 9 years. If they continue with this level of success, in time I think those recruiting rankings will change for the better.
 
WHCSC

WHCSC

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2002
10,806
3,619
88
dinglefritz said:
Have you driven west out of Salt Lake City? It's anything but beautiful. Head north and I agree. It's really kind of a strange state IMO. The best thing about Utah is it borders Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons national parks.Winking
Click to expand...

Wide open spaces - I love it!
 
G

goldencohusker

Junior
Sep 7, 2018
1,093
385
83
dinglefritz said:
Just drove across there this fall again on the way to California. It's been years since I've driven to the north but I remember those Wasatch mountain ranges and valleys as being very beautiful as you head north to Idaho.
Click to expand...

Don't forget about southern UT and canyon country - Moab, Arches, Bryce, Zions, Canyonlands, Lake Powell, etc. People come from all over the world to see that part of UT. I did a 3 day guided mountain bike trip through the White Rim last fall - phenominal!
 
K

Kato

Senior
Dec 23, 2006
2,148
594
113
Nope, not even then. Always said if I were to pick a second team it would be the Utes since they wear red. I do root for the Utes when they play the Holy War. Can't stand the team in blue.
 
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