Heat is on the Utes this season


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HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Pac-12 head coaches and selected players descended on Paramount Studios property full of optimism for the upcoming football season, ready to begin the journey that will ultimately climax with glory in the winter.

Until reality hits, which for some will come before summer dies into fall, all 12 teams expect to have a great season. But as all of us know, particularly those that bleed University of Utah red, somebody has got to bring up the rear.

As usual, the Utes are picked to finish fifth in the South Division, ahead of only Colorado. Three years into their new league, the Utes and Buffaloes have combined to go 26-49 overall and 13-41 in conference games.

Colorado has been especially pathetic, unable to register anything close to mediocre. The Buffs have managed only four Pac-12 wins, with one coming against their expansion neighbor Utah. They scraped together four wins last season by beating Colorado State, two lower division teams and Cal, which went 0-9 in the conference.

Obviously, until proven otherwise, these two teams belong at the bottom of any preseason poll. But save the doom and gloom for the overcast skies of November. For now, it's all sunshine and rainbows.

"I'm optimistic," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "We've got a good group of returning guys, coupled with some new guys."

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For Utah, borrowing a phrase from teams closing in on some type of division or conference championship, the magic number this season is six.

Anything above that figure would be great, but six is necessary. Anything less than six could lead to serious trouble.

In this era of college football, coaching staffs normally don't survive three consecutive losing seasons. Coming off identical 5-7 campaigns the last two years, Utah needs to go at least 6-6 this season.

Any hope the Utes have to achieve respectability starts with the quarterback. Nobody, as this team has proven all three seasons, can consistently win Pac-12 games with hodgepodge combinations of the injured, walk-ons and ill-prepared freshmen.

As they have every season since the Sugar Bowl team in 2008, the Utes go into this season with major questions at the game's most important position. But there aren't excuses this time. One of at least six scholarship quarterbacks has to emerge.

Travis Wilson goes into the start of next week's training camp as the starter, even if it's a tenuous hold on the position. Given the circumstances, which include Wilson missing several games last season due to two injuries, the Utah coaches can't give the junior a long leash.

If Wilson continues as the turnover machine he was last season, then it's next man up. But even the backup position remains muddled, with the possibilities including Oklahoma transfer Kendal Thompson and redshirt freshmen Connor Manning and Brandon Cox.

Speaking at the media gathering, Whittingham indicated the top priority for the offense going into training camp will be to figure out where Thompson fits it. But at the same time, Wilson has put together his best offseason.

The guess here is Utah ends the two-year bowl draught. Over a decade, Whittingham has come through in desperate times. And these are desperate times.

"We will be underdogs every game," said Utah defensive end Nate Orchard.

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