Patrick Kinahan: Disrespect angle figures to work well for Utah football

SALT LAKE CITY — Forget the standard responses, that the slights in the Pac-12 predictions won't be providing ample motivation this season.

Two-time defending champion Utah was picked to finish third in the conference, behind preseason favorite USC — the same program the Utes beat twice last season — and Washington. To add further insult, the returning quarterback on both title teams didn't even get a mention on the preseason all-conference selections.

The blatant disrespect was an underlying topic during last week's media day in Las Vegas, as coach Kyle Whittingham and the two players at the event — safety Cole Bishop and quarterback Cam Rising — were asked about it during the rounds of media interviews. Whittingham, sort of, and Bishop stayed in line with the typical answers, that preseason polls are essentially worthless and not worth their attention.

At the same time, there is some irritation simmering below the surface. The Utes return a ton of talent and are worthy of the preseason national ranking that will come their way when the Associated Press Top 25 poll is released next month.

"We couldn't care less," Whittingham said of Utah's third-place conference prediction. "We'll get a little bit of fuel out that. Between that and our championship quarterback not even being an honorable mention, we'll use it all to our advantage."

Bet on the coaching staff getting a full tank of gas out of the low ranking during the dog days of August training camp, when practices become tedious in boiling temperatures. The coaches will use anything they can to create a heightened sense of intensity to plow through the weeks leading up to the first game.

An undersized linebacker who parlayed his grit and determination to become a star at BYU, Whittingham thrives in an underdog role. Even as his team has received significant national acclaim in recent years, he can easily play the disrespect card.

Making the rounds on radio row at the Resorts World hotel, Bishop didn't give the forecasts any credence. To him, the results will speak louder than predictions.

"I don't really care about it," Bishop said. "If we win all our games, that stuff doesn't matter. At the end of the day, it's just about playing football. No one has ever put preseason accolades on their resume."

Rising took a different stance — as he should. He's got a right to wonder why the two-time Rose Bowl starting quarterback can't even generate honorable mention recognition.

The top quarterback honor belongs to Caleb Williams, who won the Heisman Trophy is his first season at USC. Washington's Michael Penix Jr. was named to the preseason second team, with Bo Nix of Oregon listed as an honorable mention (which means he received at least four votes from the media).

"It definitely is a lot of fuel for me," Rising said. "It's just going to make it that much easier to watch film and everything like that. Yeah, I think the guys are going to take it personal and really just kind of waiting for our turn to be on that totem pole, but I guess you've got to go win a third time to make that happen."

Williams had no problem admitting both losses to Utah last season will provide USC plenty motivation for his team going into its final year in the Pac-12. After losing on Rising's successful 2-point conversion in the final minute in October, the Trojans got embarrassed in the conference championship game.

"Do I have a chip on my shoulder and little more juice this whole year? Yeah," Williams said.

Utah, which did receive the second-most first-place votes with six, were well represented. A total of six Utes were listed on the first-team defense and offense, split evenly between the two, with another two making the second-team defense.

Typical of a Whittingham team, the Utes are expected to be strong along the line of scrimmage on both sides. He said the offensive line is the best during his time at Utah and believes the defensive front is the class of the Pac-12.

"That's always where it starts on both sides, is the line of scrimmage," he said.

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