Seriousness of 2012 prediction.

Here is the reality of my 2012 predictions.  I do not drink, but I have been under the weather all weekend and the predictions were spur of the moment and half tonge-in-cheek.  As someone once said, if you have to tell everyone that it was a joke, it was not funny.  So my bad.


1.  I predicted that that Jazz would continue to struggle this season and that they would trade for some veteran leadership.  The problem with that prediction is who would be so unhappy with their situation to want to come to Utah?  And this would only work if the Jazz have a chance at making the playoffs.  We will see how the long season wears on the NBA.  The Jazz will probably not be in playoff range.  Giving up a lottery pick for a veteran would mean that it would have to be someone with more than just a few years left. Who fits that bill right now?

2.  2012 will be the last season that BYU and Utah meet on the gridiron.  Yes, there is the Big 10-Pac 12 agreement.  But this agreement also puts Standford/Notre Dame and USC/Notre Dame at risk as well as BYU/Utah.  Do Stanford and USC give up playing Notre Dame to play a game against a nameless Big 10 school?  I don't believe for a minute that they would.  I expect that the PAC-12 may therefore rethink the 9-game conference schedule which may save the BYU/Utah series.

3.  Utah state going to the MWC...Actually, I feel pretty good about this happening, but there may still be a full and formal MWC/C-USA merger.

4.  Utah State winning the WAC in 2012?  It could happen, but Sonny Dykes has a pretty good thing going on in Rushton, and they took TCU to the edge in the Poinsettia Bowl.  I expect this will be a pretty good battle.

5.  The Red Rocks winning the PAC-12?  The most sound, sane and serious prediction I made.

6.  SUU surprising in the Big Sky next year?  Brad Sorensen is returning, but Austin Minifee is not.  The T-Birds benefited for good special teams play in 2011.  The key to SUU surprising in the Big Sky will be defense and special teams.  The defense will need to play with more consistency in 2011...more like they did against UNLV and  better than they did in the three games that followed...to be a force in the Big Sky Conference in 2012.

7.  BYU going 11-1 with the only loss to Utah?  This was a jab a Cougar fans and a jab at Boise State.  BYU will need to go 12-0 to make the BCS, that point is not arguable.  BYU will not be the favorite in 4 games...@ Utah, @ Boise State, @ Notre Dame and @ Georgia Tech.  But Utah will be breaking in a new offense, again.  Boise State is rebuilding.  Notre Dame will still be inconsistent.  Georgia Tech will be the toughest game on BYU's schedule and if the Cougars lose one regular season game, it is more likely to be Ga Tech than it will be to anyone else.

Boise State fans will face the reality of an 8-4 season sooner or later and 2012 may be the year for it.  In 2012 Boise has @ Michigan State, BYU, @ Southern Mississippi and @ Wyoming...who did well in 2012 and all will be returning star power.  Yes, you laugh about this now.  But I would not want to take an inexperienced team to open the season in East Lansing, Michigan.  If I was a head coach, that would keep me up at night.  Perhaps the Broncos go 11-1 or 12-0 again.  But this does not appear to be the year for it.  Boise has to hope that their farm system works and that they stay healthy.

8.  Utah going 5-7.  It could happen.  Utah plays the same PAC-12 schedule they did in 2011.  If they lose to the same teams, that is 7-5 again at best.  The other teams in the PAC-12 that they beat will be improved, that is the nature of a BCS conference.  And BYU will not commit 7 turnovers and if this is the last BYU/Utah game, BYU will be extra motivated.  Utah will have to improve their play, especially at quarterback and on special teams to improve on their 2011 results.

9.  4-7 at Weber State...I feel that this is an honest assessment of where WSU stands at this time.  I am lowering my expectations for 2012.  Let's see if the 'Cats can beat them.

10.  Lillard to the Jazz?  If Lillard does not stay at WSU in 2012 and enter the NBA draft, he appears to be a second-round pick.  Seeing how Lillard plays against the big boys...St. Mary's, California, BYU...that would be a steal for anyone, including the Jazz.