Mendenhall said shortly after he got the BYU job he received a letter devoid of a return address. "It was the most mean-spirited, hateful letter I've ever read in my life. At that point, Holly and I sat down and discussed what would be best for protecting our family, our quality of life and our privacy while in this position. We came up with a strategy we'd do what we thought was right no matter what others think."

That includes not reading the newspaper. "I don't have a TV at the house. My wife is the link, telling me what's going on. I'm just trying to make decisions and have a clear head."

Mendenhall said Edwards said anything you hear or read can impact you — even if you believe you can brush it off or that you have a tough skin or don't acknowledge it. "It may sting for a while, and while it may not be lasting, it always has an effect. We hadn't even played a game yet, but it's been one of the best decisions I've ever made."

Mendenhall says his mother keeps a scrapbook of newspaper stories. "She likes it, you guys write some good stuff." But no offense, he said, he's not seeing it.

Whittingham said he also has a person filter through letters and newspapers and keeps him filled in on stuff he must know — and let the other things go by the wayside. He doesn't need the distraction.

Whittingham says not being in charge of a position has remained the most difficult thing he's experienced — and is still experiencing — as a head football coach.

Mendenhall, while keeping the title of defensive coordinator, also divested himself of coaching a position.

On Monday, the media who cover the MWC picked TCU No. 1, BYU second and the Utes third.

Mendenhall and Whittingham spent about a second figuring how they'd use that to motivate their teams.

Last season the Utes and Cougars lost to TCU in overtime — losses that came down to a single play.

"That meant our team was one or two plays from being good enough to win a championship," Mendenhall said. "We need to fix that."

Whittingham couldn't agree more with his town troops.

TCU picked No. 1?

Last year at this event, the Frogs were picked No. 6.

"Preseason polls don't mean a thing," TCU coach Gary Patterson said.

And that's definitely another thing the Ute and Cougar pilots can mutually sustain as an exploitable fact, one they (gulp) may work on disproving together.

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E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com