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BYU, Utah Utes football: BYU, Utah predicted to be MWC's top teams

When Justin Sorenson is both the MWC Frosh of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year. Sakoda will be crying that he won't get a 3 peat and will have to settle for 2nd Team All MWC. How about David Nixon making All MWC Defense

This looks about right. BYU has earned this based on their play the last two years, and assuming they stay healthy they should have another great year.

Utah, in my opinion is every bit as dangerous as the Cougs this year. Most of the key players are back from a team that has had BYU beat for two straight years until some last minute magic.

Preseason polls are fun, and all about respect. Cougs and Utes look like they are well respected around the league. This year might be the best Holy War ever.

Things to watch for both teams:

Injuries- Doesn't matter how good you are if your key players go down. Just ask UNLV and Tommy Grady.

Schedule- Utes have home games with BYU and TCU. Cougs are @TCU and @UTAH. That could end up being be the difference.

Defense- Cougs have a lot of question marks on D. We could see a Tulsa repeat somewhere along the way. Utah could be soft up the middle with the DT's and MLB.

I doubt the media would ever put a kicker as Frosh of the year. Even if its deserved.

Anybody else feel a pride-cycle lesson coming on for Cougar fans? BYU will be very good, borderline great this year- but BYU fans need to remember that they are about 22 seconds from being on a 6 game losing streak to the Utes.

way to go cougars i am pumped for byu to kick some trash down at LES. MWC champs and maybe BSC champs right here boys just keep working hard

Go Cougars

If Hall goes down BYU could be in serious trouble. I'm not sure Gaskins or however the current backup is can carry the load. BYU's offense is almost entirely based on precise timing routes, and losing Hall could be the difference between 10-2 and 8-4.

you are a cougar homer if there ever was one...Sorenson my be a decent kicker but sakota can kick with the best of them, he is also the nation's best punter (arguably) he also runs and passes on fake punts and makes tackles. unless he gets injured he should get his 3rd in a row.

David Nixon may be 2nd or 3rd team worthy or all conference defense but there are several better linebackers than he is in the conference. He may be the best cougar backer but that is far from jason phillips' level.

And one OT tying play away from being on a 3-game winning streak against the Utes.

As a Ute die-hard, I think Utah should have gotten more than 5 votes, but I can't complain about the picks. BYU has just performed too well in conference play to bet against them before a game is played. Utah has to prove they can play consistently in conference and not drop games to MWC scrubs. BYU on the other hand has to prove they can actually win an out-of-conference road game: last win was against Utah State in 2002. Ouch.

So I think Utah has an equal chance of making a huge splash and crashing the BCS this year, but BYU is just more proven in conference.

But here's hoping the Utes' finish last year was a sign of change and that we don't drop any more crap games in conference.

It has nothing to do with the fans. Fans don't put on the pads and hit the gridiron. BYU has done an excellent job playing one game at a time the past couple seasons, focusing on themselves not the other team.

Ute fan...what's your point? You lost.

These media things always predict pretty much the same thing that happened the year before. however it is easy to see that AF will not finish second again so they just shift everone up a spot and move the falcons down.

Harvey Unga is the 4th best back in the conference in my opinion. 1. moore (nm) 2. mack (utah) 3. brown (tcu). Thats not saying he is bad there is just some elite backs in the MWC this year.

Anyone remember all those vicious blind-side hits that Max Hall took last year? BYU is one "lights-out" hit away from a 7-5 season.

Remember when they use to refer to the Big 10 and the Big 2 and the little 8.

The MWC is along the same lines. After BYU UTAH and TCU there is a huge drop off. I think all 3 of those teams could win this year. The key is probably injuries. Whatever team stays the healthiest will probably win the conference.

I don't see anyone outside of these 3 teams doing anything. New Mexico will probably go 7-5 again and snag the last bowl bid.

Tying the game in OT would've won the game for byU in '05?????? How does that work?

GO COUGARS! We are going to beat Utah just like the past two years. You wont even see us comin!

BYU's defensive question marks will soon be forgotten, just as the preseason question marks about replacing Beck, Harline, and Brown were last season.

Let's see both teams get past Michigan, Oregon State, UCLA and Washington, then we can get serious about an historic matchup in November.

BYU's two toughest conference opponents are on the road at Utah and at TCU, but don't forget that the Cowboys will have a very warm reception in store for the Utes in Laramie.

Well said, I guess that would be Zoob logic at its best. How about two plays (Harline and 4 and 18) away from being on a 6 game LOSING streak against the Utes.

Both sides of the argument need to recognize that this rivalry has been very close lately, and that neither team has been clearly superior to the other.

Whether Unga is best or 4th best, what's important is that BYU will have the most explosive trio of running backs in the conference with Harvey, Fui, and J.J. in the backfield.

Fui is back to the form he had before his injury. Harvey will be just as good as last season. And J.J. will dazzle fans with his speed and tenacity.

Gald to see yewtah has the same DBs back this year. They're the same ones who couldn't cover an obvious passing down of 4th and 18 and some the same ones who couldn't cover the end zone the year before. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Cougs.

...at all the wishful thinking on the part of Utah fans. But, if Hall, Unga, Collie... go down, BYU is doomed.

Sounds like some of the Utah faithful are already losing faith that their team won't be able to measure up to a healthy BYU team come November.