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SALT LAKE CITY — By their accounts, the Utah football players have no choice but to tune out the declaration of one of the program's most decorated alumni.
Former Utes running back Jamal Anderson posted the following on social media: "Utes are gonna kill it in the new conference. We are stacked and ready, We coming baby. Utes load up it's on and popping! College football playoff or bust."
Anderson, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in four of his eight seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, is not alone in offering high praise for Utah going into this season. The Utes are picked to win the conference in their first season in the Big 12 and participate in the new 12-team national playoff.
But the Utes don't want to hear any of it. As posted on the Utah football's social media account X, they will "Tune out the noise. Tune up the intensity."
"All the outside noise doesn't really matter to us because we already know what we're capable of," offensive lineman Spencer Fano said.
"Our focus is on the first game," added tight end Brant Kuithe, "and obviously Big 12 champions is definitely on our minds, but we have to focus on what's happening right now."
Textbook stuff from the leaders, the kind that warms the hearts of every coach. Win the day, don't get ahead of ourselves, one game at a time.
Blah, blah, blah. No problem, though, since all of them have been conditioned to speak the same code.
But just once, wouldn't it be nice to hear them break away from the cliches? And why not?
The Utes believe they have enough talent to not only make the playoff but to contend for the grand prize. The national championship is not a pipe dream to them, whether they go public with such a boastful assertion or not.
"I think it's a match made in heaven with the team we got," seventh-year quarterback Cam Rising said.
For all its hyperbole, Anderson's assessment is spot on. Lofty as it seems, provided health does not become a significant issue as it did last year, this season really is the playoff or bust.
Virtually every preseason ranking has tabbed Utah as the favorite to win the Big 12 regular-season championship. In the coaches poll released Monday, the Utes came in as the highest-ranked Big 12 team at No. 13.
A favorable, if not downright easy, schedule should also factor into Utah's success this season. Four other Big 12 teams were ranked in the poll (No. 17 Kansas State, No. 18 Oklahoma State, No. 21 Arizona, No. 24 Kansas), but the Utes play only two of them.
After a soft nonconference schedule that includes Southern Utah, Utah State and Baylor, the first two Big 12 opponents are Oklahoma State and Arizona. Noting that Utah plays only one team (Iowa State) that finished above .500 last season, a 2-0 start in conference play could lead to an extremely successful final two months.
Maybe it's time to follow the path that Urban Meyer took with his Utah team in 2004. Coming off a 10-2 season in which the Utes won an outright conference title, the brash coach openly broached the possibility of his team going undefeated.
Sure enough, Utah cruised to a 12-0 record on the way toward crushing Pittsburgh before an estimated 50,000 delirious red-clad fans in the Fiesta Bowl. To that point, it was the crowning achievement for the Utah football program.
Kyle Whittingham has since lifted the Utes to a higher level in the 20 years since succeeding Meyer. The program has earned the right to think big.
Since the Utes can walk the walk, there's no reason they can't talk the talk.
