We are getting no respect (even after beating Tennessee in Knoxville on their Homecoming) this last year. Here is the story:
http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/06/07/sports/uwsports/f5fcd852d6fbab74872575cc007dafe0.txt
By AUSTIN WARD
Star-Tribune staff writer
Saturday, June 6, 2009 2:00 AM MDT
The schedule looks great in Laramie.
Which means Wyoming shouldn't have any trouble drawing fans for home games in the fall.
The slate doesn't appear quite so attractive nationally.
Which is a big reason the preseason forecasters aren't calling for those fans to have much celebrate after them.
A few preseason magazines are already on the shelves predicting last-place conference finishes for the Cowboys, and the outlook won't get much better when the most accurate publication over the last 10 years officially comes out early next week -- Phil Steele's College Football Preview has them eighth.
And though there seems to be general agreement UW will be better in coach Dave Christensen's first year, there's also a consensus on what could keep him from playing in the postseason.
"Well, the main thing is the schedule," Steele said. "When I look at Wyoming, I see a veteran squad with [17] returning starters, and you'd figure they would have a new attitude with Dave Christensen. They'll get better quarterback play, which means their defense is going to be pretty good.
"The main reason I have them down there at No. 8 is the schedule, which I rate at No. 44 in the country this year. You look at their home games, it's a very attractive home slate. They play TCU, they play Texas, they play BYU -- those are great opponents to bring home and get the fanbase going. Those are three powerhouse teams that are all going to be in the top 20. But they're probably unwinnable games at home."
From the outside, it doesn't appear to get any easier on the road.
The Cowboys follow the historic meeting with the Longhorns with another Big 12 program, traveling to Colorado the next week.
They have to visit their personal House of Horrors for a showdown with Utah, the reigning conference and Sugar Bowl champs.
And UW hasn't had much more success at San Diego State either, even though the Aztecs haven't had a winning season this decade.
Of course the wildcard could be Christensen, who drew rave reviews from the Cowboys during spring practice and could agitate the league right away if his spread offense clicks with a defense that should be solid again.
"There is always a learning curve with a new head coach in his first year," Steele said. "He has to learn his players' strengths and weaknesses, the players have to learn new systems, both offense and defense. But if you look at just the talent on hand, I mean Wyoming has eight starters back from a defense that allowed just 330 yards per game. The main reason they allowed 28 points per game last year was they were minus-22 in turnovers -- the offense put them in some horrible positions and even gave the other team's offense some points. Wyoming is not going to be minus-22 in turnovers [again].
"Then they had as bad of quarterbacking play as you can possibly have during the course of the season, and that will not happen a second straight year no matter who wins the quarterbacking job. So, looking at Wyoming's returning starters, the thing about a new head coach, there's always the first-year coaches who come in and hit the home run because they have good success early on. Then all of a sudden, the players buy into the program and they have a much better year than expected."
That can make even the best handicapper look foolish in a hurry, and obviously nobody is writing off the Cowboys completely before they've even played a down.
Athlon Sports picked UW to finish last in the conference, but also tabbed four Cowboys to its all-league squads -- three more than eighth-place San Diego State.
Steele is only projecting four wins for Christensen in his debut season, but even considering the schedule he set the ceiling at seven -- more than enough to get UW back in a bowl.
And in reality, the Cowboys are a bit of an unknown commodity at this point.
The only thing certain about them is the schedule.
"They'll probably be an underdog in every one of their road games as well, so basically it's the schedule that has them down there in the Mountain West," Steele said. "I've got them with a four-win season probably, but not every single game is like playing Texas.
"There are enough winnable games on the schedule with the new attitude where they could pull out a six-win season."
Maybe some good news is on the way after all.
Contact sports reporter Austin Ward at (307) 266-0634 or [email protected].
STEELE FORECAST
Phil Steele, the publisher of the most accurate preseason college football magazine over the last 10 years and the popular Web site PhilSteele.com, breaks down Wyoming's 2009 schedule.
Date Opponent Pick He Said It
Sept. 5 Weber State UW "Solid favorite to start the year."
Sept. 12 Texas Texas "I don't think Wyoming is going to beat Texas."
Sept. 19 at Colorado Colorado "Another underdog here."
Sept. 26 UNLV UW "Very capable of winning that."
Oct. 3 at Florida Atlantic FAU "That's going to be a tough trip."
Oct. 10 New Mexico UW "Wyoming will definitely be favored there."
Oct. 17 at Air Force AFA "I've them as an underdog down there."
Oct. 31 at Utah Utah "Unwinnable because it's on the road."
Nov. 7 BYU BYU "I think BYU actually can get to the title game this year."
Nov. 14 at San Diego State SDSU "[The Aztecs] are going to be a much-improved team."
Nov. 21 TCU TCU "Very good shot at running the table as well."
Nov. 27 at Colorado State Even "I think they've got a shot at pulling out a win there."
http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/06/07/sports/uwsports/f5fcd852d6fbab74872575cc007dafe0.txt
By AUSTIN WARD
Star-Tribune staff writer
Saturday, June 6, 2009 2:00 AM MDT
The schedule looks great in Laramie.
Which means Wyoming shouldn't have any trouble drawing fans for home games in the fall.
The slate doesn't appear quite so attractive nationally.
Which is a big reason the preseason forecasters aren't calling for those fans to have much celebrate after them.
A few preseason magazines are already on the shelves predicting last-place conference finishes for the Cowboys, and the outlook won't get much better when the most accurate publication over the last 10 years officially comes out early next week -- Phil Steele's College Football Preview has them eighth.
And though there seems to be general agreement UW will be better in coach Dave Christensen's first year, there's also a consensus on what could keep him from playing in the postseason.
"Well, the main thing is the schedule," Steele said. "When I look at Wyoming, I see a veteran squad with [17] returning starters, and you'd figure they would have a new attitude with Dave Christensen. They'll get better quarterback play, which means their defense is going to be pretty good.
"The main reason I have them down there at No. 8 is the schedule, which I rate at No. 44 in the country this year. You look at their home games, it's a very attractive home slate. They play TCU, they play Texas, they play BYU -- those are great opponents to bring home and get the fanbase going. Those are three powerhouse teams that are all going to be in the top 20. But they're probably unwinnable games at home."
From the outside, it doesn't appear to get any easier on the road.
The Cowboys follow the historic meeting with the Longhorns with another Big 12 program, traveling to Colorado the next week.
They have to visit their personal House of Horrors for a showdown with Utah, the reigning conference and Sugar Bowl champs.
And UW hasn't had much more success at San Diego State either, even though the Aztecs haven't had a winning season this decade.
Of course the wildcard could be Christensen, who drew rave reviews from the Cowboys during spring practice and could agitate the league right away if his spread offense clicks with a defense that should be solid again.
"There is always a learning curve with a new head coach in his first year," Steele said. "He has to learn his players' strengths and weaknesses, the players have to learn new systems, both offense and defense. But if you look at just the talent on hand, I mean Wyoming has eight starters back from a defense that allowed just 330 yards per game. The main reason they allowed 28 points per game last year was they were minus-22 in turnovers -- the offense put them in some horrible positions and even gave the other team's offense some points. Wyoming is not going to be minus-22 in turnovers [again].
"Then they had as bad of quarterbacking play as you can possibly have during the course of the season, and that will not happen a second straight year no matter who wins the quarterbacking job. So, looking at Wyoming's returning starters, the thing about a new head coach, there's always the first-year coaches who come in and hit the home run because they have good success early on. Then all of a sudden, the players buy into the program and they have a much better year than expected."
That can make even the best handicapper look foolish in a hurry, and obviously nobody is writing off the Cowboys completely before they've even played a down.
Athlon Sports picked UW to finish last in the conference, but also tabbed four Cowboys to its all-league squads -- three more than eighth-place San Diego State.
Steele is only projecting four wins for Christensen in his debut season, but even considering the schedule he set the ceiling at seven -- more than enough to get UW back in a bowl.
And in reality, the Cowboys are a bit of an unknown commodity at this point.
The only thing certain about them is the schedule.
"They'll probably be an underdog in every one of their road games as well, so basically it's the schedule that has them down there in the Mountain West," Steele said. "I've got them with a four-win season probably, but not every single game is like playing Texas.
"There are enough winnable games on the schedule with the new attitude where they could pull out a six-win season."
Maybe some good news is on the way after all.
Contact sports reporter Austin Ward at (307) 266-0634 or [email protected].
STEELE FORECAST
Phil Steele, the publisher of the most accurate preseason college football magazine over the last 10 years and the popular Web site PhilSteele.com, breaks down Wyoming's 2009 schedule.
Date Opponent Pick He Said It
Sept. 5 Weber State UW "Solid favorite to start the year."
Sept. 12 Texas Texas "I don't think Wyoming is going to beat Texas."
Sept. 19 at Colorado Colorado "Another underdog here."
Sept. 26 UNLV UW "Very capable of winning that."
Oct. 3 at Florida Atlantic FAU "That's going to be a tough trip."
Oct. 10 New Mexico UW "Wyoming will definitely be favored there."
Oct. 17 at Air Force AFA "I've them as an underdog down there."
Oct. 31 at Utah Utah "Unwinnable because it's on the road."
Nov. 7 BYU BYU "I think BYU actually can get to the title game this year."
Nov. 14 at San Diego State SDSU "[The Aztecs] are going to be a much-improved team."
Nov. 21 TCU TCU "Very good shot at running the table as well."
Nov. 27 at Colorado State Even "I think they've got a shot at pulling out a win there."
