I'm hoping this year we'll at least have had time to iron out the early season mistakes.

I do know that since 2000 our record against Utah is significantly better in the late season games than early season games. 5-7 is much better than 0-5. Them being in the Pac 12 doesn't explain all of it. They weren't receiving Pac 12 money for the first few years, and their recruiting classes weren't far and above ours. We've beaten several other Pac 12 teams during that time, not to mention other P5 schools who were actually pretty good. Utah hasn't exactly been tearing it up since they went P5.

So, maybe it will help, maybe it won't. I prefer to be cautiously optimistic.