This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

That great thinker/philosopher/receiver Terrell Owens once said: "If you align expectations with reality, you will never be disappointed."

The problem comes in that correct alignment.

Setting expectations at the start of any season is complicated. Place them too low and self-fulfilling limitations shadow everything. Place them too high and disappointment is barreling your way. Maybe the answer is to aim high and take whatever you get. Optimists supposedly live longer than pessimists, so dealing with the disappointment, or looking at it under the glow of substantial sunshine, might be a goal worth shooting for.

After all, somebody not named Terrell Owens once said, "It's better to shoot for the stars and land in the trees than to shoot for the trees and land in the mud."

With that in mind, then, we glance at the coming seasons for BYU, Utah and Utah State:

BYU

The only sure thing about the Cougars is they are starting in on one of the toughest schedules the program has ever faced. And they're doing it with a new head coach — Kalani Sitake — and a new offensive coordinator — Ty Detmer — and a new defensive coordinator — Ilaisa Tuiaki. And there's more newness throughout the coaching staff.

No problem, says Sitake: "I completely trust these men. They are smart football guys who know what they're doing."

That may be true. Who can question the brain of Detmer, a former quarterback who not only won the Heisman at BYU but spent 14 seasons in the NFL, where coaches counted on him as a player/coach to help train other quarterbacks? Nobody. But even he acknowledges that, at the major college level, he's never coordinated and formulated a game plan, never called all the plays, never done what he's about to do.

Can he pull it off?

"We're gonna find out," he says.

He laughs when he says it, believing, of course, that it's within his considerable reach.

Under Sitake's watch, Detmer will take the Cougars back to a pro offense, having junked the go-hard-go-fast mantra from past seasons, favoring instead an attack meant to take advantage of what defenses put in front of it. And the quarterback selected to do the reading and decision-making is Taysom Hill, a bright fifth-year senior who certainly seems equipped to lead that specific kind of offense, although, again, he's never before actually done it.

That's a good bet, that he will master it. Still, facing this schedule will require everything Hill's got — most significantly, adequate health — and maybe some of what Tanner Mangum can bring, too. It will also require a defense with some questions surrounding it to answer those questions positively and definitively.

Utah

The Ute defense might be one of Utah's best ever. Kyle Whittingham has already made a major statement that, in his view, this defensive front — led by Lowell Lotulelei, Hunter Dimick, Kylie Fitts and Filipo Mokofisi, among others — could be the best he's had. Add into that the back end, a seasoned group projected to be one of the better secondaries in the Pac-12, and the only uncertainty on that side is the linebackers.

Coordinator Morgan Scalley is more than willing to shoot for the stars with this defense, expecting it to be an intelligent, physical bunch: "It will be fun to watch," he says.

That, naturally, leaves the offense to do better than finish at the bottom of the Pac-12 standings, as has been its habit in recent seasons, especially the beleaguered passing attack. Quarterback Troy Williams has looked good in camp, and a newly confident group of receivers seems to believe that its best days are ahead. Joe Williams is a speedy, gifted running back, and the offensive line appears to be a better-than-solid collection.

"We've made huge progress in the passing game this camp," co-offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick says. "The receivers are better, and Troy has separated himself at quarterback. To win a championship, we have to have more explosive plays. It's hard to score always going 13-, 14-play drives. We're aiming for bigger chunks. You'll see more play-action passes. It looks good."

Utah State

Coming off a 6-7 season, the Aggies are eager to regain the positive momentum of Matt Wells' first two seasons at the head of the program, when they won a total of 19 games. Offensive inconsistency hurt Utah State last season, and many of those starters will be back. It raises the classic question: Is that a good or a bad thing?

With Kent Myers back, it's a good thing. He's a quarterback who can be accurate and can move. And with the pile of running backs, including Devante Mays, in the fold and some vets up front, that offense should be better.

On defense, which was, with only a few exceptions, stellar last season, the Aggies lost almost everybody. They have three starters returning.

What does that mean? It means winning a Mountain West title, Wells' main goal every season, will be difficult. "I haven't gotten that, yet," says Wells, now starting his fourth season. "The focus this year is on chemistry and leadership. There are some positions where we are playing new guys. We have to play our very best."

The Ags likely will have a steady team, just not a great one.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.