Just how much do you want to win by?
The Wyoming Cowboys went into Saturday's season opener with Ohio as an 11-point favorite.
That sounded reasonable to me. In fact, I predicted on the KOWB pre-game radio show, "Pepsi and the 'Pokes," that the Cowboys would win by an even bigger margin, 34-13. The 13 points allowed by the Wyoming defense would be mis-leading because I said the the second team would give up a late score.
I think my broadcast partner, David Settle, even had the Cowboys winning by more.
Well, as you know, we were both wrong. In fact, we were a little off the mark. The Cowboys did win, but by a mere point, 21-20. I'd be willing to bet that anyone who predicted a score was a little off the mark as well.
So, what's the deal? Are the Cowboys not as good as we all thought? Was Ohio better than we thought? I firmly believe that the Bobcats are a pretty good team. Yes, most of us didn't give them much credit or much of a chance to win against Wyoming.
There are those, though, who quickly turned the corner and went the other way. They believe the Cowboys aren't the team they thought they were going to be. They say that the offense, with a new quarterback (Dax Crum) and a new offensive coordinator (Bob Cole) aren't going to turn things around. They believe the Wyoming special teams is just as bad as it was last season. They believe, in general, that Wyoming coach Joe Glenn's honeymoon is about over.
My guess is that they are those who see the glass half empty in life, rather than half full.
During Tuesday's MWC media teleconference, Glenn addressed some of those concerns with a little skepticism of his own.
"Evidently, we didn't beat them bad enough for some people," Glenn said with a laugh. "I'm telling you what, a win is a win. We started off our season with a victory at home and we look forward to moving on to Air Force."
Glenn went on to talk about Air Force and other subjects in the conference, before an Albuquerque reporter brought up the subject again.
"I'm just wondering how many points were you supposed to beat Ohio by," the reporter asked in jest.
"That's what I want to to know," Glenn answered quickly. "Who makes that stuff up? A rose is a rose. How many points was UCLA supposed to be us by a few years ago? Whatever the spread was, I don't know. But that was not right. We played a good football team that two years ago was in a bowl game and won four of its last six games a year ago. We won in a hard-fought game over there a year ago by one point. Obviously, it was two teams that were pretty evenly matched up.
"I'm not buying into that. If you don't win by the spread, or you don't throw for 200 yards, I'm not about that stuff. People need to cheer for your football team, and when they win, be positive about it and cheer for them to win. That's the Wyoming way."
I may be mistaken, but I believe the Cowboys are now a 3-point favorite Saturday against the Falcons.
If that is the case, then a one or two-point win won't satisfy some. I guess the score will have to be tied and Wyoming placekicker Jake Scott will have to kick a winning field goal. There you go, a 3-point win. Just like the experts predicted.
And yes, I'm working on my score prediction for Saturday's pre-game show.
That sounded reasonable to me. In fact, I predicted on the KOWB pre-game radio show, "Pepsi and the 'Pokes," that the Cowboys would win by an even bigger margin, 34-13. The 13 points allowed by the Wyoming defense would be mis-leading because I said the the second team would give up a late score.
I think my broadcast partner, David Settle, even had the Cowboys winning by more.
Well, as you know, we were both wrong. In fact, we were a little off the mark. The Cowboys did win, but by a mere point, 21-20. I'd be willing to bet that anyone who predicted a score was a little off the mark as well.
So, what's the deal? Are the Cowboys not as good as we all thought? Was Ohio better than we thought? I firmly believe that the Bobcats are a pretty good team. Yes, most of us didn't give them much credit or much of a chance to win against Wyoming.
There are those, though, who quickly turned the corner and went the other way. They believe the Cowboys aren't the team they thought they were going to be. They say that the offense, with a new quarterback (Dax Crum) and a new offensive coordinator (Bob Cole) aren't going to turn things around. They believe the Wyoming special teams is just as bad as it was last season. They believe, in general, that Wyoming coach Joe Glenn's honeymoon is about over.
My guess is that they are those who see the glass half empty in life, rather than half full.
During Tuesday's MWC media teleconference, Glenn addressed some of those concerns with a little skepticism of his own.
"Evidently, we didn't beat them bad enough for some people," Glenn said with a laugh. "I'm telling you what, a win is a win. We started off our season with a victory at home and we look forward to moving on to Air Force."
Glenn went on to talk about Air Force and other subjects in the conference, before an Albuquerque reporter brought up the subject again.
"I'm just wondering how many points were you supposed to beat Ohio by," the reporter asked in jest.
"That's what I want to to know," Glenn answered quickly. "Who makes that stuff up? A rose is a rose. How many points was UCLA supposed to be us by a few years ago? Whatever the spread was, I don't know. But that was not right. We played a good football team that two years ago was in a bowl game and won four of its last six games a year ago. We won in a hard-fought game over there a year ago by one point. Obviously, it was two teams that were pretty evenly matched up.
"I'm not buying into that. If you don't win by the spread, or you don't throw for 200 yards, I'm not about that stuff. People need to cheer for your football team, and when they win, be positive about it and cheer for them to win. That's the Wyoming way."
I may be mistaken, but I believe the Cowboys are now a 3-point favorite Saturday against the Falcons.
If that is the case, then a one or two-point win won't satisfy some. I guess the score will have to be tied and Wyoming placekicker Jake Scott will have to kick a winning field goal. There you go, a 3-point win. Just like the experts predicted.
And yes, I'm working on my score prediction for Saturday's pre-game show.
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