How refreshing would it be for a college football head coach — any of them, really — to come out and declare, “Damn, it sure feels good to be nationally ranked this week!”
Or admit, “I was so thrilled I went home, high-fived the family and popped open a cold one to celebrate.”
You half expected something along those lines from the University of Hawaii’s opponent this week, Matt Wells of Utah State, whose resurgent Aggies are 18th in the Associated Press poll and 20th in the coaches poll.
After all, it is quite an achievement for the 7-1 (4-0 Mountain West) Aggies, who have been nationally ranked only one other time (2012) since 1961. And personally for Wells, who just about this time a year ago was considered on the “hot seat” for retaining his job.
Instead, this is what Wells, who has made the Aggies the surprise team in the MWC and the Mountain Division leader, told the media at his weekly press conference in Logan, Utah, on Monday: “The polls are nice and the rankings are nice. It is for my wife and her friends, my mom and her friends, all of you guys (media) and for all the students up on campus. Mr. (John) Hartwell loves it.”
Indeed, Hartwell, the Aggies’ athletic director, was tweeting it out.
As for Wells, his spiel is Coachspeak 102. Something right out of the manual you suspect they pass around at the coaching conventions.
In contrast, had Nick Rolovich guided the Rainbow Warriors into their first national ranking since the 2010 season, it is a fairly safe bet the guy who has hired Elvis and Britney Spears impersonators, wandered the sidelines with a hunting knife in belt and worn costumes, would have dreamed something up.
But Monday, rubbing his forehead as if pained by the thought, Wells maintained, “The bottom line is this: We don’t go through offseason in January and February and break every team huddle down by saying, ‘Top 25 ranking on three. One-two-three.’ Yeah, it’s nice. It’s recognition. But I want to be ranked there at the end of the year. If we continue to strive and take steps toward our No. 1 goal, there’s a chance for that at the end of the year. Is it nice? Yeah, I get that. I recognize that.”
Wells added, “Goodness, gracious! We’re done with the retweets and the pats on the back and all of that stuff. That ended this morning. I’ve told them that it’s great. That recognizes what you’ve done so far. What we’ve done so far is get ourselves to the month of November for games that mean something. Really, there’s not much more to make out of it than that.”
Then he looked at reporters and asked, “Did I just stymie you guys?”
Now we see if the ’Bows can strip an opponent of its national ranking for the first time since 2010. Not since Corey Paredes famously punched the ball out of the hand of Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick just before the goal line in a 27-21 upset of the then-19th-ranked Wolf Pack has UH knocked off a ranked team.
Since then the ’Bows have fallen in nine consecutive games against nationally ranked opponents.
Meanwhile, Wells’ resistance to publicly acknowledging his joy at a national ranking might be more believable if he didn’t have bonus provisions in his contract for getting Utah State into the polls. According to his deal, Wells receives a $10,000 bonus if the Aggies finish in the Top 25. It escalates to $50,000 if they crack the top 10 at season’s end.
Maybe that’s part of what he meant when he said a ranking would mean more at the end of the year.
’BOWS VERSUS THE POLLS
(UH vs. ranked opponents)
FOE RANK RESULT YEAR
Boise State 24 L, 52-16 2016
at Michigan 7 L, 63-3 2016
at Wisconsin 22 L, 28-0 2015
at Ohio State 1 L, 38-0 2015
Washington 25 L, 17-16 2014
Fresno State 25 L, 42-37 2013
USC 24 L, 30-13 2013
at USC 1 L, 49-10 2012
at Boise State 2 L, 42-7 2010
Nevada 19 W, 27-21 2010
Note: Associated Press rankings
Source: UH media guide
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
