If you are looking for assurances the University of Hawaii football team has turned the corner on its struggles or seek promises of a return to the postseason, you will be hard pressed to find them on the magazine racks this summer.
Forecasts of improvement, yes, but apparently not enough for a winning record, the prognosticators say.
After 3-9 (1-7 Mountain West Conference) and 1-11 (0-8) finishes the past two seasons, only one of the early preseason magazines expects the Rainbow Warriors to escape the cellar in the MWC’s West Division while another lists UH 125th among 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
Just Phil Steele’s Football Preview has UH rising above the bottom rung of the standings it has been relegated to the past two seasons, with a fifth-place pick in the six-team division.
Steele, who heralded the NCAA-record turnaround by the ‘Bows in 1999, points out UH "has improved its record by at least four games five times in the last 23 years." But even he isn’t calling for a winning season.
The most optimistic of the bunch is GamePlan, which says, "The good news for Coach (Norm) Chow is that things should be much improved with a strong ground attack and a new defensive scheme. While we think a winning record may be beyond this team’s reach, Hawaii will win a lot more than one game in 2014."
More typical is Lindy’s, which says the, "program should be better than this and needs to show improvement right now."
The Sporting News lists Chow as residing on the MWC’s "hottest seat" and notes he "is 4-20 and has yet to deliver what he’s promised."
But if the overall forecasts aren’t inspiring, there is love for some individuals. GamePlan calls running back Joey Iosefa, "a potential superstar if he can stay healthy."
Lindy’s tabs quarterback Taylor Graham as having the conference’s "strong arm" and versatile Scott Harding as the league’s "Special Teams Demon."
Lindy’s says, "finishing games will be the Rainbow Warriors’ mantra in Chow’s third year after dropping five decisions by seven points or fewer last year, including two in overtime. The progress of a revamped defense under new coordinator Kevin Clune and development at quarterback will play telling roles in whether Hawaii can reverse the program’s recent slide."
The "bottom line"says the Sporting News, "Hawaii faces an uphill battle to get better."
PICKING THE MOUNTAIN WEST
How the preseason football magazines see the conference
ATHLON
West Division
1. Fresno State
2. Nevada
3. San Diego State
4. Nevada-Las Vegas
5. San Jose State
6. UH
Mountain Division
1. Boise State
2. Utah State
3. Colorado State
4. Wyoming
5. Air Force
6. New Mexico
SPORTING NEWS
West Division
1. Nevada
2. Fresno State
3. San Diego State
4. Nevada-Las Vegas
5. San Jose State
6. UH
Mountain Division
1. Boise State
2. Utah State
3. Colorado State
4. Wyoming
5. Air Force
6. New Mexico
PHIL STEELE
West Division
1. Fresno State
2. San Diego State
3. Nevada
4. San Jose State
5. UH
6. Nevada-Las Vegas
Mountain Division
1. Boise State
2. Utah State
3. Colorado State
4. Air Force
5. Wyoming
6. New Mexico
LINDY’S
West Division
1. San Diego State
2. Fresno State
3. Nevada
4. Nevada-Las Vegas
5. San Jose State
6. UH
Mountain Division
1. Utah State
2. Boise State
3. Colorado State
4. Wyoming
5. New Mexico
6. Air Force
