Editor's note: This story runs in the Arizona Daily Star's 2018 college football preview, which is available Sunday.
The Arizona Wildcats haven’t entered a season with this much hype since 2015, when they were coming off a 10-4 campaign. It was just the third time in school history that the Cats reached double digits in wins.
It hasn’t happened since.
Arizona started the following season 3-0 before injuries and other issues sent the Wildcats spiraling. They finished 7-6.
A nightmarish 3-9 season followed. Then another 7-6 mark, fueled by the emergence of quarterback Khalil Tate. It wasn’t enough to save Rich Rodriguez’s job.
Enter Kevin Sumlin and the so-called “New Era” of UA football. Sumlin was an extremely popular choice among players and fans, with good reason: He’s had only one losing season in 10 years as a head coach.
But as evidenced by what happened in 2015, expectations can be a burden. The Wildcats were picked last to finish in the Pac-12 South last year. They had nowhere to go but up.
This year’s team has star power with Tate, sophomore linebacker Colin Schooler and others. Some, including longtime college football chroniclers Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel of The Athletic, are picking Arizona to win the division.
This team has potential flaws, though. The offensive line could force Tate to use his escapability more than he’d prefer. Depth is a concern at cornerback.
How will it all add up? Let’s take a closer look at the 2018 Arizona football team: