MWC Football Media Days: And you just know he'll say ...

It's an absolute certainty that during the two-day Mountain West Conference football meetings in Las Vegas, BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall will utter these words: "It doesn't matter."

OK, maybe he'll utter them a few dozen times. Or a few hundred. See, the Cougars will be picked to win the league, and reporters will ask Mendenhall what he thinks about that.

And he'll say, "It doesn't matter."

Here's Mendenhall's pre-emptive strike: "It's important for people to understand that none of the predictions and other speculation that happen at this time of year will influence the outcome of the season. Whether we are picked first or last, it will not impact or play a role in the way we prepare for the season."

Good thing the media and fans of the MWC care about preseason polls and stuff, huh?

Summer's first glance at college football takes place at the ritzy Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson -- the part of Las Vegas nowhere near the Strip. The league's players and coaches are hustled through a myriad of interviews with the MWC's television partners (The Mtn., Versus and CBS College Sports) and other television, radio and print media members from all corners of the West. Today, the league's nine teams will do podium interviews (the coach and two players) and coaches will go one-on-one with print reporters. The All-MWC preseason team and the predicted order of finish is also released today.

On Tuesday, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson will make his State of the Conference address and representatives from the league's bowl partners will answer questions. The players will be made available for interviews that afternoon, including BYU junior quarterback Max Hall and junior defensive end Jan Jorgensen.

Also on Tuesday, the MWC begins its 10th Anniversary activities with All-Time All-MWC teams for football, volleyball, women's soccer and cross country.

Hey, it's no fall Saturday afternoon, but it'll do, right?

Mendenhall's point about preseason polls don't matter? He's partially right. You have to prove it on the field. But without SOME preseason hype, the national pollsters will ignore you until it's too late. BYU should begin the season in the nation's top 15, and that's a good starting point.

Mendenhall will also face plenty of questions about his "quest for perfection" motto for 2008. He's said it means the perfection of the individual, but the other meaning is clear: The Cougars want to make the next step and gain an invitation to a BCS bowl game.

BYU, which has gone undefeated in league play the past two seasons, will be the preseason favorite, along with Utah and TCU. As far as the All-MWC team, expect Hall, Jorgensen, sophomore running back Harvey Unga, junior wide receiver Austin Collie, junior tight end Dennis Pitta and senior offensive linemen Dallas Reynolds and Ray Feinga to earn notice.

• Daily Herald Sports Editor Darnell Dickson can be reached at 344-2555 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Read his blog at http://blogs.heraldextra.com/Darnell.