Familiarity hurts in Vegas

Bowl week is here. But does anyone care? OK, that's an overstatement. Folks care. Cougar fans care.
But not as much as last year.
Why? There's simply a been-there-done-that feel to this year's Las Vegas Bowl. From the bowl itself to the opponent, a feeling of deja vu dominates the proceedings.
With BYU making a third straight trip to the Las Vegas, it's apparent the third time is not the charm. Tickets to the 2006 bowl game against Oregon were a tough buy. E-bay prices were through the roof and BYU's allotment was gone faster than you can say "Big-money Cougar Club members only."
This year, not so much. The Las Vegas Bowl is still a popular ticket, at least for BYU fans, but the BYU ticket office still had seats to sell this week.
And facing UCLA takes a bit more from the game's luster. While BYU fell 27-17 to the Bruins in September, the Cougars now are much different than the Cougars then. And today's depleted UCLA team is just a shadow of it's then-No. 13 self.
Will it be as lopsided as the Oregon blowout? Probably not. This could be a tight game going into the fourth quarter. But more than likely, BYU will beat a disinterested, coach-less Bruin squad by double figures.
Really, this game is all about next year. Preseason rankings rely heavily on the previous season's finish. If the Cougars want to be in the Top 20 next August, they need to win on Saturday. Impressively.
We will watch. We will care. But not quite as much as we could have. If Boise State was the foe, or Oregon State or some team not named UCLA, there would be plenty of energy in the air.
Instead, the fan focus is more on the BYU basketball team with its own Top 25 ranking. That's something to get excited about.
Too bad the same can't be said for the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl. Maybe on game day that will change.
Here's hoping.