College Football 2016: 25 bold predictions

8. Utah takes the Pac-12 South

As always, the Pac-12 South is projected to be wide open, and will likely cannibalize itself out of New Year’s Six contention. Many believe the division will come down to UCLA or USC, but the Utes should not be underestimated in the division race.

Kyle Whittingham has kept the Utes playing at a high level since taking over for Urban Meyer in 2005, leading the program to a 95-46 record despite a challenging move to the Pac-12. Last season was the best yet for Utah in the Pac-12, as it went 10-3 and rose all the way up to No. 3 in the rankings.

On paper, the Utes have a lot to replace, leading them to be ranked a step below the Bruins or Trojans. However, the team has a lot of upside, starting with a new quarterback.

While four-year starter Travis Wilson had his moments with the Utes, he was also prone to mistakes and poor decision-making with 37 interceptions in 45 career games. New stater Troy Williams is unproven, but was highly touted before transferring from Washington and  could represent an upgrade at the position.

Williams will have the benefit of playing behind the most experienced line in the conference, which also added No. 1 JUCO lineman Garrett Bolles. Whittingham always features a tenacious front seven, and the secondary, the weakest unit on the team in 2015, should be better with more experience this year.

Utah gets tough teams like USC, BYU and Washington at Rice-Eccles, leaving a trip to UCLA in late October as its most important contest.

Next: 7. Calvin Ridley is a Heisman finalist