Utah ranks second in the latest AP Poll behind only Georgia, bumping up one spot after the Utes beat their biggest rival, BYU, 28-20 in the Holy War on Saturday — ending a losing streak to the Cougars which went all the way back to 2019.
This wasn't just a huge game for Utah for rivalry purposes; it was also their last, best chance at proving to the rest of the country that they're for real, as this BYU team is the only one left on the Utes' schedule against a team ranked in the top 15 of the latest College Football Playoff rankings. A road trip to Arizona this week will be tricky, but the next chance Utah will have to play a team expected to be at the top of the conference will be in the championship title game.
The Big 12 title game will more then likely be a matchup against either Texas Tech, whose defense just allowed 48 points to West Virginia at home on Saturday night, or a rematch with BYU, provided the Cougars can win the rest of their games and perhaps get a bit of help from Oklahoma State, which hosts the Red Raiders this week.
How high can Utah climb in College Football Playoff rankings after BYU win?
After the road game against Arizona, the remaining Utah schedule consists of a home game against TCU, a team with a coach in Sonny Dykes who looks to be giving up on the season with a record of 4-5 and little chance of making a bowl game. Then comes the finale, a road game at West Virginia and dynamic dual-threat quarterback Michael Hawkins, who has looked good recently and can cause issues if not defended correctly.
Hawkins, a transfer from Oklahoma, has a playing style which resembles BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier — a player that the Utah defense was able to contain on the ground and force into four interceptions when forced to pass the ball.Â
Utah will be able to limit the production of Hawkins just as they did against Bachmeier. With the offensive line of the Mountaineers not being as good as that of BYU, Utah will be able to find much more success getting into the backfield, and an eight-point win over BYU could be doubled against a West Virginia team that, while pesky offensively, has arguably the worst defense in the Power Four.
Whether they take on Texas Tech or rematch against BYU in Arlington, the Utes will be favored in the Big 12 title game, and deservedly so. Whereas many teams with easy schedules folded when facing real competition, Utah did not; they showed up and proved to everyone that they are not paper tigers. They have real talent and real chops in the first season with new coach Morgan Scalley. He has proven to be the right choice in replacing Kyle Whittngham and he will continue to prove it when the Utes follow quarterback Devin Dampier and slide into the playoffs undefeated and get a first-round bye as the third or fourth seed in the bracket.
Add us as a preferred source on Google