With the college football regular season officially in the rearview mirror and conference championship weekend on deck, the postseason picture is starting to take shape. For teams like Utah, who won’t be suiting up for the Big 12 title game, the focus now shifts to bowl season - and the waiting game that comes with it.
The Utes wrapped up their regular season at 10-2 overall and 7-2 in conference play, locking in bowl eligibility back in October. But it was the final week of the season that essentially cemented their postseason fate.
Utah did its part with a 31-21 win over Kansas, but the door to the Big 12 Championship - and a potential automatic College Football Playoff berth - slammed shut later that Friday when Arizona State fell to in-state rival Arizona. Utah needed outside help to sneak into the title game, and it just didn’t come.
Now, with no shot at the Big 12 crown and sitting just outside the top 12 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, Utah is on the outside looking in. The committee doesn’t have much incentive to shuffle the deck at this point, especially with SEC teams still ahead of the Utes and BYU holding the head-to-head edge. And that BYU factor is big - the Cougars were already considered the “first team out” heading into the final week, while Utah was slotted just behind them.
Speaking of BYU, the Cougars are headed to the Big 12 Championship Game, where they’ll face Texas Tech in a high-stakes rematch of their November 8 showdown in Lubbock - a game the Red Raiders dominated 29-7. Texas Tech comes in as the favorite, and if they handle business again, they’ll likely be the lone Big 12 representative in the College Football Playoff. But if BYU can flip the script and pull off the upset, both teams could find themselves in the CFP mix.
That’s where things get complicated. The playoff field only has so much room - and with five conference champions guaranteed a spot, there’s a squeeze at the top.
The SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12 are already well-represented, but the committee still needs to make space for champions from the ACC, AAC, and potentially the Sun Belt. So even if BYU is within the top 12, a loss could push them out of the final bracket in favor of an automatic qualifier.
Assuming Texas Tech takes care of business, the Big 12 is still poised to send a strong contingent to bowl season - nine teams in total, including Utah. And while the Utes won’t be in the playoff hunt, they’re in line for a marquee matchup of their own.
Here’s a look at the projected bowl destinations for Big 12 teams, with kickoff times listed in Mountain Standard Time:
- BYU (11-1) vs. USC (9-3) - Dec. 30, 7 p.m.
(ESPN)
- **Kansas State (6-6) vs.
Texas State (6-6)** - Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas - Dec. 26, 6 p.m.
(ESPN)
- **Arizona State (8-4) vs.
SMU (8-4)** - Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego - Jan. 2, 6 p.m. (Fox)
- Utah (10-2) vs. Iowa (8-4) - Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas - Jan. 1, 1:30 p.m.
(ESPN)
- **TCU (8-4) vs.
Memphis (8-4)** - Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis - Jan. 2, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
- Arizona (9-3) vs. UNLV (10-2) - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood - Dec. 13, 7 p.m.
(ESPN)
- **Houston (9-3) vs.
Georgia Tech (9-3)** - Camping World Stadium, Orlando - Dec. 27, 1:30 p.m. (ABC)
- Cincinnati (7-5) vs. Northwestern (6-6) - Dec. 26, 2:30 p.m.
(ESPN)
- **Iowa State (8-4) vs.
Missouri (8-4)** - Dec. 27, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN)
For Utah, a New Year’s Day clash with Iowa in Las Vegas offers a chance to cap off a strong season with a statement win. It’s not the playoff, but it’s still a high-profile stage - and a fitting reward for a team that quietly put together a 10-win campaign in a loaded Big 12.
Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the official invites. But one thing’s clear: the Big 12 will be well-represented this postseason, and Utah is right in the thick of it.