Utah’s College Football Playoff hopes all but vanished with Tuesday’s latest rankings reveal. The Utes, sitting at 10-2 after a solid 31-21 win over Kansas on Black Friday, dropped two spots to No. 15 in the penultimate CFP rankings. And with no conference championship game to boost their résumé this weekend, it looks like the door to the 12-team playoff is officially closed.
That drop wasn’t exactly a surprise. Utah fell behind Vanderbilt and Texas, both of whom picked up meaningful wins in Week 14.
The Commodores rolled past rival Tennessee, 45-24, and Texas handled business against Texas A&M with a 27-17 win. Those results gave both teams enough juice to leapfrog the Utes in the eyes of the selection committee, and the Associated Press Top 25 poll reflected that movement as well.
Now, Utah finds itself in a holding pattern. With no more games to play and no more chances to impress the committee, the Utes are likely locked into that No. 15 spot heading into Sunday’s final rankings reveal (10 a.m.
MT). It’s a tough spot for a team that put together a strong 10-win season, but the timing and quality of losses - especially with no championship game to offset them - have left Utah on the outside looking in.
Meanwhile, the Big 12 title game carries major playoff implications. No.
4 Texas Tech and No. 11 BYU square off Saturday morning (10 a.m.
MT, ABC), and both teams have plenty on the line. For the Red Raiders, a win would lock in a first-round bye and solidify their top-four status.
BYU, on the other hand, is fighting to secure a playoff spot outright - a win would likely do the trick, removing any doubt about their at-large chances.
Elsewhere in the top 10, Texas A&M slipped to No. 7, and Alabama jumped Notre Dame to claim the No. 9 spot. The Crimson Tide, fresh off a 27-20 rivalry win over Auburn, now turn their attention to No.
3 Georgia in Saturday’s SEC Championship Game (2 p.m. MT, ABC).
That matchup could shake up the final bracket, depending on how things play out in Atlanta.
One wrinkle that’s worth watching: CFP selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek said the group hasn’t weighed the possibility of BYU bumping Alabama or Notre Dame from the playoff picture - even if the Cougars win the Big 12 and the Tide fall to Georgia. That’s notable, especially with Notre Dame idle this weekend. It means there’s still some fluidity in the rankings, even for teams not playing on Saturday.
As for Utah, the committee did leave the door slightly ajar. Yurachek acknowledged that non-conference championship teams can still move up or down in the final rankings.
But realistically, it’s a steep climb. Utah trails Vanderbilt, Texas, Miami, and Notre Dame in strength of record - a key metric the committee leans on.
The Commodores sit at No. 11 in that category, followed by Texas (No. 12), Notre Dame (No. 13), and Miami (No.
14). Utah comes in at No.
There are still a few other conference title games that could shake things up. The ACC Championship between Virginia and Duke (Saturday, 6 p.m.
MT, ABC) could create a bit of chaos if the Blue Devils, sitting at 7-5, pull off an upset over the 10-2 Cavaliers. And in the American Athletic Conference, North Texas and Tulane face off Friday night (6 p.m.
MT, ABC), which could also influence the final rankings.
For Utah fans, Sunday’s final CFP reveal is still appointment viewing - not for playoff drama, but to find out where the Utes will land in the bowl season shuffle. Once the top 12 are locked in, the rest of the postseason matchups will fall into place.
It’s not the ending Utah hoped for after a 10-win campaign, but there’s still a chance to finish strong with a statement in a major bowl.