Two months into the season, Utah is about to step into the kind of stretch that can settle the argument around the Utes in a hurry.
For all the noise around their No. 10 AP ranking, the bigger question has been whether Utah is truly one of the nation’s elite teams or simply the beneficiary of a schedule that hasn’t asked much of it yet.
That answer starts to come into focus Saturday night at Rice-Eccles, when the Utes host No. 14 Houston.
Utah has done what it was supposed to do against the opponents on its front-loaded slate, rolling through games against 2-5 Idaho, 3-4 Arkansas, 2-4 Utah State, 3-3 Iowa State, 2-4 Kansas and 2-4 Colorado. Those six teams are a combined 14-24, and Utah has outscored them 241-89. The Utes have climbed the rankings on results, but the résumé still leaves plenty of room for debate.
That’s part of the frustration with evaluating teams in October. Rankings get treated like proof, then the schedule starts to matter all over again.
Utah’s place in the AP Top 25 is clear enough. The case behind it has been built mostly on assumptions, at least until now.
The Utes’ current schedule strength, according to the Massey computer ratings, sits at 61st. That sounds better than the lineup has looked on paper, and the schedule was never entirely in Utah’s control.
The Big 12 slate is what it is, and with 16 schools, every team misses a few along the way. This year, that means no meeting with No.
8 Texas Tech, while Utah does face five of the league’s weakest teams.
The nonconference portion is where the criticism has real traction. Arkansas was supposed to be the more serious test, and maybe it would have been if things had broken differently. But replacing Idaho or Utah State with a stronger opponent would have given the Utes a sturdier early-season platform.
Instead, the real measuring stick arrives now.
Houston is the first of three ranked opponents waiting in the next four weeks. The Cougars’ only loss came in a 28-26 game against unbeaten Texas Tech, and that sets up Saturday as the first major proof point for Utah.
After that, the Utes will face No. 2 BYU two weeks later and No.
25 Arizona the week after that.
This is the kind of run that can reshape a season, and maybe the way Utah is viewed entirely.
The rankings, though, remain messy. Massey has Utah fifth, Notre Dame sixth and BYU seventh, even though BYU has already beaten Notre Dame.
ESPN’s CFP power rankings are different again, slotting Utah 13th, BYU 14th and Notre Dame second, the same place Notre Dame held before losing to BYU. Notre Dame is 47th in Massey strength of schedule, the sort of number a team can put up when conference life isn’t part of the equation.
For Utah, the back half of the schedule now becomes the whole story. The Utes have been handed a soft opening, but the next few Saturdays will tell us far more than the first six ever could.
In Other News...
Pat McAfee Changes GameDay Contest After Viral Drama At Houston Spotlight
The College GameDay kicking challenge rolled on into Utahs weekend spotlight after a previous millionaire moment had already turned the promo into must-watch TV. This time, the setup was the same familiar one: a raffle-based shot at a massive cash prize, backed by sponsors and donors, with a selected participant stepping up for a pressure-packed field goal attempt during the college football season.
Utah junior Morgan Boring got the chance, but the scene carried a different kind of edge once the cameras rolled and the crowd settled in around the kick. Boring, who came in as a swimmer and had no prior kicking background, was part of the latest round of high-value attempts tied to the show, and the miss only added to the growing list of GameDay moments that have turned a simple contest into a weekly attraction. [Read more 🡒]
Devon Dampiers GameDay Spotlight Comes With An Awkward Backstory
Devon Dampier and the Utes are about to get the College GameDay treatment in Week 8 when Houston comes to Rice-Eccles Stadium, and the spotlight figures to be even brighter with the national crew descending on Salt Lake City. For Utah, it is the kind of stage that puts every detail of the matchup in focus, from the quarterback under center to the crowd around him.
One of those details is off the field, where Dampiers girlfriend, Lola Sexton, is expected to be in attendance. Sextons name has already circulated well beyond Utah circles because of her past relationship history, and her presence adds a layer of intrigue to a weekend that was already going to draw plenty of attention for the Utes. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs Next Opponent Just Changed The Feel Of This Halloween Showdown
Cincinnati turned Saturday into a statement night, knocking off No. 8 Texas Tech behind a sharp outing from JC French IV and a breakout run game from Cole Tabb. The Bearcats not only celebrated their first home win over a top-10 team since 2006, they did it in a way that changed the mood around their season, with fans rushing the field after the final horn in a scene that could draw a Big 12 review.
For Utah, the timing matters as much as the result. The Utes head into an unbeaten matchup with a Cincinnati team that suddenly has momentum, confidence and a much louder stage for Halloween night, turning what looked like a tricky road date into something that feels even more charged. [Read more 🡒]