Utah has seized the Big 12 spotlight after a 21-13 win over Houston pushed the Utes up four spots to No. 6 in Sunday’s AP Top 25.
The move puts Utah in rare territory again. It’s the program’s highest ranking since the 2019 season, when the Utes reached No. 5.
At the same time, BYU’s unbeaten run came to a halt in a double-overtime loss to UCF, and the Cougars took a sharp drop from No. 2 to No. 8. That slide leaves BYU three spots behind Notre Dame, just a week after the Cougars’ emphatic win over the Irish.
The two Utah programs now sit on a possible collision course for a top-10 showdown in two weeks at Rice-Eccles Stadium, though both still have to get through Halloween first.
Utah heads to Cincinnati next week after beating previously undefeated Texas Tech, while BYU returns home to face Arizona State.
The Big 12’s weekend wasn’t kind overall. Six ranked teams lost, including three top-10 programs: BYU, Ole Miss and Alabama.
Even with the chaos, the league still has plenty of representation in the poll. Utah and BYU are joined by No.
13 Texas Tech, No. 18 Houston, No.
22 Arizona and No. 24 Oklahoma State.
Miami holds the No. 1 spot, followed by Ohio State, Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame, Utah, UCLA, BYU, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Houston, SMU, Boise State, Northwestern, Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.
Others receiving votes: Iowa 76, New Mexico 41, Cincinnati 11, Oregon State 10, South Carolina 8, Minnesota 7, USC 7, UTSA 1, Virginia Tech 1.
In Other News...
Devon Dampiers GameDay Spotlight Comes With An Awkward Backstory
Devon Dampier is about to find himself in one of the biggest spotlights on Utahs schedule, with the Utes set to host Houston for College GameDay in Week 8 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. It is the kind of stage that can turn a regular Saturday into a national conversation, and for Dampier, the attention is likely to extend beyond the huddle as the Utes welcome a game with extra buzz and plenty of cameras.
Lola Sexton is expected to be part of that scene in Salt Lake City, adding another layer to a weekend already heavy on attention around Utahs quarterback. Her relationship with Dampier has been public since the aftermath of her split with Jaxson Dart, and the personal history attached to that storyline is hard to ignore when the biggest pregame show in college football comes to town. [Read more 🡒]
Pat McAfees Utah Blowup Gave Houston Fans An Unexpected Moment
The buildup to College GameDay in Salt Lake City already had a little edge to it, and Pat McAfee did not do much to soften the mood. The former NFL player and current broadcaster made clear where he stood, backing Houston over Utah and drawing a quick reaction from the Utes fan base. A video posted by the University of Utahs Instagram account, which poked fun at McAfee, only added another layer to the back-and-forth before the show even got rolling.
McAfees public feud with Utah supporters has now taken on a life of its own, with the kicking contest segment adding to the tension on set. The exchange, including a contestants gripe about the prize and McAfees sarcastic response, gave the whole episode a sharper edge than a typical game-day squabble. For Utah fans, it was another reminder that this one may linger a while, even if the broadcast itself has moved on. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Added To The Pressure On BYU In The Big 12
A scoreless first half did not stop Utah from leaving Houston with a 21-13 win and a little more weight in the Big 12 conversation. The Utes stretched their winning streak to 13 straight, the longest active run at the FBS level, and it came with Devon Dampier steering the offense after the break, helping turn a sluggish start into a road victory that keeps Utah firmly in the conference race.
Utah still is expected to sit behind BYU in the Big 12 rankings, but the gap in the standings feels more like a detail than a wall at this point. With a defense that held up long enough for the offense to wake up and a quarterback who found his rhythm when it mattered most, the Utes have put themselves in position to keep pressuring the league frontrunner while still carrying the look of a team built to contend for the title. [Read more 🡒]