Rivalry week is bringing a rare kind of spotlight to the Holy War.
Utah moved up three places to No. 3 in the latest AP Top 25 after its 49-25 road win over Cincinnati, while BYU rose to No. 7 after escaping a Halloween push from Arizona State. That sets up next Saturday’s meeting in Salt Lake City as a top-10 showdown for the first time ever.
It’s also only the fifth time the teams will meet as ranked opponents. The most recent ranked edition came just last year, when No.
15 BYU knocked off No. 23 Utah.
This one carries more weight than the usual bragging rights. With College Football Playoff positioning in play and a possible trip to the Big 12 Championship in Arlington, Texas, on the line, the stakes are hard to miss.
Utah’s climb to No. 3 is its highest AP ranking since the 2015 season. The program’s best-ever spot came in the final poll of 2008, when the Utes reached No. 2.
The only teams ahead of Utah are No. 1 Miami and No.
2 Georgia, and both have top-15 tests this weekend. Miami gets No.
4 Notre Dame, while Georgia meets No. 12 Ole Miss.
The Big 12 also has No. 13 Texas Tech, No.
17 Houston and No. 24 Arizona in the rankings.
The AP poll may not be the only thing shaping the conversation for long. The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season come out Tuesday.
AP Top 25
Miami
Georgia
Utah
Notre Dame
UCLA
Indiana
BYU
Kentucky
Alabama
Texas
Ohio State
Ole Miss
Texas Tech
Wake Forest
LSU
Tennessee
Houston
USC
Missouri
Boise State
Iowa
New Mexico
South Carolina
Arizona
Florida
Others receiving votes: Northwestern 79, Oregon 55, UTSA 43, SMU 27, Virginia Tech 12, Duke 10, Minnesota 8, Liberty 4, Oklahoma State 3, Louisville 1
In Other News...
Utah Gets A Tough Holy War Week Reality Check
Ahead of the Holy War, Utah got a clearer picture of its roster and a reminder of how thin the margins can be this time of year. Morgan Scalley said Kelvin Obot will miss the rest of the season because of a lower-leg injury, while also indicating that Noah Bennee, Braden Pegan, Wayshawn Parker and Ethan Day are expected to be available for the rivalry game against BYU.
Scalley also used the buildup to push for a more civil tone around a rivalry that rarely lacks edge, even as he praised Devon Dampiers performance and leadership. And with BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, Scalleys view has evolved as well, after initially sizing him up one way and then acknowledging how much his passing game has improved. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Heads Into Utah Showdown With A Backfield Problem
BYU is heading into Saturdays rivalry game with Utah carrying more than the usual questions about its ground attack. Kalani Sitake acknowledged the challenge this week, praising Utah back Wayshawn Parker as an NFL-caliber runner while also taking stock of a BYU backfield that has been hit hard by injuries and has not had much stability in recent weeks.
The Cougars have been forced to navigate those issues while trying to keep the running game functional against a Utah defense that will be ready for a physical fight. Sitake did not sound like a coach expecting easy answers, and with the backfield still unsettled, BYUs ability to generate offense on the ground could end up being one of the more important subplots in the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Added A Recruit Who Changes The Feel Of 2027
Utah kept building out its 2027 class with a notable in-state pickup, landing high three-star offensive tackle Manase Brown from Corner Canyon High. Brown gives the Utes another big body up front and adds to a class that already includes four offensive line recruits, a clear sign that the program is making the trenches a priority early in the cycle.
Brown is also now one of Utahs top-rated prospects in the class, ranked second on the Utes board for 2027. For a program that has long sold itself on development and line play, adding a player with Browns profile only sharpens the look of the class and raises the stakes for what comes next in the recruiting run. [Read more 🡒]