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Utes special season won’t end in Pac-12 win

Another big win for Utah over the weekend has propelled the team to bowl eligibility for only the second time since joining the Pac-12 conference. With the victory, the Utes’ season is already somewhat of a success. However, how far can they carry this momentum?
Oregon and Arizona State sit atop the conference, and they just happen to be Utah’s next two opponents. If the Utes can get through the next two weeks, they could possibly win the Pac-12, but I don’t think that is going to happen.
They are capable of beating the Sun Devils, but Arizona State is also capable of beating Utah. It will be an even matchup, but since the game is in the Sun Devils’ backyard, the Utes might find themselves in trouble. In the end, I see Utah making the correct adjustments to walk out of Tempe, 7-1.
It’s Oregon that I see being the problem for Utah in its quest for a Pac-12 title. Even if the Utes were to beat Oregon at Rice-Eccles Stadium and run the table the rest of the season, they would still most likely have to see the Ducks again in the conference championship game, which would be at a neutral site.
Utah has the talent, no doubt about it. It has stuck it to some of the biggest and most talented teams in not only the conference, but also the country in USC and UCLA.
While all of those victories were great for the Ute squad, they all have one thing in common — they were all close games and could easily have gone the other way. Utah’s record could be 4-3 if luck wasn’t on its side in those games.
That said, I still believe the Utes have a legitimate shot at taking down Oregon in their regular-season matchup. Utah has incredible athletes who can keep up with the speed of the Ducks, as well as a huge train of momentum. If the Utes can get by Arizona State to set up a one-loss-teams showdown with Oregon, you’ll have to like Utah’s chances in Salt Lake City.
However, it’s that damn, previously mentioned championship game that causes doubt for this Utah squad. Every team plays better at home, that is just a fact, but Oregon seems to play just as well on the road as it does at home. Not to mention that since their lone loss, the Ducks have looked like the top team everyone thought they would be this season.
Their offense is clicking at just the right time in the season, and Oregon always prepares well for games later in the season, such as championship and bowl games. If they do manage to come to Utah and knock off the Utes, I don’t think anyone in the Pac-12 will stand in the Ducks’ way to holding the conference crown.
Utah has shown that it can compete with anyone in the conference, whether the game is at home or away. But I just can’t see this team going into a neutral site and knocking off one of college football’s most prolific offenses. There are very few teams that can outscore Oregon, and Utah is not one of them.
This season still has the makings of a special one. But whether they run the table or lose a game or two along the way, I can say pretty confidently that Utah will not win the Pac-12 this season.
 
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A return to past strategies gives Utes chance at Pac-12 title

Utah football has finally arrived, not only as a legitimate Pac-12 team, but also as a real conference contender. The Utes are not the team of the past couple of years that lost every close contest and were wiped out by nationally ranked teams within the conference. This year Utah has flipped the script and is now in position to write its own destiny.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham has begun returning to the old ways that made his team able to contend with anyone. Utah has had the most success when leaning on a big back running the football. A strong running back opens up the passing game, something Utah lacks. I know we have seen times when Travis Wilson seemed to be a terrific quarterback, but he is just not consistent in his accuracy and productivity. However, the more Devontae Booker is utilized, the better Wilson’s numbers will be.
A great defense, along with a strong running attack accompanied by an unpredictable passing game, is what made the teams of old as successful as they were, and the 2014 Utes are following suit.
Utah’s defensive backfield, as thin as it is, has proven to be very capable of stopping some of the best quarterbacks in the country, such as UCLA’s Brett Hundley, Oregon State’s Sean Mannion and USC’s Cody Kessler. The pass rush has been a big reason for that, with the Utes leading the nation in total sacks (35) and sacks per game (5). In short, the defense has been dominant at times, making plays to help secure Utah victories time and time again.
With the Pac-12 South in turmoil, Utah has a shot of making it to the conference championship game. Going through the month of November unscathed may be too much to ask, but the Utes can help their cause by beating the two teams sitting at the top of the South division — Arizona and Arizona State.
Utah faces ASU and their potent passing attack on Nov. 1. Nate Orchard, dubbed the mayor of “Sack Lake City,” will need to inspire the defense to get after the Sun Devils’ quarterback because a win over ASU would leave just Utah and Arizona as one-loss teams in the south.
The Utes and Wildcats don’t face off until Nov. 22 in Salt Lake City, and depending on results over the first part of the month, that game could be for the South division title. Five of Arizona’s seven games were decided by seven points or fewer, while Utah’s conference games have come down to no more than 6 points. After years of not being able to close out opponents at the end, the 2014 Utes have shown they can win the close game, which should help them greatly against the Wildcats.
Utah is for real, and the upsets may continue to roll. The Utes may be faced with the tough task of playing three ranked teams in the next four weeks (with the exception being a tough Stanford squad), but Utah has set themselves up to win the South. They have won games in a number of different ways and have players who will continue to fight to the end.
No one ever thought the Utes would be able to make it this far, but what haven’t they faced already? Utah is on a roll after finally becoming bowl eligible once again. Now they aren’t fighting for their postseason lives but for something bigger — a Pac-12 title.
 
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