While the voters in The Associated Press Top 25 poll decided to put Boise State a sliver ahead of Utah in its weekly poll, the Bowl Championship Series standings show Utah with a decided advantage as the lead non-BCS school to get an automatic BCS bowl bid.

After a down-to-the-wire, lackluster 13-10 win over their perennial hang nail, Ute running back Darrell Mack explained his team's only 2008 visit to the Land of Enchantment. "All that matters is, we got the 'W'," said a solemn Mack.

When the 2008 football season started, defensive coordinator Gary Andersen hoped that he'd eventually have four starting defensive tackles to choose from. Two weeks into the season, he would have been satisfied with two.

If the Lobo donning the No. 21 jersey runs into a pack of Utes this weekend and is not brought down immediately, this shouldn't be a shocker. He runs fast, breaks tackles, and is one hard guy to bring to the turf.

The Utes play New Mexico and their high-powered, high-pressure, sack-the-quarterback 3-3-5 defense that head coach Rocky Long has been running for the past 15 years.

Who has the edge in the upcoming game between the Utah Utes and the New Mexico Lobos?

Whittingham cannot underplay the importance of this game on the road. New Mexico historically gives the Utes fits. Throughout the history of the match-up, Utah either wins by a lot or loses close games. If the game stays close through three quarters, the Lobos and their fans will smell the wafting scent of an upset.

This weekend, the undefeated Utes head to Albuquerque, N.M., to take on the 4-5 New Mexico Lobos for their ninth game of the season. Historically, the Lobos have played the role of a black cat on Halloween night for Utah8212;just plain old bad luck.

The recurring themes of turnovers and penalties that hampered the Utes have started to slowly, but surely, fade away into oblivion and respectability.

It certainly seems longer than four years ago when the Utah was ranked this high, but entering its 10th week of the 2008 college football season, Utah is the No. 10 team in the nation.