Where Utah, BYU, Utah State sit in the power rankings heading into final week of regular season

Utah, No. 15 (dropped three spots)
Paolo Uggetti on Utah: “The Utes offense sputtered in Eugene on Saturday as quarterback Cameron Rising, running back Tavion Thomas and the rest of the unit could only muster 17 points — their lowest total this season — in a loss to Oregon. Their third loss of the season (second in conference) comes at a bad time for the Utes, who still have a slim outside shot at going to the Pac-12 championship to try and defend last year’s title. Unless Oregon State beats Oregon, Washington beats Washington State and UCLA beats Cal while Utah wins at Colorado, there will be a new Pac-12 champion this year.”

Utah, No. 17 (dropped seven spots)
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “The Utes will not repeat as Pac-12 champions. Cam Rising threw three interceptions and missed on a short fourth-down throw in the fourth quarter at Oregon. Nix threw for 287 yards on an injured leg. That was the difference.”

Utah, No. 16 (dropped six spots)
Steven Lassan on Utah: “The Utes had opportunities (three drives without scores in Oregon territory) but fell short of a road win in Autzen Stadium (20-17). Quarterback Cam Rising tossed three picks, and the offense was unable to generate any big gains (no play went longer than 18 yards) in the defeat.”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 8 (dropped two spots)
BYU, No. 60 (dropped five spots)
Utah State, No. 109 (climbed five spots)

Utah, No. 8 (dropped two spots)
BYU, No. 62 (climbed two spots)
Utah State, No. 108 (climbed two spots)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

Utah, No. 14 (dropped five spots)
BYU, No. 57 (climbed one spot)
Utah State, No. 83 (climbed 18 spots)

Utah, No. 14 (dropped three spots)
BYU, No. 60 (no change)
Utah State, No. 90 (climbed 13 spots)

Utah, No. 14 (dropped four spots)
BYU, No. 54 (climbed one spot)
Utah State, No. 78 (climbed 20 spots)

WEEK 11

Utah won its fourth straight game in Week 11, beating Stanford 42-7, while Utah State climbed closer to bowl eligibility with its 41-34 victory over Hawaii. BYU was on a bye.

This week, Utah’s next opponent, Oregon, has been added to the power rankings roundup to reflect where the Utes rank in comparison to the Ducks.

Top 25 power rankings

Utah, No. 12 (no change)
Oregon, No. 11
Paolo Uggetti on Utah: “A slow start for the Utes gave way to a trouncing of Stanford in Salt Lake City. The Cardinal had a 7-0 lead after one quarter, but by the time the clock hit zero, Utah had scored 42 unanswered points. It was a performance fueled by a 180-yard rushing night from Tavion Thomas, who also added two touchdowns. Cam Rising threw another pick, but his three touchdowns over the air nullified any mistakes as the Utes continued their march toward defending their Pac-12 title.”
Kyle Bonagura on Oregon: “And just like that, the Ducks’ CFP dreams are dead. It’s a result that has the potential to haunt first-year coach Dan Lanning for his decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 with a minute and a half to go. With the game tied at 34, the Ducks went for it from their own 33, only to get stuffed. Four plays later, Washington kicked the game-winning field goal in a thrilling Pac-12 game.”

Utah, No. 10 (climbed one spot)
Oregon, No. 11
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “A showdown with Oregon looms. The winner all but clinches a spot in the Pac-12 championship game. The teams have already met in the title game twice since 2019. Utah won its only Pac-12 crown with a 38-10 decision over the (Ducks).”
Dennis Dodd on Oregon: “The Ducks still control their destiny to play in the Pac-12 championship game. But they will forever regret blowing a seven-point lead at home with 3:54 left vs. rival Washington.”

Utah, No. 10 (climbed three spots)
Oregon, No. 14
Steven Lassan on Utah: “Quarterback Cam Rising threw for 219 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Tavion Thomas accumulated 180 yards and two scores on the ground to lead Utah to an easy 42-7 win over Stanford. Up next: A huge road date at Oregon.”
Steven Lassan on Oregon: “The Ducks’ playoff hopes ended after Washington stunned coach Dan Lanning’s team 37-34 in Eugene. Oregon simply had no answers on defense to stop the Huskies’ passing game (408 yards). However, the Ducks are still in good shape to play for a Pac-12 title if it can beat Utah and Oregon State in the next two weeks.”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 6 (climbed two spots)
Oregon, No. 8
BYU, No. 55 (climbed three spots)
Utah State, No. 114 (dropped three spots)

Utah, No. 6 (climbed one spot)
Oregon, No. 13
BYU, No. 64 (dropped three spots)
Utah State, No. 110 (climbed one spot)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

Utah, No. 9 (climbed three spots)
Oregon, No. 14
BYU, No. 58 (dropped three spots)
Utah State, No. 101 (climbed three spots)

Utah, No. 11 (climbed two spots)
Oregon, No. 12
BYU, No. 60 (dropped three spots)
Utah State, No. 103 (climbed four spots)

Utah, No. 10 (climbed three spots)
Oregon, No. 12
BYU, No. 55 (no change)
Utah State, No. 98 (climbed six spots)

WEEK 10

For the first time all year, Utah, BYU and Utah State all won during the same week — the Utes beat Arizona 45-20, the Cougars beat Boise State 31-28 and the Aggies beat New Mexico 27-10.

How did that impact all three in this week’s power rankings and advanced analytics?

Top 25 power rankings

Utah, No. 12 (no change)
Kyle Bonagura on Utah: “After missing last week’s game against Washington, Utah quarterback Cam Rising returned in what was a predictably lopsided, 45-20, win against Arizona. Rising had a quiet game — completing 13 of 25 passes for 151 yards — as eight others combined for 306 yards on 55 carries rushing and five touchdowns. The win keeps Utah one game behind Oregon in the Pac-12 standings.”

Utah, No. 11 (climbed one spot)
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “Nine different players had at least one carry against Arizona. They combined for 306 yards rushing. With Oregon still left on the schedule, the Utes remain squarely in the Pac-12 race.”

Utah, No. 13 (dropped two spots)
Steven Lassan on Utah: “Quarterback Cam Rising returned from injury, but the Utes didn’t need much from their passing game. Instead, Utah pounded Arizona’s front for 306 yards in an easy 45-20 victory for coach Kyle Whittingham’s squad.”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 8 (dropped one spot)
BYU, No. 58 (climbed seven spots)
Utah State, No. 111 (climbed five spots)

Utah, No. 7 (climbed one spot)
BYU, No. 61 (climbed three spots)
Utah State, No. 111 (climbed two spots)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

Utah, No. 12 (climbed two spots)
BYU, No. 55 (climbed 11 spots)
Utah State, No. 104 (climbed eight spots)

Utah, No. 13 (no change)
BYU, No. 57 (climbed eight spots)
Utah State, No. 107 (climbed two spots)

Utah, No. 13 (dropped one spot)
BYU, No. 55 (climbed four spots)
Utah State, No. 104 (climbed two spots)

WEEK 9

Utah is coming off a 21-17 road win over Washington State, while BYU lost 27-24 at home to East Carolina. Utah State was on a bye in Week 9.

Top 25 power rankings

Utah, No. 12 (climbed two spots).
Kyle Bonagura on Utah: “Possibly the surprise of the week in college football came when Utah initially trotted its offense onto the field at Washington State on Thursday. The Utes were without running back Tavion Thomas, as expected, but quarterback Cam Rising remained on the sideline, with Bryson Barnes in his place. Barnes filled in admirably, but for Rising to be unavailable after trying to give it a go in warm-ups put the Utes in a tough spot. “He just didn’t feel like he was right. It was Cam’s decision,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “If Cam says he can’t play, he can’t play.” Still, the Utes left Pullman with a 21-17 win, and they remain in the thick of the Pac-12 title hunt.”

Utah, No. 12 (no change).
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “The biggest takeaway from the Washington State win was Cam Rising’s mystery injury. The Utah QB dressed, went through the warm-up and then sat. “He just didn’t feel like he was right,” coach Kyle Whittingham said. “It was Cam’s decision.” Big ol’ question mark there.”

Utah, No. 11 (climbed three spots).
Steve Lassan on Utah: “Quarterback Cameron Rising was sidelined due to injury, but the Utes found a way to win in a tough spot (at Washington State 21-17) on Thursday night. Running back Jaylon Glover powered a rushing attack that accounted for 169 yards, and Utah’s defense came up with a couple of timely stops and limited Washington State to just 264 yards.”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 7 (climbed one spot)
BYU, No. 65 (climbed two spots)
Utah State, No. 116 (no change)

Utah, No. 8 (no change)
BYU, No. 64 (climbed one spot)
Utah State, No. 113 (no change)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

Utah, No. 14 (climbed three spots)
BYU, No. 66 (dropped eight spots)
Utah State, No. 112 (dropped two spots)

Utah, No. 13 (climbed two spots)
BYU, No. 65 (dropped seven spots)
Utah State, No. 109 (dropped three spots)

Utah, No. 12 (climbed one spot)
BYU, No. 59 (dropped 11 spots)
Utah State, No. 106 (dropped three spots)

WEEK 8

It was a down week in Week 8, with BYU losing big to Liberty 41-14 and Utah State falling 28-14 to Wyoming, while Utah was on a bye.

Top 25 power rankings

Utah, No. 14 (no change).
Kyle Bonagura on Utah: “After a huge, emotional win last week against USC to stay in the Pac-12 race, Utah didn’t play this week in advance of the last five games of the regular season. At its best, Utah might be the top team in the conference, but that team didn’t show up twice this year — at Florida to open the season, then at the Rose Bowl against UCLA this month. As expected, QB Cam Rising has been excellent, while cornerback Clark Phillips III and tight end Dalton Kincaid have been playing at All-American levels.”

Utah, No. 12 (no change)
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “A tricky one at Washington State on Thursday night. The Utes have won the last three in a row (all in Salt Lake City), but lost the last two at Wazzu.”

Utah, No. 14 (climbed one spot)
Steven Lassan on Utah: “The Utes were off in Week 8 and return to action on Thursday night at Washington State.”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 8 (climbed one spot)
BYU, No. 67 (dropped 10 spots)
Utah State, No. 116 (dropped 10 spots)

Utah, No. 8 (climbed one spot)
BYU, No. 65 (dropped 11 spots)
Utah State, No. 113 (dropped two spots)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

Utah, No. 17 (no change)
BYU, No. 58 (dropped 12 spots)
Utah State, No. 110 (dropped six spots)

Utah, No. 15 (climbed one spot)
BYU, No. 58 (dropped 13 spots)
Utah State, No. 106 (dropped three spots)
Chip Patterson on BYU: “BYU was among the top teams in our rankings earlier this season as they once held a 4-1 record that included a win over Baylor and the only loss coming to Oregon on the road. But it was the last two defeats — a 17-point home loss to Arkansas and a 27-point loss at Liberty — that have the Cougars, now 4-4, dropping 26 spots in two weeks and falling outside the top 50.”

Utah, No. 13 (climbed one spot)
BYU, No. 48 (dropped 15 spots)
Utah State, No. 103 (dropped two spots)

WEEK 7

Utah responded from its first Pac-12 loss with a thrilling 43-42 win over USC last week, a victory that not only handed the then-top 10 Trojans their first loss but also kept the Utes in the conference race.

BYU, meanwhile, lost to Arkansas 52-35 and Utah State edged Colorado State 17-13.

How did those results impact the three Utah FBS teams in national power rankings this week?

Top 25 power rankings

Utah, No. 14 (climbed six spots)
Paolo Uggetti on Utah: “What a wild, roller coaster first half it has been for the Utes this season. After coming into the year as Pac-12 favorites, they dropped games to Florida and UCLA in disappointing fashion. Yet after both of those contests, they’ve been stellar at bouncing back, with a thrilling comeback win over visiting USC as the latest example. Utah still has a path to repeating its conference title, and though the defense has left a lot to be desired, the Utes clearly have the talent at quarterback in Cameron Rising to keep the momentum going into the second half.”

Utah, No. 12 (climbed five spots)
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “Former Utes Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, who died within a nine-month span, were honored twice during the USC game. The final time the crowd was asked for a “moment of loudness.” The sheer emotions of the occasion might have saved Utah’s season. Utes won their 12th straight home game and 23rd of the last 24.”

Utah, No. 15 (climbed four spots)
Steven Lassan on Utah: “Clutch quarterback play from Cameron Rising (475 total yards and five scores) and a couple of timely stops on defense lifted Utah to a 43-42 win over USC. The victory over the Trojans keeps the Utes’ hopes of a trip to the Pac-12 title game alive.”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 9 (dropped two spots)
BYU, No. 57 (dropped 15 spots)
Utah State, No. 106 (dropped eight spots)

Utah, No. 9 (no change)
BYU, No. 54 (dropped eight spots)
Utah State, No. 111 (no change)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

Utah, No. 17 (climbed 11 spots)
BYU, No. 46 (dropped 20 spots)
Utah State, No. 104 (climbed six spots)

Utah, No. 16 (climbed eight spots)
BYU, No. 45 (dropped 13 spots)
Utah State, No. 103 (climbed five spots)
Chip Patterson on BYU: “This is now a 26-spot drop for the Cougars over the last two weeks after a narrow loss to Notre Dame in Las Vegas was followed by a 17-point defeat at home against Arkansas. Making matters worse in terms of the rankings was the Fighting Irish falling to 3-3 with a loss against Stanford.”

Utah, No. 14 (climbed six spots)
BYU, No. 33 (dropped seven spots)
Utah State, No. 101 (climbed two spots)

WEEK 6

Both Utah and BYU were dealt heartbreaking results during Week 6 of the college football season, with the Utes falling 42-32 to UCLA and the Cougars dropping a 28-20 contest to Notre Dame.

That had both going down in the latest power rankings.

Utah State, meanwhile, turned things around a bit in a 34-27 victory over Air Force.

Top 25 power rankings

Utah, No. 20 (dropped seven spots)
BYU, dropped out (previously No. 20)
Paolo Uggetti on Utah: “What was expected to be an experienced team with a clear identity and a chance to repeat as Pac-12 champion looked lost Saturday as UCLA ran through the Utes’ defense and controlled the tempo and style of the game. It was an uncharacteristic look for Kyle Whittingham’s team.”

Utah, No. 17 (dropped seven spots)
BYU, dropped out (previously No. 15)
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “Highest-ranked two-loss team, but the Utes are still in the running with only one Pac-12 loss. This one hurt, though. It’s hard to say this but UCLA was the more physical team.”

Utah, No. 19 (dropped seven spots)
BYU, dropped out (previously No. 14)
Steven Lassan on Utah: “Utah’s hopes of running the table and a trip to the CFB Playoff are over after Saturday’s loss at UCLA. The Utes uncharacteristically had troubles against the run on defense (212 yards allowed), and the offense was unable to generate any big plays or get consistent production on the ground (4.5 yards a carry).”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 7 (dropped three spots)
BYU, No. 42 (no change)
Utah State, No. 98 (climbed 14 spots)

Utah, No. 9 (dropped two spots)
BYU, No. 46 (climbed one spot)
Utah State, No. 111 (climbed two spots)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

BYU, No. 26 (dropped seven spots)
Utah, No. 28 (dropped eight spots)
Utah State, No. 110 (climbed 10 spots)

Utah, No. 24 (dropped 13 spots)
BYU, No. 32 (dropped 13 spots)
Utah State, No. 108 (climbed 17 spots)
Chip Patterson on Utah: “Though the Utes continued to battle in a back-and-forth with UCLA, it was a game where the reigning Pac-12 champions were constantly chasing and never really in control. Things can get righted with a win against USC, but even confidence in that outcome is somewhat shaken by Saturday’s loss.”
Chip Patterson on BYU: “Speaking of getting back confidence that might be shaken, BYU can do just that with a win against Arkansas in Week 7. If not, another drop in the rankings is certain as the strength of the schedule and value of that overtime win against Baylor begins to fade throughout the season.”

Utah, No. 20 (dropped seven spots)
BYU, No. 26 (dropped 11 spots)
Utah State, No. 103 (climbed six spots)

WEEK 5

Utah’s latest victory — a 42-16 win over Oregon State — had the Utes climbing up in the latest power rankings and advanced analytics.

The advanced analytics, in particular, liked the Utes’ win — in the Jeff Sagarin ratings, Utah jumped three spots to No. 4.

BYU, however, saw a mixture of dropping and climbing in these rankings after beating Utah State 38-26, a game that was tied 17-17 at halftime.

One of the biggest risers in the power rankings this week is Utah’s next opponent, UCLA, after the Bruins beat then-No. 15 Washington. In the Week 5 power rankings, UCLA jumped to No. 18 in ESPN, No. 14 in CBS Sports and No. 18 in Athlon Sports.

Top 25 power rankings

Utah, No. 13 (climbed two spots)
BYU, No. 20 (climbed three spots)
Kyle Bonagura on Utah: “A week after Oregon State took USC to the wire, the Utes dominated the Beavers from start to finish in a 42-16 win. It was the type of performance that reaffirmed why the Utes were the preseason favorite in the Pac-12.”
Paolo Uggetti on BYU: “After absorbing a hit from Utah State in the first half, BYU used the third quarter to pull away and ensure there was no Thursday night upset in Provo. The Cougars’ offense put up nearly twice as many yards in the third as it did in the first half and scored two touchdowns on the way to a 38-26 win.”

Utah, No. 10 (dropped one spot)
BYU, No. 15 (climbed three spots)
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “Since losing to Florida, the Utes have allowed 43 combined points in four games. They blasted Oregon State while picking off four passes.”
Dennis Dodd on BYU: “Jalen Hall has thrown for at least 250 yards in nine straight games. The running game is a concern (74th nationally) heading to Notre Dame.”

Utah, No. 12 (dropped one spot)
BYU, No. 14 (climbed one spot)
Steven Lassan on Utah: “The Utes converted four Oregon State interceptions into 21 points to pull away for a 42-16 victory in Salt Lake City. Utah has reeled off four wins in a row since losing to Florida in the opener.”
Steven Lassan on BYU: “It wasn’t BYU’s best performance, but coach Kalani Sitake’s team eventually pulled away for a 38-26 victory over Utah State.”

Advanced metrics

ESPN Power Football Index

Utah, No. 4 (climbed two spots)
BYU, No. 42 (dropped nine spots)
Utah State, No. 112 (climbed nine spots)

Utah, No. 7 (climbed three spots)
BYU, No. 47 (dropped 11 spots)
Utah State, No. 113 (climbed seven spots)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

BYU, No. 19 (dropped one spot)
Utah, No. 20 (climbed two spots)
Utah State, No. 120 (dropped six spots)

Utah, No. 11 (climbed four spots)
BYU, No. 19 (climbed two spots)
Utah State, No. 125 (dropped one spot)

Utah, No. 13 (climbed four spots)
BYU, No. 15 (dropped one spot)
Utah State, No. 109 (dropped seven spots)

WEEK 4

It was a relatively quiet week for Utah teams in the latest college football power rankings, after Utah beat Arizona State 34-13, BYU topped Wyoming 38-24 and Utah State lost 34-24 to UNLV.

Top 25 power rankings

Utah, No. 15 (dropped one spot)
BYU, No. 23 (dropped two spots)
Kyle Bonagura on Utah: “The Utes picked up right where they left off last season in Pac-12 play with a dominant 34-13 win against Arizona State. That’s seven straight against conference opposition — all by at least two scores.”
Kyle Bonagura on BYU: “The Cougars welcomed Puka Nacua back to the field but it was receiver Keanu Hill who had the standout game, catching five passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-24 win against Wyoming.”

Utah, No. 9 (no change)
BYU, No. 18 (no change)
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “In a game Arizona State could have used to make a statement after the loss of its coach, the Sun Devils were mute. The Utes rolled ASU by three touchdowns. The defense sacked Emory Jones five times.”
Dennis Dodd on BYU: “Nice bounce back from the Oregon loss in beating Wyoming. Running game (tied for 67th) needs to improve.”

Utah, No. 11 (climbed two spots)
BYU, No. 15 (no change)
Steve Lassan on Utah: “An injury to tight end Brant Kuithe was the only downside to Utah’s 34-13 win over Arizona State on Saturday night. The Utes face a critical four-game stretch in their quest to get back into playoff contention: Oregon State, at UCLA, USC, and at Washington State.”
Steve Lassan on BYU: “The Cougars used a big night from quarterback Jaren Hall (337 passing yards and four touchdowns) to guide an offense that averaged 8.3 yards per snap in a 38-24 win over Wyoming.”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 6 (climbed four spots)
BYU, No. 33 (climbed two spots)
Utah State, No. 121 (climbed five spots)

Utah, No. 10 (climbed three spots)
BYU, No. 36 (dropped one spot)
Utah State, No. 120 (dropped three spots)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

BYU, No. 18 (climbed one spot)
Utah, No. 22 (dropped two spots)
Utah State, No. 114 (dropped seven spots)

Utah, No. 15 (no change)
BYU, No. 21 (dropped three spots)
Utah State, No. 124 (dropped two spots)

BYU, No. 14 (climbed four spots)
Utah, No. 17 (dropped one spot)
Utah State, No. 102 (dropped eight spots)

WEEK 3

The season’s third week brought about some change in the latest power rankings for the three FBS teams from the state of Utah.

The Utes climbed slightly in most of the rankings after beating San Diego State 35-7, while BYU dropped several spots in most rankings following its lopsided 41-20 loss at Oregon. Utah State was on a bye.

Top 25 power rankings

Utah, No. 14 (climbed 2 spots)
BYU, No. 21 (dropped 10 spots)
Paolo Uggetti on Utah: “Since their disappointing loss to Florida in the season opener, the Utes have bounced back in loud fashion, outscoring their two opponents 108-14. Quarterback Cameron Rising threw for four touchdowns Saturday — the most he’s thrown in a game during his college career.”
Kyle Bonagura on BYU: “The Cougars fell flat — falling behind 38-7 before losing 41-20 — in a deflating defeat. QB Jaren Hall played fairly well, but the team’s inability to run the ball or convert on fourth down (0-for-4) were both too much to overcome.”

Utah, No. 9 (climbed one spot)
BYU, No. 18 (dropped seven spots)
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “Mark your calendars. The USC game is five weeks away. The Utes are back to humming with a four-touchdown win over San Diego State.”
Dennis Dodd on BYU: “The Cougars had won the last five in a row against the Pac-12. A New Year’s Six berth still a possibility with games left against Notre Dame, Arkansas and Stanford.”

Utah, No. 13 (no change)
BYU, No. 15 (dropped six spots)
Steve Lassan on Utah: “Kyle Whittingham’s team has rebounded from its opening week loss to Florida with back-to-back dominant performances against Southern Utah and San Diego State. In Saturday’s 35-7 win over the Aztecs, quarterback Cam Rising threw four touchdowns, and the defense allowed only 173 yards (3.1 yards per play).”
Steve Lassan on BYU: “Following up last week’s physical battle in overtime against Baylor with a road trip to Oregon was a tough assignment for coach Kalani Sitake’s team. Both sides of the ball had their share of issues in the 41-20 loss, as the offense was unable to establish the run (61 yards), and the defense allowed nearly seven yards a play (6.9).”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 10 (dropped one spot)
BYU, No. 35 (dropped seven spots)
Utah State, No. 126 (dropped 18 spots)

Utah, No. 13 (dropped three spots)
BYU, No. 35 (dropped 11 spots)
Utah State, No. 117 (dropped two spots)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

BYU, No. 19 (dropped 10 spots)
Utah, No. 20 (dropped three spots)
Utah State, No. 107 (dropped one spot)

Utah, No. 15 (climbed two spots)
BYU, No. 18 (dropped 10 spots)
Utah State, No. 122 (dropped five spots)

Utah, No. 16 (no change)
BYU, No. 18 (dropped seven spots)
Utah State, No. 94 (dropped four spots)
Chris Vannini on Utah and the Pac-12: “The aforementioned 41-20 Oregon win at BYU suddenly makes the Pac-12 look much better now to go with USC, Washington and Utah, which beat San Diego State 35-7.”

WEEK 2

After a hard-fought double-overtime win over future Big 12 rival Baylor, BYU shot up the latest college football power rankings this week.

Here’s how BYU, Utah and Utah State stacked up in a variety of national rankings and advanced metrics following Week 2, when the Cougars beat the Bears 26-20, Utah blew past Southern Utah 73-7 and Utah State lost big to Weber State, 35-7.

Top 25 power rankings

BYU, No. 11 (climbed 11 spots)
Utah, No. 16 (no change)
Paolo Uggetti on BYU: “The defense was able to hold Baylor under 300 total yards of offense and seal the deal in overtime. BYU is now 2-0 with plenty of tough matchups ahead but also plenty of intrigue as a dark horse contender the rest of the season should it continue to win.”
Kyle Bonagura on Utah: “After a deflating opening-week loss to Florida, the Utes took out their frustration on hapless Southern Utah. It didn’t start as well as they would have hoped — the game was tied at 7 after the first quarter — but a 38-point second quarter turned it ugly fast.”

Utah, No. 10 (dropped three spots)
BYU, No. 11 (climbed nine spots)
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “They’re called Southern Utah. I don’t know where they’re located. Somewhere in Utah, I’ll bet. Anyway, Utah somehow rebounded from the Florida loss to beat the Thunderbirds, 73-7. Moving on.”
Dennis Dodd on BYU: “In a late-night thriller, the Cougars used double OT to beat their first top 10 team at home in 32 years (Baylor). Jaren Hall entered the national conversation (261 yards passing, one TD catch) despite missing his top two receivers. In this preview of a future Big 12 title game, we say, ‘Yes, more please.’”

BYU, No. 9 (climbed seven spots)
Utah, No. 13 (no change)
Steve Lassan on BYU: “The Cougars vault into the top 10 after winning a physical 26-20 battle against Baylor in overtime. Quarterback Jaren Hall (23 of 39 for 261 yards and a score) was the difference in the game, while BYU’s defense limited the Bears to just 2.9 yards per carry.”
Steve Lassan on Utah: “The Utes took out their frustration from the Week 1 loss with a 73-7 rout of Southern Utah.”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 9 (climbed four spots)
BYU, No. 28 (climbed eight spots)
Utah State, No. 108 (dropped 14 spots)

Utah, No. 10 (climbed nine spots)
BYU, No. 24 (climbed four spots)
Utah State, No. 115 (dropped 13 spots)

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

BYU, No. 9 (climbed 12 spots)
Utah, No. 17 (no change)
Utah State, No. 106 (dropped 21 spots)

BYU, No. 8 (climbed 13 spots)
Utah, No. 17 (dropped four spots)
Utah State, No. 117 (dropped 47 spots)
Chip Patterson on BYU: “Down its top two receivers, BYU quarterback Jaren Hall found a way to make enough plays to lead the Cougars to a 26-20 win in double-overtime against Baylor. Up next is a great challenge for BYU’s newly minted status as one of the top teams in the country, traveling to Eugene for a road test against Oregon.”

BYU, No. 11 (climbed 10 spots)
Utah, No. 16 (dropped five spots)
Utah State, No. 90 (dropped 25 spots)
Chris Vannini on BYU: “BYU’s overtime win against Baylor vaults the Cougars up, and it’s not unreasonable to start talking about them as a College Football Playoff contender with a few more wins.”

WEEK 1

Utah and BYU remain in the public conversation following the first full week of the 2022 college football season.

Here’s how Utah, BYU and Utah State stacked up in a variety of national rankings and advanced metrics following Week 1, when Utah lost 29-26 to Florida, BYU beat South Florida 50-21 and Utah State lost to No. 1 Alabama, 55-0.

Top 25 power rankings

Utah, No. 16
BYU, No. 22
Andrea Adelson on Utah: “The Utes played the type of game they wanted to against Florida but have to be lamenting the missed opportunities after a 29-26 loss.”
Kyle Bonagura on BYU: “No slow start here. Before the first quarter had even concluded, BYU had its opener against South Florida all sewn up, and went on to score the game’s first 38 points before halftime.”

Utah, No. 7
BYU, No. 20
Dennis Dodd on Utah: “You could hear the groan from here to Salt Lake City when Cam Rising threw that interception at Florida with 17 seconds left. How do the Utes recover?”
Dennis Dodd on BYU: “For those of you wondering who the new dominant team is going to be in the future Big 12, behold the Cougars. They scored 38 unanswered at one point, throttling South Florida 50-21. Alabama is 24-2 in its last 26. BYU is 22-4.”

Utah, No. 13
BYU, No. 16
Steve Lassan on Utah: “Two missed scoring opportunities inside of the six-yard line — including an interception in the end zone with less than 20 seconds left — will haunt the Utes in a 29-26 loss at Florida.”
Steve Lassan on BYU: “Dominant. That’s the easiest way to sum up BYU’s 50-21 victory over USF on Saturday.”

Advanced metrics

Utah, No. 13
BYU, No. 36
Utah State, No. 94

Utah, No. 19
BYU, No. 28
Utah State, No. 102

All 131 FBS teams re-rankings

Utah, No. 17 (dropped 10 spots)
BYU, No. 21 (dropped one spot)
Utah State, No. 85 (dropped 19 spots)

Utah, No. 13 (dropped nine spots)
BYU, No. 21 (climbed five spots)
Utah State, No. 70 (dropped seven spots)