Utes Break Top 10 In USA Today Coaches Poll
Aug 8, 2022, 10:33 AM
The Utah Utes prepare to take the field prior to a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl Game at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY- The Utes have been a hot commodity in the 2022 preseason talk and it shows no sign of stopping till at least game time. Coming in at #8 in the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll, the Utes are the only ranked team from the state of Utah, and the highest ranked Pac-12 team. (Oregon came in at #12 and USC at #15) This his the highest preseason ranking Utah has ever received in program history.
Preseason USA Today Top 25 coaches poll
1-Bama
2-Ohio St
3-Georgia
4-Clemson
5-NDame
6-Michigan
7-A&M
8-Utah
9-OU
10-Baylor
11-Okla St
12-Oregon
13-NC St
14-Mich St
15-USC
16-Pitt
17-Miami
18-Texas
19-Wake
20-Wisconsin
21-Kentucky
22-Cincinnati
23-Arkansas
24-Ole Miss
25-Houston— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 8, 2022
All Eyes On Utes
Utah really made an impression on national pundits in 2021 winning their first Pac-12 Championship and putting on a show where they came up just short 48-45 in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State. Since then there has been a lot of talk about the Utes being a potential College Football Playoff team in 2022 with various players like quarterback Cam Rising and cornerback Clark Phillips III receiving a ton of attention heading into the season.
The Utes will be getting off to a tougher-than-normal start this year that has the potential to really cement them in the college football landscape this season. They will be taking their talents down to Gainesville to open their season on September 3rd against the Florida Gators. While the Gators may be down a bit this year, as we have all seen, the SEC is the measuring stick for college football. If Utah can go in and perform well at the Swamp, sky becomes the limit for perhaps the most talented team in program history.
Kyle Whittingham and his crew will also have big opportunities to show what they got against fellow-ranked conference mates USC and Oregon. The Utes will play host to the Trojans on October 15th in a match-up many think could draw College Game Day to town if both teams remain undefeated to that point. Utah will then pay the Ducks a tense visit on November 19th at Autzen Stadium after beating them 38-7 and 38-10 last season.
