Devin Kaufusi: Pac-12 Title Still A Real Possibility For Utah
Oct 14, 2022, 2:30 PM
Tavion Thomas #9 of the Utah Utes celebrates as he scores on a second half touchdown run during a college football game October 9, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
(Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The 2022 Utah football season started off with extremely high expectations and some fringe College Football Playoff talk. That is all but gone with two losses on the season, the most recent being a 10-point road loss to the undefeated UCLA Bruins.
This year is mirroring a bit of last year. The Utes lost two non-conference games and a league game to Oregon State, but Utah still rebounded to win the Pac-12 in dominant fashion.
The Utes have that one loss in conference play and this weekend host undefeated and No. 6/No. 7 USC Trojans at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The season goals of winning a conference title are very much in play, and more so this year as it is the top two teams in Pac-12 play that earn a title game spot.
Devin Kaufusi Has Faith In The Utes
Utah defensive lineman repeated a phrase that he said last year during his weekly visits with Unrivaled, and that was the goal for this Utes team is to win the Pac-12 title. Those goals are firmly in place if the Utes can take care of business at home against the Trojans.
“After the game, coach [Kyle] Whit[ingham] said ‘it feels like we are in the same situation as last year,”‘ Kaufusi said. “Having two losses… as crazy as it seems it is still all out there in front of us. UCLA and Pac-12 has some teams that are all going for it and that is what makes this conference so fun and exciting.
“I don’t think anyone will go undefeated in conference play. There are so many teams week in and week out that can catch someone lacking.”
A win vs. the Trojans will get the team one step closer to a Pac-12 Title.
ESPN’s Football Power Index puts Utah third in line to win the conference title with an 18.9% chance to win the league. They only need to be top two to make the title game, but the two schools ahead are USC which is given a whopping 40.7% and then Oregon is second at 26%.
ESPN’s FPI does give the Utes the best chance to win out at 11.1% chance so that is a real positive to have a shot for another Rose Bowl berth.
Utah plays Oregon and if they take care of business against the Trojans this week and then Ducks down the road – in addition to the other teams on the schedule – the Utes will be back in the title game once again.
All the major goals are there for Utah as they head into a huge Saturday matchup against USC.
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