Utah Football’s Updated Path To Pac-12 Championship Game In Las Vegas
Nov 12, 2021, 5:24 PM
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 19: An exterior view shows Allegiant Stadium, the USD 2 billion, 65,000-seat home of the Las Vegas Raiders, west of the Las Vegas Strip on September 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders will play their first game as Las Vegas' NFL franchise at the glass-domed facility against the New Orleans Saints on September 21, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the league's first "Monday Night Football" broadcast. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – After a 52-7 win over Stanford last Friday night, Utah football is one step closer to reaching the Pac-12 Championship game in Las Vegas.
ESPN has updated their FPI and is giving Utah a 98.7% chance to win the south division and a 56.9% chance to win the conference title. Oregon has an 84% chance to win the north and a 39.4% chance to win the league championship.
Here is what you need to know heading into this weekend of how Utah can lock up the south title and punch their ticket to Allegiant Stadium on Friday, December 3 in Las Vegas.
Can Utah Clinch The South Title This Weekend?
The answer is yes. It’s more simple now than it was last weekend. Utah can clinch the south title with a win over Arizona in Tucson AND an Arizona State loss at Washington.
In order for Arizona State to win the south division, they would need to win their remaining three games on the road against Washington and Oregon State and the regular season finale at home versus Arizona. ASU would also need Utah to lose their final three games of the season.
Wheels up to AZ 🛫#UBoyz pic.twitter.com/cfthqSq2mj
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) November 12, 2021
UCLA has an extremely slim chance of beating out ASU and Utah to win the south. They would need to win all three of their final games, along with Utah losing their final three games and Arizona State to do the same.
USC, Colorado and Arizona are eliminated from contention.
How The North Division Is Shaping Up
There is a sliver of hope for both Oregon State and Washington State to take the north division. But if either of those teams lose one more game, it’s over. A win over Washington State would give Oregon a two-game lead over the Cougars and would have the tiebreaker from the head-to-head win which would eliminate WSU from the north race.
Washington State would need to beat Oregon on Saturday to get the tiebreaker and would need to Arizona and Washington, while Oregon would need to lose at least one more game either to Utah or Oregon State for the Cougars to snatch the north division title.
GO!#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/ldNqLsqlw0
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) November 12, 2021
It’s nearly impossible for Oregon State to win the division title but the word nearly is key. At 3-3 in Pac-12 play, OSU would need get wins over Stanford and Arizona State at home, while beating the Ducks in Eugene to even have a chance. Plus, Oregon would need to lose to Washington State and Utah as well as to the Beavers.
Washington, Cal and Stanford are eliminated from contention.
Pac-12 Standings
Here is the current Pac-12 standings (as of 11/12/21):
North Division
- Oregon (8-1, 5-1) – Tiebreaker over Washington
- Washington State (5-4, 4-2) – Tiebreaker over Oregon State
- Oregon State (5-4, 3-3) – Tiebreaker over Washington
- Washington (4-5, 3-3)
- California (3-6, 2-4)
- Stanford (3-6, 2-5)
South Division
- Utah (6-3, 5-1) – Tiebreaker over Arizona State, UCLA, USC
- Arizona State (6-3, 4-2) – Tiebreaker over UCLA
- UCLA (5-4, 3-3)
- USC (4-5, 3-4)
- Colorado (3-6, 2-4)
- Arizona (1-8, 1-5)
Pac-12 South Division Race
Utah’s remaining games:
- @ Arizona – Saturday, November 13
- vs. Oregon – Saturday, November 20
- vs. Colorado – Friday, November 26
Arizona State’s remaining games:
- @ Washington – Saturday, November 13
- @ Oregon State – Saturday, November 20
- vs. Arizona – Saturday, November 27
Pac-12 North Division Race
Oregon’s remaining games:
- vs. Washington State – Saturday, November 13
- @ Utah – Saturday, November 20
- vs. Oregon State – Saturday, November 27
Washington State’s remaining games:
- @ Oregon – Saturday, November 13
- vs. Arizona – Friday, November 19
- @ Washington – Friday, November 26
Oregon State’s remaining games:
- vs. Stanford – Saturday, November 13
- vs. Arizona State – Saturday, November 20
- @ Oregon – Saturday, November 27
Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com, Co-Host of Faith, Family and Football podcast with Clark Phillips III and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports.
