No. 3 Utah vs. No. 9 BYU, CFP Rankings, Big Picture CFB with The Athletic’s David Ubben
No. 3 Utah. No. 9 BYU. A Holy War with national stakes.
The Athletic’s David Ubben joins Steve Bartle on Utah Blockcast to discuss Utah vs. BYU, the College Football Playoff rankings and the bigger questions shaping college football.
David explains why Utah’s next step is simple—keep winning—and what Morgan Scalley’s first season says about the program. We examine the committee’s treatment of the Big 12, the possibility of multiple Holy War matchups and why this rivalry could take a toll on both teams beyond Saturday.
Then we go national: Georgia and Miami as David’s championship favorites, LSU as a dangerous outsider, and why spending big doesn’t guarantee winning big. How much do player evaluation, coaching and locker-room buy-in matter in the transfer portal era? And where could television money and conference changes take the sport next?
Plus, breakfast tacos, a weekend packed with playoff implications and a Holy War prediction Steve probably should have let stand.
CHAPTERS
00:00 David Ubben joins: Morning kickoffs and breakfast tacos
03:46 David’s path to covering college football
06:23 Utah vs. BYU in the national spotlight
09:51 Morgan Scalley’s start and Utah’s unfinished business
14:48 What is the CFP committee’s standard?
17:30 Is the Big 12 getting enough respect?
18:09 Championship favorites and the Holy War hangover
20:59 LSU’s upside and the contenders’ biggest flaws
23:02 Roster spending, player evaluation and building buy-in
26:56 TV money and college football’s future
29:09 A weekend that could reshape the playoff race
31:11 David’s Holy War prediction—and a quick correction
Find David’s reporting at The Athletic and listen to Bunch Formation with David Ubben and Chris Vannini.
Subscribe to Utah Blockcast for Utah football analysis, interviews and game reactions. Who wins the Holy War—and how many Big 12 teams make the playoff? Leave your predictions in the comments.
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