Predicting the South Division's Non-conference Games

[UteThunder]

Arizona: 2-1 . . . wins vs BYU and SUU, loss @ Houston; I could easily see Arizona going 3-0 but I think Houston takes advantage of the Wildcats adjusting to new coaches.

ASU: 1-2 . . . win vs UTSA, losses vs Michigan State and @ San Diego State; I could just as easily see ASU start the year 0-3 but I think their superior talent wins out over UTSA. MSU and SDSU are both too well-coached to lose to the Devils under Edwards who seems like the wrong guy for that job.

Colorado: 1-2 . . . win vs New Hampshire, losses vs CSU and @ Nebraska; The CSU game is always a toss-up so maybe the Buffs steal that one and start 2-1 but there is no way they beat the Huskers.

UCLA: 1-2 . . . win vs Cincinnati, losses @ Oklahoma and vs Fresno State; Chip Kelly will be successful at UCLA but it won’t happen over night. The Bruins might get the win over FSU to start 2-1, but I don’t think they’ll have that Kelly offense firing on all cylinders that early.

USC: 3-0 . . . wins vs UNLV, @ Texas, vs Notre Dame; At worst, the Trojans split the games with UT and ND to go 2-1.  

Utah: 3-0 . . . wins vs Weber State, @ Northern Illinois, vs BYU; For the life of me, I will never understand why we scheduled this game with NIU. This game has me the most nervous of the 3 non-conference games. They have a good program and return a lot of starters. This game is ripe for an upset. The BYU game is another head-scratcher. This game could easily be a loss with BYU coming off of a couple of pillow fights(UMass & NMSU) while we will be coming off 8 straight Pac-12 games.

[Ute Bc]

If we lose to either BYU or NIU but still win the South and PAC 12 championship – I think we make the playoffs.  I’m not worried about these ooc games – in the end, they really don’t matter.

[Dwight89]

Ute Bc I slightly disagree. If that ends up being the case, and Utah is a one loss Pac 12 champ, it’s very likely we will be ranked 5th or 6th with another P5 opponent in a similar situation. Imagine the committee having to choose between a 1-loss Utah or a 1 (or even 2)-loss Michigan, Florida State, Oklahoma, etc. Who do you think the committee is going to pick? 

We will have two things going against us. First – a loss against a bad non P5 opponent. That will be a serious knock on our resume. Second – we do not have the cache that a lot of top tier P-5 programs have and if the committee has to choose between us and an Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State, etc I can guarantee you we will be on the outside looking in.

Just my thoughts. 

[Ute Bc]

I can’t imagine a ONE loss PAC 12 Team doesn’t get in.  I just don’t see how we wouldn’t.  Especially since, in that scenario, we will have beat USC, UCLA Stanford, and UW.  

[Dwight89]

You think a one loss Utah would get in over one loss Ohio State? Or one loss Michigan? Penn State? Florida? Alabama? Oklahoma? Texas? Florida State? Michigan State? Notre Dame? Clemson? Auburn? LSU? Tennessee? 

I will bet you 1,000 doll hairs that one loss Utah gets left out if the committee is choosing between Utah and any one of the above teams, provided they are also one loss and conference champions (apples to apples). 

ESPECIALLY if that one loss was to Northern Illinois or BYU.

I’m a Utah fan through and through, but we need to acknowledge the reality that until we win several Pac 12 championships we are second fiddle to all those teams I mentioned above, at least. 

And finally, don’t get me wrong, one-loss Utah could make it into the playoff, IFF (if and only if) they aren’t in a race with other one-loss conference champions of the caliber I described above).

[EagleMountainUte]

#hahanoway

[noneyadb]

If Utah does anything other than lay an absolute smackdown vs niu AND brigham they are not making it to the Pac12 championship game…

[Dwight89]

Yeah, you are most likely correct. But, on the other hand I could see Utah having a stellar year, laying an egg against BYU and then bouncing back to beat Colorado and clinch the South. 

 

 

[EagleMountainUte]

Bouncing back to beat Colorado?  Ok you mean in the title game or after Utah won the week before??

Utah plays Byu the last regular season game.. which stupid Dr Chris Hill thought would be smart. 

[Dwight89]

Ah. my mistake. My point is still the same. I could see Utah clinching the South and then crapping the bed against BYPoo

[EagleMountainUte]

I could see them not being engaged. But TDS is pretty s**tty. There is just no way unless they totally overlook that game. It is so utterly stupid playing that game if you possibly play for a P12 title. 

[noneyadb]

Have to schedule a Patsy before a big game right? Isn’t that the SEC model 

[EagleMountainUte]

Yeah like first two weeks of November. Last game does nothing for Utah. Even less when they are sub 2 wins and s**t. 

[noneyadb]

SMDH… Championship game???