In a time when the Big Ten was adding Nebraska and Texas A&M headed off to the SEC, Utah found itself in a perfect spot to move into a traditional power conference with the Pac-10. The Pac-10 would become the Pac-12 with the geographically sensible additions of Utah and Colorado. Neither were considered powerhouse game changers like Nebraska to the Big Ten or Texas A&M to the SEC were, but they just made sense for the conference. And because Utah had established a solid track record of steady progress and success on the field, a move to the Pac-12 was hardly intimidating for the program.
It took a few years for Utah to truly catch up in recruiting at the Pac-12 level, which was to be expected coming from the Mountain West Conference with MWC funds and resources available in a fraction of the amount Utah would eventually earn in the Pac-12, but Whittingham had a plan. And like TCU in its move from the MWC to the Big 12, solid and steady leadership form the top of the program paid off in a big way.
TCU left the Mountain West Conference for the Big 12 one year after Utah made the move to the Pac-12, but head coach Gary Patterson had TCU in as good a position to succeed as possible. With relatively down years for Oklahoma and Texas, TCU stormed to the top of the Big 12 and battled with Baylor for the Big 12 crown in 2014, the first year of the College Football Playoff. Utah’s transition to sustained success in the Pac-12 took a little bit longer to develop than it did for TCU in the Big 12, but the Utes made some noise in 2014 as well with a nine-win season and a 10-win season in 2015.
By now it was clear that Utah was ready to play in the Pac-12, and Whittingham’s style and leadership were shining through with one of the hardest-playing and toughest teams in all of the Pac-12. As some schools in the Pac-12 looked to fly through the air with their offenses, Utah was prepared for a knock-em-down style of play that would grind out victories with physical play on the line of scrimmage leading the way. It is a recipe that has continued to prove effective for Whittingham, so why change it?
Utah won 11 games in 2019 and can be given a pass for a 3-2 season in the erratic 2020 season. Utah came away with its first Pac-12 title in 2021, thus climbing to the top of the conference in just the latest step forward in the development of the program that is set up to be a main player in the conference race for years to come, especially as USC and UCLA prepare to leave for the Big Ten. Now Whittingham is looking for another New Years Six bowl victory to add to his list of accomplishments at Utah. Doing so with a victory in the Rose Bowl would be just the latest highlight for the program and Whittingham, and they may have as good a chance to pull it off as only it could have been dreamt about decades ago.
Utah is a program that has been molded by the leadership and toughness of Whittingham. There is no quit in the team and anyone lining up against Utah will have to be prepared for a real battle because nothing against a Whittingham-coached team ever comes easily. Penn State will have its hands full against the increasingly confident and improving Utah program, and it is all thanks to Whittingham.
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