Utah Utes College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
So did we all just forget how good Utah was, and probably will be again?
It’s as if the end to the 2019 season made it seem like all the success over the previous two seasons was a mirage.
After all, winning the Pac-12 South in 2018 and 2019 wasn’t like taking down the Big Ten East or the SEC West. So yeah, it was great to get to two straight Pac-12 Championship games, but the Utes clunked in both of them.
They blew their chance at the College Football Playoff in 2019 – at least there would’ve been a theoretical fight for the fourth spot with Oklahoma – and the formerly infallible program in bowl games under head coach Kyle Whittingham lost two straight.
In 2018 and 2019, Utah was great at getting it on the green, but couldn’t putt.
So after the loss to Oregon in the 2019 Pac-12 Championship – followed up by a desultory performance against Texas in a blowout loss of an Alamo Bowl – the 0-2 start to 2020 took Utah completely off the national radar.
Now the Pac-12 is all about two-time defending champion Oregon Ducks, and the expected rise of Arizona State, and the USC offense, and the Washington defense, and …
Watch out. Those 2018 and 2019 Utah teams were fantastic, and the 2021 version should be right there with them.
Set The Utah Utes Regular Season Win Total At … 9
There’s a little work to do. The pass defense has to be a keep the yards in check, the running game has to hope a few new parts to the mix can rise up, and transfer Charlie Brewer 1) has to stay healthy after getting knocked around too much at Baylor and 2) must add more to the passing attack.
Whittingham is still among the best and most under-hyped coaches in college football, the lines are massive, deep, and will be outstanding, the kicking game is still good, and the schedule isn’t awful.
There aren’t any non-conference games against Power Five programs – but going to BYU and San Diego State is close – and there’s no Washington to face from the North.
Yup, the Utes have to face Oregon, but that’s in Salt Lake City, as is the massive showdown with Arizona State.
Going to USC isn’t fun, but the Utes only get four Pac-12 road games, and the other three are at Oregon State, Stanford and Arizona.
Forget about Utah at your own peril.
It’s going to be right there in the hunt for the Pac-12 Championship all season long, and it just might make it three trips to the league’s title game in four seasons.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– Utah Football Schedule Analysis