Can Utes crash Big 12 party and win the conference?

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham looks on as players leave the field after warmups before an NCAA college football game against Washington, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) | Lindsey Wasson, Associated Press

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For the first time in over a decade, the University of Utah won’t be traveling to Oregon, Washington or California during conference play.

Instead, the Utes will venture to places like Oklahoma, Texas and Florida this football season in their new cross-country home, the Big 12 Conference.

It’s a new era, not just for Kyle Whittingham and Utah, but for all of college football after realignment shook up the sport last summer.

Sure, there’s some familiar faces in Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Colorado and even TCU, but for the most part, it’s a whole new ballgame for Utah.

From the desert in Arizona to the plains of Kansas, from the mountains of Morgantown to the waves in Florida, the Utes have a new conference.

And they’re ready to crash the party.

In its inaugural Big 12 season, the Utes are the media’s pick to win the conference title, aided by veteran quarterback Cam Rising, a host of pass-catching options, and a stout defense.

The schedule helps matters — Utah misses Kansas, Kansas State and West Virginia and only plays one team projected in the top seven of the conference on the road — and by Week 5, after playing at Oklahoma State and vs. Arizona, the Utes should know what kind of team they have.

The No. 12 Utes understand it’s going to be a tough league.

There are four other Big 12 teams — No. 17 Oklahoma State, No. 18 Kansas State, No. 21 Arizona and No. 22 Kansas — ranked in the AP Preseason Top 25 — and teams like UCF, Iowa State…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/utes-crash-big-12-party-030000673.html

Author : Deseret News

Publish date : 2024-08-29 03:00:00

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