Having officially reached the three-quarter mark of the college football season, all of the state’s FBS programs – Utah, Utah State, BYU – have reached, or are within reach of the six wins needed for bowl eligibility.
Here are my projections for where the three teams will end up for some postseason fun, with a trophy on the line to cap off their 2021 seasons.
Cougars
After a shootout win over Virginia in Bronco Mendenhall’s return to Provo, the Cougars improved to 7-2 on the year, moving up in the AP Top 25 poll from 25th to 17.
Having clinched a bowl invite two weeks ago, BYU has posted an impressive 5-1 record against Power 5 conference opponents, highlighted by a win over rival Utah that ended a 12-game losing skid to the Utes.
The Cougars are contractually locked into the Independence Bowl, and that’s where they’re projected to go knowing two losses knocked them out of the New Year’s Six bowl picture.
Projection: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Opponent: Texas-San Antonio
Date: Saturday, December 18
Location: Independence Stadium – Shreveport, LA
Time and channel: 1:30 p.m. MT, ABC
Aggies
No one saw it coming before the year began, but the Aggies are headed for the postseason. A 51-31 victory over Hawai’i on Saturday clinched their spot in a bowl game and improved their record to 6-2.
Currently sitting at 4-1 in Mountain West play, the Aggies are atop the Mountain Division and are favored in all of their remaining four games. Win out and they will have a 10-win season and division title under their belt, with a date in the Mountain West Championship against the West Division winner up next.
Even if they can’t finish atop the division, a bowl game under first-year head coach Blake Anderson is a big step forward after a disastrous 2020.
Projection: Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Opponent: Northern Illinois
Date: Friday, December 31
Location: Arizona Stadium – Tucson, AZ
Time and channel: 12 p.m. MT, TV TBD
Utes
With a win over UCLA on Saturday, the Utes improved to 5-3, needing just one more win to reach a bowl game. They’ll get there with a schedule that includes Stanford, Arizona, Oregon, and Colorado.
With a 4-1 record in Pac-12 play and holding the head-to-head tiebreakers over UCLA, Arizona State, and USC, the Utes sit atop the Pac-12 South Division. Winning three of their final four games should give them a division title and trip to the Pac-12 title game.
Winning the Pac-12 is still within the realm of possibility, and a conference championship would send the Utes to their first-ever Rose Bowl. They will likely play Oregon for a shot at the Pac-12 title, but get the chance to matchup against the Ducks in three weeks first.
Projection: Valero Alamo Bowl
Opponent: Oklahoma State
Date: Wednesday, December 29
Location: Alamodome – San Antonio, TX
Time and channel: 7:15 p.m. MT, ESPN
