As we near the conclusion of the college football season, all of the state’s FBS programs – Utah State, Utah, and BYU – have reached the six wins needed for bowl eligibility and will be headed for the postseason. Where they end up is anyone’s guess.
So, 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.
Aggies
Falling behind 14-0 on the road to the defending Mountain West champions San Jose State, the Aggies outscored the Spartans 48-3 the rest of the way to cruise to an easy victory on Saturday night.
Utah State has now won five in a row, while also keeping its perfect road record intact.
At 8-2 overall and 5-1 in Mountain West play, the Aggies are atop the Mountain Division with just two games to go. 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.
If they can finish the season on a nine-game win streak – conference championship and bowl game included – this Aggies team could go down as the best in school history.
Projection: Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl
Opponent: Oregon State
Date: Saturday, December 18
Location: SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, CA
Time and channel: 5:30 p.m. MT, ABC
Utes
Although it was much closer than expected, the Utes recorded a win over Arizona in Tucson on Saturday to improve to 7-3 overall, 6-1 in Pac-12 play. With the victory, Utah is now ranked in all three major polls this week (23rd in the CFP, 24th in the AP, and 25th in the Coaches).
A big game against the No. 3 Oregon Ducks in Salt Lake City is up next, with both teams needing a win to clinch their respective Pac-12 division titles and spot in the conference championship.
Winning the Pac-12 is still a possibility, and a conference championship would send the Utes to their first-ever Rose Bowl. They will likely play Oregon for a second time for a shot at the Pac-12 title, while a loss would send them to a second-tier bowl destination.
Projection: Rose Bowl
Opponent: Michigan
Date: Saturday, January 1
Location: Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
Time and channel: 3 p.m. MT, ESPN
Cougars
After a 45-point win on Senior Day over FCS Idaho State two weeks ago and a bye week that followed, BYU remains 8-2, retaining their rankings in the national polls (14th in the AP and CFP, 15th in the Coaches).
Having clinched a bowl invite quite a while ago, the Cougars have 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 pretty much 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
