With the regular season having now concluded, all of the state’s FBS programs – Utah State, Utah, and BYU – exceeded the minimum amount of wins needed to qualify for the postseason. Where they could end up is becoming more clear as bowl selection nears.

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

Rolling over New Mexico in the regular-season finale on Saturday, the Aggies clinched the Mountain Division title and a trip to the conference title game.

Going from a one-win team in 2020 to nine wins in 2021 under first-year head coach Blake Anderson, Utah State has a chance to win its first Mountain West championship when they face San Diego State this weekend.

Win or lose though, the Aggies’ bowl picture still seems pretty up in the air with many options available.

Projection: Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Opponent: Kent State
Date: Friday, December 31
Location: Arizona Stadium – Tucson, AZ
Time and channel: 5:30 p.m. MT, Barstool Sports

Aggies Claim Mountain Division Title with Win Over New Mexico

Utes

Closing out the regular season with a home win over Colorado, the Utes’ mission is simple. Beat Oregon and win the Pac-12.

If they do that, they will be headed to the Rose Bowl. If not, there are a few options, but the Alamo Bowl seems most likely.

But after how Utah manhandled the Ducks just two weeks ago, the team can smell the roses as bowl season nears and are favored to win on a neutral field in Las Vegas in the Pac-12 title matchup. Expect Utah fans to travel well and for the Utes to come out on top.

Projection: Rose Bowl
Opponent: Ohio State
Date: Saturday, January 1
Location: Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
Time and channel: 3 p.m. MT, ESPN

Utah Beats Colorado 28-13, Stays Perfect at Rice-Eccles

Cougars

Coming back late to win the regular-season finale at USC, the Cougars have reached 10 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2006-09 seasons.

Currently on a five-game winning streak, BYU moved up one spot – to No. 12 – in the CFP rankings unveiled Tuesday night.

At 10-2 and ranked 12th, there is a slim chance at a New Year’s Six bowl bid. Otherwise, the Cougars are contractually locked into the Independence Bowl, and that’s where they’re projected to go knowing that two losses most likely will keep them out of the major bowls. 

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

BYU Football: Cougars Blow Lead, Rally Back to Beat USC

 

 

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Spencer has always been passionate about sports, growing up playing and following various sports. He ran cross country in high school and began his journey in sports media in 2017 as a journalism intern at The Spectrum & Daily News. Since then, his work has been published in numerous outlets including Deseret News, Standard-Examiner, St. George News, Southern Utah Now, SUU's Thunderground, SB Nation's RSL Soapbox, FanSided's Venom Strikes, fan-insider.com, The Spurs Web, and Iron County Today. Spencer is the founder of Stadium Sportzz and both the Sportzz with Spencer and Mountain States Sports Report podcasts. His experience extends to public address announcing, having first served as the PA announcer for Southern Utah University soccer in 2017 and as a high school sports PA announcer. He is now entering his fourth year as a PA announcer at Utah Tech University, where he also occasionally takes on the role of in-game emcee. Spencer's versatility also extends to radio, where at The Fan Sports Network he produced high school and Utah Tech athletics broadcasts, hosted the weekly Region 9 Football Tailgate Show, and appeared daily on The Drive. Now working towards completing his Bachelor's degree in Media Studies, Spencer was recently named the Sports Director at Utah Tech University's 91.3 The Blaze for the 2024-25 year. He will host a weekly show and serve as a play-by-play broadcaster, continuing his dedication to sports journalism and broadcasting. When he isn’t talking, writing about, or watching sports, Spencer enjoys traveling and spending time with his amazing wife.