Utah was unable to make it three consecutive Pac-12 Championships last year before leaving for the Big 12 this offseason. Even so, Greg McElroy doesn’t see why the Utes’ winning ways won’t continue in their new conference in 2024.
McElroy examined Utah’s schedule for this fall during a recent episode of ‘Always College Football’. In his opinion, their schedule for this upcoming year is far easier to work with than the one that they were dealing with in their last league.
“You actually look at the schedule? The schedule, to me, is extremely manageable for Utah, especially understanding what league they’re coming from,” said McElroy. “You know the respect that I had for the Pac-12 the last couple years. There is no Washington on the schedule, there is no Oregon on the schedule, there is no ‘SC on the schedule.”
“It does feel a little bit more manageable for Utah as they transition to a new league,” said McElroy. “You go through the schedule and there’s just not that many games that they are going to likely be in a toss up scenario.”
McElroy proved his point once he started assessing the games for the Utes. That included a 3-0 start for them with one of those opening up conference play for them.
“You’ve got Southern Utah, Baylor at home, Utah State on the road in the first three weeks of the season,” McElroy read. “I think Baylor coming to them is advantage to the Utes all day and twice on Saturday so I’m going to lean in favor of the Utes there in that game. So I think they get off to a 3-0 start.”
However, the fourth and fifth games of their year are two that McElroy highlighted for Utah. A roadtrip to Stillwater and a home game against ‘Zona present a pair of games that he thinks they could lose.
“Arguably the most difficult game on the schedule is September 21st on the road at Oklahoma State. That game? Extremely difficult,” McElroy stated. “We know what Oklahoma State brings back, we know that Oklahoma State can pound the football. Are they going to be able to run the ball real well against Utah? Probably not. They’ve always been very stout against the run but, at the same time, I do think the weapons for Oklahoma State will pose a bit of a challenge on somewhat of a re-tooled secondary, especially there at the safety spot.”
“Arizona come to Utah,” continued McElroy. “I think Arizona – expectations are high. I am not quite as bullish on Arizona as everybody else is. The fact that it’s at Utah? I think it’s a game that they should win. But is it losable? Sure. You can certainly make a case for that.”
From there, though, McElroy didn’t see another matchup that certainly concerned him over their final seven. There are tests, including a rivalry game against BYU and a road game at Colorado, but none that he labeled as losses.
“Arizona State? I think they’re still at least a year away.TCU comes to them – I would lean in favor of Utah in that game. At Houston – I would lean in favor of Utah there. BYU comes to them – I think they will get BYU next year there in The Holy War. That game will be played in Salt Lake,” said McElroy. “Colorado is on the road. I think Utah, in the trenches, will have a significant advantage over Colorado. Now, Colorado maybe can match up with their personnel and their skill? Certainly. That’s possible but I would still lean Utah there. Iowa State comes to them and then they’re on the road at UCF.”
For those counting them up, that leaves only two to three games that McElroy believes are possible losses for Utah over the course of their season.
“How many games, when you think about Utah, are legitimately losable? Three, perhaps?” McElroy pondered.
“Oklahoma State on the road? Alright. Yeah, you could talk me into that one,” thought McElroy. “Arizona at home? I have a hard time thinking Utah loses that game. At Colorado? I don’t think Colorado is quite ready for what Utah is going to have in the trenches.”
Remove the pandemic year and Utah has won eight or more games in each of those five years with three of those seasons seeing 10 or more victories. That’s consistency you can count on as of recently, regardless of what conference they play in.
Still, in a new league in the era of an expanded field, the Utes are, in McElroy’s mind, in position to win double-digit games again before possibly playing for the Big 12 Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
“You really look through the schedule and I think we can easily fast forward to the end of the year and Utah is sitting there at 10-2, 11-1 and en route to a Big 12 title, perhaps, and possibly en route to a College Football Playoff berth,” said McElroy. “It wouldn’t shock me at all, especially when you start to dive in game-by-game in the schedule.”
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