all right Drake talking about this Utah football team in 2024 they're picked to win the conference could be Kyle winningham's final season will for sure be cam Rising last season there's a lot of hype I think this team has a chance to match it and part of that is the returning talent and a large part of that is also the schedule that sets them up for Success when you look at Utah's schedule to me I see one game going into the season that they might not be favored in that's at Oklahoma State but I do think this top five rushing defense from a year ago that only lost their best pass rusher could be well poised to stop Oly Gordon now Utah's had some struggles on the road so I think it's definitely that's the most likely game they're going to lose I think they can win that one but that's where it'll be interesting to see but I do think this schedule sets up nicely Utah's only lost one true home game since 2018 because we're taking the co year away so they lost to Oregon last year that so they their only loss at home the last few years is a top five team that went or top 10 when they played Oregon and with who had bonick a Heisman wory Contender so Utah's not going to lose much at home so you have to beat him on the road that's tough to do like I said I see Utah as a favorite in pretty much every single game they play but it's unrealistic to pick him to go undefeated it's just too hard in college football they're going to lose one of these games if I had to say right now maybe I'll give it to the UCF game but it's once again one I think Utah absolutely can win I have a Utah going 11- one right now their first year in the Big 12 when is the last time that and I googled this by the way before I see seem like a genius when is the last time that Kyle Whittingham lost less than three games in a season if you just had a spitball it less than three games in a season going back would be the 2019 team would be the one 2008 it's been what's the 20 the 2019 team who they lose 11 and three baby the Alamo boys three or less you're right you're right you're right Kyle Whittingham is in love addicted to losing three or more games in a football season now to argue like and and that is that's quite an aster to put on that by the way when you're looping in the bowl games in there a little extra when teams look differently I am going to say but 15 in a 15 season sample size um and even if you count the only season where that thir that third loss comes in the bowl game is 2019 in the Alo Bowl those Rose Bowl games they already had three losses they won the pack Championship graned he won two pack 12 championships and lost four games overall in the season three in the regular season Kyle Whittingham can win can win at the at a very high level while still losing which is a weird thing to say and I do believe that Utah will be in Arlington for the Big 12 Championship however if we look at the body work Kyle Whittingham has put together this is a Utah Squad that should lose three games based on what Kyle woodingham does now you look at specifically again googled this specifically they jumped the pack 12 now I get it completely different we're talking completely different ball game here because Utah was really good in the group group of five or whatever it was level and they go to the power five and year one they win eight games then five and seven five and seven there was an adjustment period there for Winningham an adjustment because you jump up you could argue the Big 12 is the same playing field as the Pack 12 you could maybe even argue based on last season the Pack 12 had a deeper conference but this year in the Big 12 with the quarterback lineup that has shadur Sanders a shadur Sanders Le team at 11th in the conference the league is deadly like that that's a squad where two guys get hot shadur Sanders and and Travis Hunter and you go they could trip somebody up here with that being said the Big 12 I think Utah definitely loses two I have to they have multiple losses this season yet they will still be in the conference Championship so I don't think it's a bad thing the only the only body that Utah having two losses really hurts because they'll still be a playoff Contender if you're in the title is the Big 12 cuz it like shortcuts somebody else and you're probably only getting one team in the in the in the college football playoff if Utah finishes 11-2 and goes to the playoff the losers is probably out if Utah finishes 10 and three they're the loser at the conference title they're probably out that's bad I just to say undefeated with the parody of the Big 12 and moving to a new conference I'm gonna go impossible impossible that makes our next segment with national championships question mark that we have on the rundown very interesting for uh for those of you who stick to the end of this very very much appreciate that Drake you make a number of good points but I will apply a couple of asterisks I feel like that I as the lock on I have to mention 2019 that team lost one game in the regular season they were 11 And1 they lost one game at USC I would compare that schedule because there were a lot of teams questioning okay how good is this Utah team and then they lost to Oregon and Texas as the season end in their final two games but that regular it was a pretty easy regular season schedule and they went 11 and one because of that 2021 that team was not the same without Cam Rising once they put cam rising in and bench Charlie Brewer who Charlie Brewer ended up leaving the team they were totally different that iteration of that team lost only two games they lost at Oregon State a tough place to win and they lost in the Rose Bowl to CJ strout who a lot of NFL teams will continually lose to year after year then we jumped to 2022 that's where some of those other losses pile up they lost at Florida a very daunting and ult place to play who else did they lose to they did lose to bonix that season they lost at UCLA too so if you want to say on this big 12 schedule there are teams that Utah will play on the road comparable to that UCLA team I could see it potentially I think UCF has a chance to mirror that success somewhat but Drake This Is Where It's just tough to me because I like I said Utah's really good at home so I think it's going to be hard for Noah faf as good as he is to come in there and win the Oklahoma State game I like that for Utah just because of the matchup I mentioned specifically but that is once again their most likely loss on this schedule but I just feel like they have a chance to repeat what they did back in 2019 because it's a strong defense with Cam Rising some quality weapons and I do feel like as even 247 Sports I remember put it out this is one of the easier schedules in college football because you miss Kansas and Kansas State to the other top teams in this conference completely so and I googled it 2019 Utah plays one ranked game in the regular season so I thought well God bless the Big 12 schedule's going to be much tougher than that home or Road this year however Southern Utah Baylor Utah State none of those are going to be ranked Oklahoma State and Arizona are both very likely ranked when UT Utah gets to them but Arizona State TCU Houston BYU Colorado your last two shots are Iowa State and UCF I think ceiling is four ranked games for Utah this year and if that's the ceiling it probably ends up falling around the two or three Mark Brett ymark said welcome to the club boys here's a huge gift so will Utah have the opportunity to win 11 games in the regular season especially based on their home schedule which is still pretty easy by the way I mean you look past the Arizona game you're going oh well most of the games left at home are still not terrible Iowa State's not eting it's it's tough late in the season but again rice Eckles is a killer a giant killer for whoever comes into town that all taken into to account you're silly not to have Utah as a double digit win team in the regular season to go undefeated I'm going to I'm going to I agre I'm gonna pull back on it because again it is such a challenging thing to do especially in the Big 12 Conference even TCU got through an undefeated regular season before losing to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship um it can be done it can be done in the modern era as the horn frogs proved however I just think Utah gets at least two two little trips with Oklahoma State and UC where things just don't go their way and luckily by that UCF game they've already punched their ticket to Arlington that's the hope I mean get to the Big 12 championship game and then it's it's OB it's a massive disappointment if this team especially didn't make the big 12 championship game but still to get in there and not win the conference when there are so many reasons to believe this could be one of the best seasons we've ever seen from the Utah team it would be it would be a massive disappointment so I'm excited to see if they can live up to the hype and let's play a little bit more of a hypothetical Drake if you talk does live up to the hype then that means they won the Big 12 and they officially punch their ticket to the college football playoff and they'll get a buy because they won the conference so that means they'd be three games away from being national champs now I would not I don't think Utah will be national champs but they will have a shot to because they will be in there and all it takes is a couple of games to break their way I do think Utah is capable of beating one of the Giants just like like we kind of this is the exact reverse of what we just talked about like when I look at Utah versus UCF on paper I say Utah should beat UCF UCF could absolutely find a way I think Utah depending on who breaks through like if it's an old Miss I absolutely think Utah can beat Old Miss in a game so and then after that if they run into a Georgia or Ohio State that's where it gets really difficult but the fact of the matter is if you're among the last few teams standing you have a chance to win a National Championship and I think Utah will be one of the eight best team eight last teams remaining so they're at least going to be in that discussion