Utah moved up to No. 5 in the College Football Playoff Top 25 on Tuesday, positioning the Utes for a possible move into the top four in the final rankings.
The four semifinalists will be announced Sunday morning, following the weekend’s conference championship games — including Utah vs. No. 13 Oregon on Friday night at Santa Clara, Calif.
The promotion of one spot validated Utah coach Kyle Whittingham’s joy about formerly No. 5 Alabama’s loss to Auburn last Saturday, when the Utes (11-1) beat Colorafo 45-15 to clinch the Pac-12 South title. The No. 5 ranking is significant, meaning the CFP committee would have to do something extraordinary to keep Utah out of the top four — as long as the Utes beat Oregon and No.