The Utes should be genuine contenders in the division next season with the bulk of Utah’s offense returning and some upheaval in the Pac-12 South.
The Utes never have finished last in the South, but that possibility is in play as they host Colorado in Saturday night’s regular-season finale at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The winner will become bowl eligible at 6-6 overall; the loser will finish sixth in the division with a 2-7 conference record.
Mix in Colorado’s coming off a bye while the Utes absorbed another emotional hit in a 33-30 loss at Washington last weekend, and this becomes another interesting chapter in the Utah-Colorado series.