Utah cracks AP Top-25 at #24, just outside Coaches Poll

For the first time since 2010, the Utes have broken into the polls, and it's the first time they've broken in as members of the Pac-12 conference. After the win over previously Top 10-ranked UCLA in the Rose Bowl, Utah has caught the attention of some of the voters around the country. Utah was receiving votes before the loss to Washington State, but those votes vanished after the disaster that ensued on that rainy night at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Last season after the Stanford win, Utah was flirting with the polls and receiving votes, but the subsequent five-game losing streak buried the Utes in a deep hole.

Utah is one of six teams from the Pac-12 to be in this week's AP Poll, along with Arizona (10), Oregon (12), UCLA (18), Arizona State (20) and Stanford (25).

Utah received 80 votes in the Coaches Poll, which leaves them at 27th, if the polls went beyond 25. If anything this past Thursday and Saturday taught us, being ranked doesn't mean a thing, especially in the Pac-12.

*edit - Utah is also No. 26 in the Sagarin rankings (thanks to Simon Grundy for pointing that out).

For a composite Top 25 college football ranking, visit SBNation.com