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Utah faces off against their second ranked opponent of the season, meaning that, once again, any chance the Utes have of breaking into the top 25 is squarely on their shoulders. Unfortunately, even if the Utes squeeze out a win against Stanford, a hypothetical 3-2 record is hard to justify a top 25 nod, meaning Utah is going to need some major help from bottom-dwelling and fringe teams. It may be a miniscule chance, but these are the games around the nation in week six that may give Utah a chance.
Utah State vs BYU Friday 7:00 PM MT – ESPN2
BYU has had a bit of a rollercoaster season, with wins against Arizona and a ranked Wisconsin team but losses to Cal at home and Washington on the road, the Cougars have managed to be one of the most unpredictable teams in the first half of 2018. The Aggies on the other hand, have been offensive juggernauts this season with their lone loss coming at the hands of Michigan State in a thrilling season opener. Quarterback Jordan Love has been one of the most exciting passers Utah State has seen since Chuckie Keeton and is looking to keep the offense rolling against their in-state rival. Utah fans should have keep an eye on this game to get a real gauge on their final non-conference opponent, but because both teams are looking at records and schedules worthy of a top 25 ranking. Whoever wins, Utah may be hindered in the end.
#5 LSU vs #22 Florida Saturday 1:30 PM MT - CBS
Florida and LSU face-off Saturday afternoon in a highly anticipated SEC match-up. LSU enters the Swamp undefeated, but Florida is anxious to make a statement after an early season loss to an unpredictably good Kentucky team. If LSU’s dominance continues, keeping Florida in the top 25 without a quality win would be hard to justify. Utah fans need to be cheering for the Tigers this week in hopes of clearing space at the bottom of the top 25 for the Utes potential debut.
#6 Notre Dame vs #24 Virginia Tech Saturday 6:00 PM MT - ABC
Virginia Tech suffered one of the worst losses in the nation in week four when Old Dominion easily rolled the Hokies, temporarily knocking them out of the national rankings, however a convincing win over Duke last week put VA Tech back on the map. That could change this week when they face off against a red-hot Notre Dame team that’s looking to make their case for a top four ranking. While losing to Notre Dame is hardly embarrassing, VT’s ranking feels a bit soft and a likely loss to ND would push them back out of the top 25.