Week eight of the college football season gives fans only three matchups against ranked teams, two of which are within the PAC-12, meaning Utah will need to rely on a number of upsets if they hope to climb the rankings at the end of the week.
#9 Florida vs South Carolina Saturday 10:00 AM MT - ESPN
Hot off their upset defeat of the third ranked Georgia Bulldogs, the Gamecocks now play host to the a Florida squad that was trounced by the surging Tigers of LSU. WIth both teams riding opposite trajectories, the Gators should be on upset alert...an upset that would undoubtedly benefit Utah if they’re able to put away the Sun Devils as predicted.
#16 Michigan vs #7 Penn State Saturday 5:30 PM MT - ABC
The Wolverines have consistently been ranked behind the Utes throughout most of the season, but a victory over a top 10 opponent would likely launch Jim Harbaugh’s squad back into good graces with the voters. Considering the quality of opponent Michigan faces in Penn State, it’s easy to see how the polls could shift to favor the Wolverines over the Utes if they upset the Nittany Lions in this primetime matchup, leaving Utah fans better off rooting for the higher ranked team in this situation.
#14 Boise State vs BYU Saturday 8:15 PM MT - ESPN2
As UCF’s short reign appears to be over, Boise State has once again reclaimed their position as the top group of five program in the nation. This week, they host a depleted BYU team on the brink of self destruction. Utah fans should be cheering for their in-state rival to pull out a miracle victory tonight, as it would help give a slight boost to the Ute’s currently weak strength of schedule, and would get the Broncos off their heels after finally jumping them in the polls last week.