After a couple of weeks with uneven schedules, this Saturday brings several appealing college football matchups, including a top-10 showdown between BYU and Utah at noon ET.
No. 9 BYU enters at 7-1, with a 4-1 record in Big 12 play. The Cougars won their first six games, beating Utah Tech, Arizona, Colorado State, TCU, Iowa State and Notre Dame. The TCU and Notre Dame games were close, but BYU managed to win both.
Then came a double-overtime loss at UCF the week after the Notre Dame victory. It’s a familiar pattern this season: a team gets a major win, then struggles the following week. BYU bounced back against Arizona State, though the Cougars won by just seven points.
Utah is No. 3 and remains unbeaten at 8-0. The Utes have plenty of talent, but their schedule hasn’t been especially demanding so far; they’ve faced only one ranked opponent. Their 21-13 home win over Houston was probably the biggest result, though it wasn’t exactly overwhelming.
The next two games, against BYU and Arizona, should tell us more. Winning both would put Utah in a strong position to reach the Big 12 title game and likely the College Football Playoff.
Quarterback play could decide this one. BYU’s Bear Bachmeier is a genuine dual threat, while Utah’s Devon Dampier can run and is effective from the pocket. Bachmeier may be less likely to beat Utah with his arm, while Dampier could be more dangerous as a passer than as a runner. I expect a close, cautious game. Utah may crowd the line to slow BYU’s running game, while the Cougars could be happy to let the Utes run. The under at 49.5 looks like the play.
