ESPN Analysts Doubt Utah Utes Can Win Title Despite No. 2 Ranking
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier led the third-ranked Utes to a 28-20 victory over ninth-ranked BYU on Saturday in Salt Lake City, keeping his team undefeated in a tense rivalry matchup.
The hard-fought game pushed Utah to a 9-0 record in a Power 4 conference and earned the program a jump to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 Poll, trailing only the Georgia Bulldogs. OutKick reported that Utah is odds-on favorites to reach the playoff and favorites to win the Big 12 Conference title and likely secure a first-round bye.
Despite the resume, ESPN analysts questioned whether the Utes possess the caliber required to claim a national title. Senior analyst Heather Didich pointed to earlier struggles against Colorado and argued that BYU helped Utah’s cause on Saturday through turnovers and penalties.
ESPN woke up today and chose violence against a 9-0 Utah team. "Struggled to beat Colorado." ⁰"BYU helped them out." ⁰"They will not win the national championship." BYU didn't "help" Utah. Utah took the ball away four times and held BYU scoreless for the whole second half.… pic.twitter.com/RhjXUHl8LZ
“They are there by default because some other teams above them lost. They have a great quarterback in Devon Dampier. This selection committee has a lot of respect for Utah. They’re a good football team. Are they a great football team? I don’t think we know the answer to that. I hesitate to say yes because they struggled to beat Colorado,” Didich told ESPN’s “Get Up” show.
Didich said that Bear Bachmeier’s mistake-filled game included four interceptions. She maintained that while Utah can compete for the national title, she doubts whether they are good enough to win it.
Paul Finebaum took an even firmer stance.
“They are not good enough to win it, Greeny. Let me just get that out of the way. I didn’t mean to jump in, but I’ll clear that up for America. They will not win the national championship,” Finebaum said.
OutKick observed that dismissing Utah’s season because of a close game against Colorado, while dismissing Georgia’s slip-ups, is done only because of obvious bias. The Bulldogs lost at home to Auburn, a squad holding a 5-4 record after a 38-17 blowout loss to LSU at home and a 30-point loss to Ole Miss.
Efficiency metrics tell a comparable story. ESPN’s SP+ rating system places Utah at No. 9 nationally, positioned directly behind SEC program Alabama at No. 8. Meanwhile, Texas holds the No. 6 spot with a rating of 23.5, placing them merely two points ahead of Utah’s 21.5 rating on a neutral field.
The season continues with a long road through the playoff.
Injuries or a single unfavourable bounce can alter any postseason run.
“They can compete for the national title. I don’t know if they’re good enough to win it,” Didich told OutKick.