College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 7

Playing through a deluge in Corvallis, Utah managed to hold on against Oregon State for a 19-14 victory on Saturday. The Utes kept the ball on the ground most of the game, as quarterback Troy Williams completed just four of his 13 attempts for 42 yards. The visitors finished with 275 rushing yards, with Joe Williams (34 carries, 179 yards, one touchdown) getting the bulk of the workload. After falling behind 12-0 in the first half, Oregon State mounted a late comeback charge, but could go nowhere on their final drive as time ran out.

In the process the Utes remain tied in the Pac-12 South with Colorado and at the top of the table on overall record. Kyle Whittingham’s team takes on UCLA at the Rose Bowl next weekend, then closes out October at home against top-five Washington. Wins against both would vault Utah up the Top 25. The November schedule features road games against Arizona State and Colorado sandwiched around a home game against depleted Oregon. At this point Utah remains the favorite to represent the South in its first Pac-12 championship on the first weekend of December.