Pac-12 Football Power Rankings, Week 13: Utah demands more respect

The Pac-12 football power rankings are back, breaking down Utah’s excellence, and Kedon Slovis’ rise and what his future entails.

Another week of Pac-12 football, another week of clarity. This past week saw a must win for Washington State, our top two continue to dominate, and one true freshman fell while one now looks like the future number one pick. The most interesting game to me was the one that took place in Salt Lake City.

On the surface, the Utah Utes are right in the middle of playoff contention. They’re seventh in College Football Playoff, but the feeling when people talk about playoff teams, the overall feeling on teams from the outside looking in are Alabama (even potentially without Tua), Oregon and Oklahoma are the favorites to win out and take a spot. Are people disregarding the Utes? Let’s take a look at the ratings.

Currently, the Utes rank fifth in overall FEI, fourth on defense and tenth on offense. The only other teams to rank in the top ten in both? Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson. Utah is third in total defense on the season, and is dominant on that end of the field, to pair with one of the best quarterback/running back duos in the country.

Their one loss was when star running back Zack Moss barely played, against an underrated 7-4 USC team, which is a better loss than Georgia if were comparing resumes. A lot of football still left to be played, but the Utes have a lot to prove this season. On to the rankings.