Utah Football: Updated game-by-game predictions for 2020

USC enters with a lot of expectations, especially on sophomore quarterback Kedon Slovis. With J.T. Daniels going down, Slovis stepped into the spotlight and excelled. In his 12 starts, he threw for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns.

One positive for opponents will be the loss of skilled wide out Michael Pittman Jr. However, Slovis should have no issue getting the ball downfield as the Trojans always seem to have a plethora of talented receivers.

In 2019, USC spoiled Utah’s at-the-time undefeated season, in a game where the Utes just did not look good for the majority of the contest. If USC can live up to the hype, they could be a genuine playoff contender. I see the Trojans coming out of SLC with another win over the Utes.

Final Score: USC 35, Utah 24 (7-2)

Unfortunately for Utah, they have to face arguably their two toughest opponents back-to-back. This won’t be the same Oregon team we saw last year, but they will most definitely be one tough customer.

Whether it’s Anthony Brown or Tyler Shough taking over at quarterback, they will have Heisman contender offensive lineman (yes, you read that right) Penei Sewell protecting them up front. While replacing Justin Herbert will be a difficult task, these two are more than capable of being great new quarterbacks for Mario Cristobal’s Ducks.

Last season, the Utes just couldn’t compete with Oregon head-to-head. I’m sorry Utah, but not enough has changed in your favor to be able to do it this year either. The Utes should be more competitive against the Ducks than last season’s embarrassment, but look for Oregon to pick up a win in the regular season finale.

Final Score: Oregon 38, Utah 24 (7-3)