As the Utes continue their fall camp, it is time to take one last look at Utah's schedule. And it is truly a doozy.
Utah faces two preseason Top 10 teams on the road, and Utah will face the top four teams picked by the media in the Pac-12 North. If the Utes want to achieve their goal of winning their division, they're going to have to do it the hard way in 2017.
Here's a breakdown of Utah's 2017 schedule:
vs. North Dakota, Thursday, Aug. 31
2016 record: 9-3 (8-0 Big Sky)
Playing an FCS team is usually the perfect opportunity for a tune-up, but playing the upper-level teams of the lower division is dangerous. The Fighting Hawks are the favorites to win the Big Sky and they have an outside chance of winning the FCS national championship.
While Utah is more than a match for North Dakota, it can't afford to sleepwalk through this game and expect to win. After all, higher-ranked teams have fallen to the likes of top-tier FCS teams. Just ask Michigan.
at BYU, Saturday, Sept. 9
2016 record: 9-4 (independent)
The Cougars appear to be completing their shift to their old-school offense in their second year under Ty Detmer. The return of the tight end has been a constant story out of Provo this offseason, although we still need to wait and see if Tanner Balderee, Moroni Laulu-Pututau and Matt Bushman can actually live up to the preseason hype. Tanner Mangum also appears to have adjusted to Detmer's offense, and he's the better long-term fit in this kind of offense than the departed Taysom Hill. The offensive line is the best it's looked since the Cougars went independent, but the Cougars are going to struggle to replace Jamaal Williams' production as they'll have to depend on a committee rather than a standout rusher.
BYU's defense looks solid with three great starters returning in Fred Warner, Butch Pau'u and Francis Bernard. The defensive line got a significant boost with the return of Sione Takitaki, who should be BYU's top pass rusher this season. The secondary also has playmakers in the form of Dayan Ghanwoloku and Troy Warner, although it will miss ball hawk Kai Nacua.
Overall, the Cougars look pretty solid from top to bottom. However, they still need to prove their mettle against a top-tier defense, and the Utes have NFL-caliber talent in the defensive trenches. If nothing else, this game has the potential of being another hard-fought battle that could very well come down to the final play. Again.
San Jose State, Saturday, Sept. 16
2016 record: 4-8 (3-5 Mountain West)
New head coach Brent Brennan will have a hard time getting this team back to a bowl game. While the Spartans have a quality cornerback in All-Mountain West cornerback Andre Chachere, they also had one of the most porous defensive fronts in the nation as they gave up almost 250 yards per game rushing last season. The quarterback position is still a big question mark as no clear starter has emerged between Josh Love, Montel Aaron or anybody else on the roster.
at Arizona, Friday, Sept. 22
2016 record: 3-9 (1-8 Pac-12)
The Wildcats under Rich Rodriguez peaked back in 2014 when they went to the Fiesta Bowl, but 2016 couldn't have been more opposite as Arizona finished dead last in the Pac-12 South and won just three games total. The question marks remain as Arizona searches for its starting quarterback. Brandon Dawkins appears to be the favorite, particularly since Anu Solomon transferred to Baylor and is out of the equation. While his 944 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing certainly aren't bad, his arm leaves plenty to be desired as he passed for just 1,348 yards and completed only 53.8 percent of his passes. If Arizona is going to beat a talented defense like Utah's, it's got to at least have some semblance of balance on offense.
vs. No. 14 Stanford, Saturday, Oct. 7
2016 record: 10-3 (6-3 Pac-12)
While a lot of the preseason buzz surrounds USC and Washington, don't sleep on the Cardinal. There was some uncertainty about whether quarterback Keller Chryst would be ready for the season after tearing his ACL in the Sun Bowl. But head coach David Shaw confirmed that Chryst will start against Rice. While Christian McCaffrey is gone to the NFL, Bryce Love is there to help pick up the slack as he rushed for 783 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. The offensive line returns six offensive linemen who have starting experience plus a few talented newcomers like Foster Sarell who could push for a starting position. The Cardinal also return eight starters on defense, including its entire linebacker group, with Joey Alfieri looking good with 10.5 tackles for loss last season. This is probably Utah's toughest home game of the season and will prevent the Utes from preparing too early for the next opponent.
at No. 4 USC, Saturday, Oct. 14
2016 record: 10-3 (7-2 Pac-12)
It's almost cliche to say that USC is back as journalists have proclaimed that just about every year since Pete Carroll bolted to the NFL. However, this time the Trojans have an impressive 10-win season and an entertaining win over Penn State in the Rose Bowl to point to. Sam Darnold is one of the favorites to win the Heisman this season after he found his groove during the season and threw 31 touchdowns while completing 67.2 percent of his passes. He forms a formidable duo with RB Ronald Jones II, who got off to a slow start (8 yards rushing versus Utah State) and still finished the season with 1,082 yards and 12 touchdowns. The defense also has dangerous playmakers in the form of LB Cameron Smith and DE Rasheem Green. Still, the Trojans will be without Jim Thorpe Award-winning CB Adoree' Jackson. If the Utes want to win their division, that road leads straight through Los Angeles.
vs. Arizona State, Saturday, Oct. 21
2016 record: 5-7 (2-7 Pac-12)
Head coach Todd Graham is starting to feel the heat after his second straight losing season last year and the first where he was unable to take the Sun Devils to a bowl game. The offensive line was a disaster last season as Arizona State gave up 3.42 sacks a game last season, which is good enough for No. 123 in the FBS. That stat alone must have Utah's defensive front licking its lips. The Sun Devils picked up Alabama transfer Blake Barnett, who just voiced his frustration with Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban in an interview with ESPN. Barnett was a five-star recruit out of high school, but he has yet to win the starting position over Manny Wilkins. Regardless of who starts under center, that offensive line needs to improve and quickly. In a recent scrimmage, the Arizona State offense gave up eight sacks. While that's a good thing for LB Koron Crump and the Sun Devil defense, it's going to be a long day in "Sack Lake City" if Graham can't fix the O-line by late October.
at Oregon, Saturday, Oct. 28
2016 record: 4-8 (2-7 Pac-12)
To call Oregon's four-win 2016 season a disappointment is a gross understatement. Now, Willie Taggart has a chance to bring the Ducks back to national prominence after building successful teams out of Western Kentucky and South Florida. And like the Oregon of old, Taggart has some explosive playmakers in the form of QB Justin Herbert and RB Royce Freeman. But the biggest problem Taggart has to face is a defense that simply imploded last season. Troy Dye was about the only bright spot on that defense last season as a true freshman with 91 tackles, including 13.0 for loss and 6.5 sacks. While eight starters return, we'll have to see if Taggart and the Ducks' new coaching staff can get the progress this team desperately needs.
vs. UCLA, Friday, Nov. 3
2016 record: 4-8 (2-7 Pac-12)
Josh Rosen has shown flashes of what he can do in his first two years at UCLA. In fact, he was on track for a 3,800-yard passing regular season with 20 touchdowns before his season came to an abrupt end after sustaining a shoulder injury against Arizona State. But the Bruins need more than flashes from Rosen this season as they try to bounce back from a disappointing 2016. More than that, they need to find a competent running game as UCLA averaged only 84.3 yards per game, which put the Bruins second to last in the FBS behind only Texas State. If someone like Soso Jamabo can step up his game to even the middle of the pack in the Pac-12, this team's offense could truly be scary. However, news hasn't exactly been positive out of fall camp as several running backs have already been hit with the injury bug. This game is key in Utah's goal to win the Pac-12 South.
vs. Washington State, Saturday, Nov. 11
2016 record: 8-5 (7-2 Pac-12)
Washington State was all over the map last season, from losing to Eastern Washington to start the season to winning seven straight games against Pac-12 teams before losing the last three. One thing that was consistent through all the chaos was QB Luke Falk, who passed for an astonishing 4,468 yards and 38 touchdowns while completing 70.0 percent of his passes. And while this team doesn't have the best defense in the Pac-12, it is improving to the point that the Cougars don't have to win with sheer offensive firepower alone. This team is a wildcard in the conference and could probably beat just about anybody if the ball bounces the right way. The Utes cannot afford to look ahead to Washington if it wants to win this game.
at No. 7 Washington, Saturday, Nov. 18
2016 record: 12-2 (8-1 Pac-12)
The Huskies are the favorites in the Pac-12 North and a potential College Football Playoff team after making it there last season. Jake Browning returns after an impressive 3,430 yards and 43 touchdowns. While he did struggle toward the end of last season, we've come to find out that he played much of last season with a shoulder injury. It's scary to think what Browning could do with a full season with a healthy shoulder. Plus Washington has a potent rushing duo in Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman, who combined for 2,225 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. If that wasn't enough, the Huskies have the best linebacker the Utes will face in Azeem Victor. Victor's season was cut short due to a broken leg and was still picked as a first-team All-Pac-12 selection. Victor is a prime All-American candidate and will give any offense he faces grief. This is as tough an opponent as the Utes could ask for.
vs. Colorado, Saturday, Nov. 25
2016 record: 10-4 (8-1 Pac-12)
A lot of folks expect Colorado to regress after winning 10 games last season, including a 27-22 win over Utah. The biggest reasons why is the Buffaloes lose QB Sefo Liufau along with eight starters on defense, including CB Chidobe Awuzie and DT Josh Tupou. While it seems unlikely that Colorado will replicate its 10-win season, don't expect this group to fall back into the Pac-12 South's basement, which is where they were before Mike MacIntrye came to town. A lot depends on QB Steven Montez, who got some good playing time when Liufau was out with injury. He's got some great pieces back on offense, including RB Phillip Lindsay and a stable full of receivers led by Devin Ross and Shay Fields. The biggest question is whether the Buffaloes can overcome their massive losses on the defensive side of the ball.