SALT LAKE CITY — Utah will head into the Pac-12 Championship game with its highest ranking of the season.
The Utes (11-1) jumped one spot to No. 5 in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls released Sunday, vaulting a spot one day after wrapping up their second straight Pac-12 South title with a 45-15 win over Colorado.
A similar jump is expected Tuesday when the next College Football Playoff rankings are released. Utah was No. 6 in last week’s CFP rankings.
The Utes received 1,275 points in the AP poll and sit behind only No. 1 LSU, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Clemson and No. 4 Georgia. Alabama’s loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl helped Utah move up, and the Crimson Tide fell to No. 9 in the AP poll.
In the Coaches poll, Utah received 1,326 points and sits behind the same four teams, in that order. Alabama fell to No. 9 in the Coaches poll as well.
The Utes take on Pac-12 North champion Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game Friday (6 p.m. MST, ABC). The Ducks (10-2), who beat Oregon State to wrap up the regular season, moved up one spot to No. 13 in the AP poll and stayed at No. 13 in the Coaches poll.
USC is the lone other Pac-12 team in the top 25, moving up a spot to No. 24 in the AP poll and staying put at No. 24 in the Coaches after a bye week. The Trojans wrapped up their regular season the week before.