Last year was the first time that all three FBS schools in the state of Utah — BYU, Utah and Utah State — finished the season in the final Associated Press top 25 rankings.
What could that mean for the 2022 season?
The preseason USA Today coaches poll came out earlier this week, and Utah — coming off a season where it finished 10-4 and won the Pac-12 championship — was ranked No. 8, the program’s highest preseason ranking in that poll.
The Associated Press preseason poll will be released next Monday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m. MDT. Utah was ranked No. 12 in the final AP poll of the 2021 season.
When has Utah appeared in the preseason Associated Press top 25 poll?
Here’s a look at the Utes’ five appearances in the AP’s preseason poll, and how the team fared that year (per Sports Reference):
- 2021, ranked No. 24 — finished the season with 10-4 record, ranked No. 12.
- 2020, ranked No. 22 — finished the season with 3-2 record, unranked.
- 2019, ranked No. 14 — finished the season with 11-3 record, ranked No. 16.
- 2009, ranked No. 19 — finished the season with 10-3 record, ranked No. 18.
- 2004, ranked No. 20 — finished the season with 12-0 record, ranked No. 4.
When has Utah appeared in the final Associated Press top 25 rankings?
By comparison, the Utes have appeared in the AP’s final rankings 10 times:
- 2021, ranked No. 12 — finished the season with 10-4 record.
- 2019, ranked No. 16 — finished the season with 11-3 record.
- 2016, ranked No. 23 — finished the season with 9-4 record.
- 2015, ranked No. 17 — finished the season with 10-3 record.
- 2014, ranked No. 21 — finished the season with 9-4 record.
- 2009, ranked No. 18 — finished the season with 10-3 record.
- 2008, ranked No. 2 —finished the season with 13-0 record.
- 2004, ranked No. 4 — finished the season with 12-0 record.
- 2003, ranked No. 21 — finished the season with 10-2 record.
- 1994, ranked No. 10 — finished the season with 10-2 record.