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 State — coming off a season where it finished 11-3 and won the Mountain West Conference championship — was not ranked, though the Aggies received 12 votes.
The Associated Press preseason poll will be released next Monday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m. MDT. Utah State was ranked No. 24 in the final AP poll of the 2021 season.
When has Utah State appeared in the preseason Associated Press top 25 poll?
The Aggies have never been ranked in a preseason AP poll.
The earliest in a season Utah State has appeared in the Associated Press rankings was in 1960, when the Aggies were No. 18 in the Week 8 poll that year after beating rival BYU, per Sports Reference.
When has Utah State appeared in the final Associated Press top 25 rankings?
By comparison, the Aggies have appeared in the AP’s final rankings four times:
- 2021, ranked No. 24 — finished the season with 11-3 record.
- 2018, ranked No. 22 — finished the season with 11-2 record.
- 2012, ranked No. 16 — finished the season with 11-2 record.
- 1961, ranked No. 10 — finished the season with 9-1-1 record.