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SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah closed out non-conference play Saturday with a blowout 54-16 victory over visiting San Jose State. The win prompted a jump up in the national rankings for the Utes Sunday ahead of conference play.
After multiple weeks on the outside looking in, Utah finds itself ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The ranking in the AP Poll marks the fourth consecutive season Utah has been ranked in the poll.
Six Top 25 teams lost over the weekend, including No. 12 LSU, No. 14 Louisville, No. 18 Kansas State, No. 19 Stanford, No. 23 Tennessee and No. 25 UCLA. LSU took a big fall to No. 25 following a blowout loss to then-unranked Mississippi State.
Utah moved up to No. 21 in the USA Today Amway Coaches Poll after falling to No. 24 last week in a close game against rival BYU. The Utes have been ranked in the Coaches Poll all season, including the preseason poll when Utah was ranked No. 25.
The Utes are one of five teams from the Pac-12 ranked in the AP and Coaches Poll, with USC leading the conference with a No. 5 ranking in both polls after a double overtime win over Texas. Ranked behind the Trojans is No. 7/6 Washington, No. 18/18 Washington State, No. 23/21 Utah and No. 24/24 Oregon.
Colorado, Cal and Stanford continue to receive votes but are not ranked. Following its loss to San Diego State, Stanford falls out of the rankings.
Alabama remains the No. 1 team in the country following its rout of Colorado State Saturday. Behind the Crimson Tide is No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 4 Penn State and No. 5 USC. The upcoming weekend of football is highlighted by two matchups with both teams ranked in the AP Poll: No. 6 Oklahoma State versus No. 16 TCU and No. 11 Georgia versus No. 17 Mississippi State.
