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SALT LAKE CITY — Technically, the University of Utah isn’t the favorite to win the Pac-12 football championship in 2018.
Washington was voted the preseason favorite by league media, and Southern California holds the favorite tag in the South. But everyone is taking notice of the Utes, who received their most first-place votes at the conference's annual media day Wednesday since joining the league in 2011.
Now they just have to go out and live up to those expectations.
"It's going to be special," USC coach Clay Helton said of the Pac-12 South race. "Every game feels like the Super Bowl, every game was hard (last year)."
Utah football has been down this path before, though. The Utes have had chances to win at least a division title, but so far they are the only Pac-12 South program that hasn't played in a conference title game.
Can the Utes get it done this time?
"That's the next step in the evolution of our program," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "We're not shy about that. We don't back away from it. We've had our opportunities in the past ... and haven't got it done.
"But if we're going to take the next step as a program, that's what it is going to entail."
On paper, the Utes have what it takes.
An offense in the second year under coordinator Troy Taylor, Utah also has no questions or doubts in starting quarterback Tyler Huntley. The junior took his lumps at times in 2017, when he played like a first-time collegiate starter in spurts.
But Huntley has experience, as well as a loaded backfield highlighted by running backs Zack Moss and Armand Shyne, four of five returning offensive linemen, and a receiving corps highlighted by the return of electric athlete Britain Covey from a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Defensively, the Utes return playmakers in the front seven in Bradlee Anae and Leki Fotu — and also add Chase Hansen, the former Lone Peak High star who moves up the field from safety.
"He outgrew the safety spot," Whittingham said of Hansen. "He's 235 pounds, and not getting any smaller. His job description as a safety was that of a linebacker the majority of the time — he was in the box, defending the run, and we figured it makes sense for us to move him to linebacker and let him get closer to the point of attack."
Plus, the Utes already have potential NFL defensive backs Jaylon Johnson and Julian Blackmon to buoy the secondary.
The next step is the hardest, though — turning heightened expectations and preseason hype into results.
"Sometimes you just need to win the right game at the right time to put yourself in position," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "(Utah has) been close every year."
Click the video above for the complete Utah college football preview from KSL Sports.
