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SALT LAKE CITY -- No. 20 Utah (10-2, 7-1 MWC) will begin gearing up for its eighth-straight bowl game this week while awaiting word on its bowl destination. The Mountain West Conference runner-up Utes are 12-3 all-time in bowl games.
ESPN.com is projecting the Utes to play in Las Vegas against Temple or Ohio, while CBSSports.com is projecting the Utes to play Ohio, also in Las Vegas.
The Maaco Las Vegas Bowl expressed interest in inviting Notre Dame, but with the Irish's success towards the end of the season, it appears that they are now a lock for the Champ Sports Bowl in Orlando.
The other possible scenario I've heard talked about is the possibility of a Nevada or Boise State vs. Utah match-up in Las Vegas.
Utah has won its last nine bowl games—the longest active bowl win streak in the nation and tied for the second-longest of all time. Florida State holds the record with 11 consecutive bowl wins (1985-96), while the Utes (1999, 2001, 2003-2009) are tied for second with USC (nine wins spanning from 1923-45)
Five of Utah's wins during the current nine-game win streak have come against BCS foes: USC (2001), Pittsburgh (2005/2004 season), Georgia Tech (2005), Alabama (2009/2008 season) and California (2009). Other wins came against Fresno State (1999), Southern Miss (2003), Tulsa (2006) and Navy (2007).
Utah has won at least 10 games for the third year in a row under sixth-year head coach Kyle Whittingham. Utah has six 10-win seasons in its 117-year history, including five in the last eight years: 2003 (10-2), 2004 (12-0), 2008 (13-0), 2009 (10-3), 2010 (10-2). The school's other 10-win season was in 1994 (10-2).
Utah is No. 20 in this week's BCS Standings and No. 21 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' polls.
