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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utes may have had a bye week, but that didn’t stop them from moving up in the national rankings Sunday. That was, in large part, due to three teams above Utah — Auburn, Iowa and Washington — all losing games.
Utah moved up to No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll, up two spots from its previous spot of No. 17 last week.
Though Utah didn’t have a game this week, there was nowhere to go but up for the Utes in a week that featured seven bye weeks and five “upsets” among Top 25 teams.
Utah is one of three teams ranked in this week’s Top 25 from the Pac-12. Oregon, which is ranked No. 13 this week, continues to lead the conference as the top-ranked team, and Arizona State, which had a bye this week, jumped up to No. 18 in the AP poll and into the Coaches Poll for the first time at No. 24. The Sun Devils were previously unranked last week in the Coaches Poll.
Washington, which was previously ranked No. 15 in the AP poll and No. 16 in the Coaches Poll, dropped out of the rankings after falling to Stanford on the road. With the Huskies dropping a game to Stanford, Oregon appears to have a clear path at a North Division title as long as they can continue to keep winning.
The Huskies continue to receive votes in the AP poll and the Coaches Poll, and so does California and Arizona. Washington State is still receiving votes in the Coaches Poll.
Voters in the AP poll kept the top five the same, with Alabama claiming the No. 1 spot for the second consecutive week. The Crimson Tide are followed by No. 2 Clemson, a tie at No. 3 with Georgia and Ohio State, and No. 5 LSU.
The Coaches Poll has Oklahoma at No. 5 in their rankings.
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