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Welcome to the Hotline's predictions for each Pac-12 game of the 2022 season. The 12-part series will be published in six installments, with teams grouped daily by travel partners. Links to prior articles at bottom …
Utah Utes
Coach: Kyle Whittingham (18th season)
Offensive coordinator: Andy Ludwig (fourth season)
Defensive coordinator: Morgan Scalley (seventh season)
2021 record: 10-4/8-1
Utah's five-year win totals: 9-7-9-11-10 (2020 season excluded)
Last postseason appearance: 2022 Rose Bowl (lost to Ohio State)
Best-case 2022 scenario: 11-1
Worst-case 2022 scenario: 8-4
Projected starting quarterback: Cameron Rising
Key question: How will the defending Pac-12 champions handle the pressure of being the hunted for the first time since joining the conference in 2011?
Here we go …
Sept. 3: at Florida
Result: win
Record: 1-0
Comment: Our only question: Will Florida be within two scores with five minutes remaining, or will it be out of reach? Probably the former but don't rule out the latter.
Sept. 10: vs. Southern Utah
Result: win
Record: 2-0
Comment: The afterglow of success in The Swamp will linger for one week and one quarter. A sluggish start for the Utes gives way to a blowout.
Sept. 17: vs. San Diego State
Result: win
Record: 3-0
Comment: In contrast to last year, Rising will start but not finish. Also in contrast to last year, Utah should be comfortably ahead late.
Sept. 24: at Arizona State
Result: win
Record: 4-0/1-0
Comment: Dangerous game for the Utes, who will be entrenched in the AP top five at this point and a substantial favorite in Tempe. Feels like Rising will need to elevate his game to keep Utah undefeated.
Oct. 1: vs. Oregon State
Result: win
Record: 5-0/2-0
Comment: The Beavers rushed for 260 yards in their head-to-head victory last season. Will they get 260 yards total this time around? Doubtful.
Oct. 8: at UCLA
Result: loss
Record: 5-1/2-1
Comment: No team has gone undefeated in conference play since Utah and Colorado joined the Pac-12 more than a decade ago, and these Utes won't be the first.
Oct. 15: vs USC
Result: win
Record: 6-1/3-1
Comment: Reasonable chance the Trojans are undefeated when they arrive in Salt Lake City for a showdown of top-10 teams. Utah has the pass rush and secondary to contain Caleb Williams and Co. — and the ground game to wear down USC's defense.
Oct. 22: idle
Comment: Mandatory weekend off with a Thursday game around the bend.
Oct. 27 (Thursday): at Washington State
Result: win
Record: 7-1/4-1
Comment: WSU usually makes the Utes work for their victories, and this primetime matchup will be no exception.
Nov. 5: vs. Arizona
Result: win
Record: 8-1/5-1
Comment: Extra time for the Utes to prepare plus the scare last year in Tucson plus Arizona coming off a Homecoming duel with USC equals a give-the-points situation, no matter how big the spread.
Nov. 12: vs. Stanford
Result: win
Record: 9-1/6-1
Comment: Utes facing a team they demolished last season and will be vulnerable to a look-ahead situation with the Ducks looming. But Stanford is playing for the eighth consecutive week and not up for the challenge physically.
Nov. 19: at Oregon
Result: loss
Record: 9-2/6-2
Comment: Exactly the premier matchup the conference envisioned when it scheduled this for the penultimate Saturday of the regular season. We expect a defensive duel decided by two or three plays in the fourth quarter. The Ducks end Utah's playoff drive, just as the Utes did to Oregon last year.
Nov. 26: at Colorado
Result: win
Record: 10-2/7-2
Comment: Drained and downbeat after the showdown in Eugene, the Utes struggle early but take control late to secure a spot in the Pac-12 championship game.
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Jon Wilner has been covering college sports for decades and is an AP Top 25 football and basketball voter as well as a Heisman Trophy voter. He was named Beat Writer of the Year in 2013 by the Football Writers Association of America for his coverage of the Pac-12, won first place for feature writing in 2016 in the Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest and is a five-time APSE honoree. You can follow him on Twitter @WilnerHotline or send an email at jwilner@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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