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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah football isn't shy about what its expectations are for the 2024 season. The team has fully embraced them and see a clear path to a playoff bid.
Those expectations got a boost Monday when Utah was ranked inside the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll — the sixth consecutive season and the eighth all time.
The Big 12 preseason favorite was ranked No. 12 in the AP poll, which is the second highest preseason ranking for the Utes all time. The previous high was in 2022 when Utah entered the season ranked No. 7.
Utah is the highest-ranked team in the preseason poll from the Big 12, though four other teams were included — including No. 17 Oklahoma State, No. 18 Kansas State, No. 21 Arizona and No. 22 Kansas. Iowa State, West Virginia and Colorado all received votes in the preseason poll.
At the top of the rankings is No. 1 Georgia, with 46 first-place votes. Behind them is No. 2 Ohio State (15 first-place votes), No. 3 Oregon (1), No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Alabama.