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SALT LAKE CITY — With hopes looking high up on the hill and down south, many fans are excited about the upcoming season. With that, we’ll look ahead at the top 10 biggest football games of the 2012 season involving local teams.
10. Weber State at BYU (Sept. 8): This game is by far the biggest game on the Wildcats’ schedule. Weber State has a new coach in Jody Sears following John L. Smith’s sudden departure for Arkansas. Sears serves as both the head coach and defensive coordinator, so the Wildcat defense should be a little bit more stout than it was last year. Though still probably not strong enough to hold down Riley Nelson and company, this game adds another in-state game we haven’t seen in a while to the 2012 slate.
9. Utah at Utah State (Sept. 7): This game means much more to Utah State than it does to the Utes. One reason is because it might be the last time in a long time that the Utes travel to Logan. This game should be a little more competitive than it has been. Gary Anderson has put the Aggies on the same playing field as the Utes and, had the two teams played each other last year, the Utes might have had trouble with the Aggies. Mobile Chuckie Keeton could cause a problem for the Utes.
8. Utah State at BYU (Oct. 5): This one gets put above “The Battle of the Blood Brothers” because it probably means more to both sides than the game above. With the last second heroics of last year still ringing in the Aggies’ ears, they’ll have revenge on their minds. The Cougars, meanwhile, will be looking to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and 2010 was.7. Washington State at BYU (Aug. 30): Mike Leach will be back in Provo for the Cougars’ season opener. No one has any idea what to expect from Leach in his first year in Pullman, but Washington State’s offense was effective last year, led by Jeff Tuel, and it should be even more high-flying with Leach at the helm. The defense, however, will be a little suspect and should lead to a very exciting opener in Provo.
6. Cal at Utah (Oct. 27): Cal is one of my sleeper teams in the Pac-12 for 2012, but the Golden Bears are not in the same division as the Utes, so the importance of this game is lessened slightly, but only slightly. If Utah is trying to stay in the chase for the Pac-12 South, every conference game will be crucial, and this one may be one of the toughest on the schedule outside the USC game.
5. BYU at Boise State (Sept. 20): No doubt, Boise State will not be as good as they have been after losing most of their offensive weapons. Chris Peterson always finds a way to reload, however, so this is going to be one of the tougher matchups for the Cougars in 2012. The Broncos don’t lose much at home. Peterson has only lost once at home in his six-year career at Boise State, so BYU will have their work cut out for them on the blue turf against one of the best programs in the country.4. Utah at Washington (Nov. 10): If things are going well for the Utes, this game may be the last big test on the schedule. Arizona and Colorado are expected to have down years again in 2012, and those are the last two teams on the schedule for the Utes after the Huskies. Washington beat the Utes pretty easily at Rice-Eccles Stadium in 2011, thanks to some key turnovers, so the Utes will have revenge on their minds in Seattle. A win there and Utah could be one USC slip-up away from playing in the Pac-12 title game.
3. BYU at Utah (Sept. 15): The rivalry game may be taking a hiatus for a couple years, but it still means everything for most college football fans in the state, no matter what they tell you. The next two years, the winner of the rivalry game will have bragging rights for a while, so this game still carries some weight.
2. BYU at Notre Dame (Oct. 20): Once again, the hype in South Bend is out of control and once again, count me among the skeptics. But Notre Dame is Notre Dame, and the Cougars will be trying to get a rare win in South Bend this fall. This game should determine who the best team in independence is. Notre Dame vs. BYU has always been a big rivalry and this year should be no different.1. USC at Utah (Oct. 4): With many experts putting USC in the national championship game this season, this Thursday night primetime game on national TV is easily the biggest local college football game in 2012. This game may determine the winner of the Pac-12 South division. With that much seemingly on the line, the atmosphere at Rice-Eccles Stadium will be as intense as it ever has been. The Trojans will have their hands full in what should be a chilly Salt Lake City, but the Utes will, no doubt, be up against a better team.
Trevor Amicone is the editor of byutahinsiders.com, a website that will be launched before the 2012 football season to cover both Utah and BYU football as well as national college football. Follow his very entertaining Twitter feed at @TrevorAmicone.
