Utah football: Can't miss games in 2012


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SALT LAKE CITY — Pac-12 Media Day is over, and camp is set to start in less than a week. Countdown to kickoff for the Utes' home opener against Northern Colorado is down to just 34 days.

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Yes, that is right, five weeks from today you will be sitting back, eating freshly grilled hot dogs and enjoying great company up at the tailgate lot at Rice-Eccles, listening to the marching band and experiencing the Ute Walk before Utah takes center stage playing in the first game televised on the Pac-12 Network.

Excited yet?

For the Utes, it will be their second go-round in the Pac- 12, fighting through adversity to a 8-5 record and a Sun Bowl win over Georgia Tech in their inaugural season.

Which games are the biggest obstacles in their way? Which games are the most important?

Here's my take on Utah's biggest games of 2012.

No. 3: vs. BYU, Saturday Sept. 15Last year, the Utes set out on a mission to search and destroy any blue on the field in Provo, and boy, did they ever. John White IV ran for 174 yards and three touchdowns as the Utes cruised to a 54-10 win.

This past offseason, the Utes went and scheduled a home-and-home with Michigan that will replace the annual blue vs. red rivalry in 2014 and 2015, which has created quite the stir.

Now, regardless of whether or not you are an advocate for keeping the annual rivalry game, with the attention this game is getting, not only on a local front, but by the national media, it has the potential to be another great chapter in what has been dubbed, "the Holy War."

The Cougars are seeking revenge for getting throttled on their home field. The Utes will be looking to build momentum going into their conference schedule.

Will the Utes open up another can of SpaghettiOs on the Cougars? Or will it be the Cougars that walk out of SLC with the last laugh?

No. 2: at Washington, Saturday Nov. 10It went from bad to worse for the Utes in last season's showdown with Washington.

The Utes fumbled the opening kickoff - which was returned for a touchdown, turned the ball over twice in the red zone - committing five turnovers in all - and lost their starting quarterback in a 31-14 humbling loss at home to the Huskies.

Utah was coming off a 54-10 trouncing of BYU, and had held with USC with a chance to tie the game with a field goal at the end. How could they lose so badly at home?

The loss left a bad taste in my mouth, though not nearly as bad as the 2010 Utah-TCU debacle, but more like Coke Zero bad.

This year, the game will be played in Seattle. And instead of being the Utes' second conference game like in 2011, the Utes and Huskies will face off in November, towards the end of the season.

Can the Utes prove that they belong in the upper tier of the Pac-12? Or will Washington once again send Utah back to the middle of the pack?

No. 1: vs. USC, Thursday Oct. 4Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is saying that the week 5 matchup vs. USC "could be the biggest game in Rice-Eccles Stadium history."

Before we dive into the implications surrounding this year's game, let's flashback to September 2011.

Trailing 17-14 late in the fourth quarter, the Utes, led by quarterback Jordan Wynn, drove down to the USC 24-yard line. With time winding down on the clock, the Utes attempted a 41-yard potential game tying field goal, only to have it blocked and returned for a USC touchdown.

Dramatic. Thrilling. Down to the wire. What more could you have asked for in the first ever Pac-12 game?

Utah's matchup against USC could be the biggest game in Rice-Eccles Stadium history. It is set for Thursday, Oct. 4 and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
Utah's matchup against USC could be the biggest game in Rice-Eccles Stadium history. It is set for Thursday, Oct. 4 and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

This year's installment of what very well could be a hard fought south division rivalry takes place in the friendly confines of Rice-Eccles.

USC returns Heisman candidate Matt Barkley. They potentially could be adding Penn State running back Silas Redd to an already prolific offense. Most preseason projections even go as far as pegging them as one of the top four teams in the nation.

But Utah returns some firepower of its own. Defensive tackle and potential top NFL draft pick Star Lotulelei is returning for his senior season. Single season rushing leader John White IV is back to try and one up his record-breaking 2011 campaign. Quarterback Jordan Wynn is finally healthy after not one, but two shoulder surgeries.

USC is projected to finish first in the Pac-12 South Division; the Utes second.

Could this game determine the south's representative in the Pac-12 championship game and a shot at the Rose Bowl?

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