they were given a leg up for over a decade to establish a competitive advantage over BYU. They took advantage with their 9 Holy War wins, and managed to win 2 PAC championships during the 2 weakest PAC years in its history, but the tide is turning. This year is set up on a platter for them - BYU is in a rare QB drought period, and is very beatable. Most of the Big12 teams are coming off a down year and are trying to find their footing for this year. The Big12 offices handed Utah an easy schedule. They have a 7th year QB returning. Many pundits have marked them the favorites. They would have to shoot themselves in the foot to not win a Big12 title in their inaugural year.

Somehow, I think they will do just that - shoot themselves in the foot. And this year will be the beginning of a slide back to mediocrity that will have no Urban Meyer or soon no Kyle Whittingham to save them from. Gone are the annual matchups with the LA schools and Oregon/Washington to help them in recruiting, gone is the soft schedule of the PAC12 south (and the division format that enabled them to even sniff the conference championship game), and most importantly, gone is the P5 money advantage they enjoyed over the sleeping giant to the south. Well, the sleeping giant is waking up, and now, he will not only have power conference money, but NIL money in the new world of college football. Yes, the reckoning will soon be here.