The Utah Utes climbed to No. 2 in the latest AP Top 25 college football rankings on Sunday following their 28-20 victory over BYU, leading five Big 12 teams in the national rankings heading into Week 11.
Utah improved to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in Big 12 play with Saturday’s Holy War victory, moving up one spot after previously sitting at No. 3.
Georgia took over the No. 1 ranking following its dominant 42-7 victory over Ole Miss, while Notre Dame moved to No. 3 after beating previously top-ranked Miami.
Utah also received 12 first-place votes, trailing Georgia’s 53.
More: Top 5 Takeaways From Week 10 in the Big 12 Conference
Five Big 12 Teams Ranked in AP Top 25
The Big 12 has five teams in this week’s rankings, including two in the Top 10.
- No. 2 Utah (9-0): Up one spot after beating BYU 28-20.
- No. 10 Texas Tech (8-1): Up three spots after surviving West Virginia 53-48.
- No. 12 BYU (7-2): Down five spots following its loss to Utah.
- No. 14 Houston (7-2): Up three spots after beating Cincinnati 31-24.
- No. 22 Arizona (7-2): Up two spots after escaping TCU 29-28.
Oklahoma State also received votes following its dominant 66-28 victory over Kansas State but remained outside the Top 25.
Utah Makes Big 12 History
Utah’s rise to No. 2 is particularly notable because it’s the program’s highest AP ranking during the regular season.
The Utes finished the 2008 season ranked No. 2 after going undefeated and beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
And there’s another interesting Big 12 storyline.
For the first time since 2015, two Big 12 programs have reached No. 2 or higher in the AP poll during the same season. BYU previously reached No. 2 in October before Utah accomplished the feat on Sunday.
Now, the Utes have positioned themselves as one of the leading national championship contenders in college football.
But the schedule isn’t getting any easier.
Utah travels to No. 22 Arizona next Saturday in another important Big 12 showdown, while Texas Tech heads to Oklahoma State looking to remain in the conference championship race.
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Big 12 has two Top 10 teams and five ranked programs, setting up an intriguing finish to the conference title race.
