Utah Utes wide receiver Creed Whittemore (80) dives forward during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
A 31-21 victory over Kansas on Friday extended Utah's win streak to five and end the regular season with 10 wins for the first time since 2019.
It didn't, however, result in the Utes (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) securing a spot in the Big 12 championship game; nor did it necessarily help their College Football Playoff at-large aspirations.
Utah's placement in the Associated Press Top 25 poll indicated as much, with the Utes dropping to No. 15 and sitting behind a couple of at-large bid contenders in No. 12 Miami, No. 13 Vanderbilt and No. 14 Texas -- three teams had that their respective résumés boosted with ranked wins during rivalry week.
The Commodores remained in the hunt with a 45-24 win over in-state rival Tennessee, helping Clark Lea's group hold onto its spot at in the top 13 of the poll. The Hurricanes leapfrogged their way to No. 12 thanks to a dominant 38-7 victory over Pitt, while the Longhorns vaulted above the Utes with a 27-17 victory over Texas A&M.
Arizona's 23-7 win over Arizona State earned the Wildcats a spot at No. 22 and knocked Utah out of Big 12 title contention. The Utes needed the Sun Devils to win, plus have BYU beat UCF and West Virginia to upset Texas Tech, in order for their win over the Jayhawks to have any impact on the top two spots in the league standings.
Instead, the Big 12 championship game (Dec. 6, 10 a.m. MT, ABC) will pit the Red Raiders and Cougars against one another.
Virginia earned its way to the ACC championship (Dec. 6, 6 p.m. MT on ABC) -- where it'll face Duke for a potential College Football Playoff bid -- following a 27-7 win over Virginia Tech. The SEC championship (Dec. 6, 2 p.m. MT, ABC) will be decided in a matchup between Alabama and Georgia. The top two teams in the poll, No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana, will play for the Big Ten championship (Dec. 6, 6 p.m. MT, Fox).
If Utah doesn't place in the top 10 of Tuesday's College Football Playoff rankings, the Utes will play in a bowl game around New Year's Eve.
AP Top 25 Poll (post-Week 14)
Schools Dropped Out
- No. 18 Tennessee (lost 45-24 to Vanderbilt)
- No. 24 Pitt (lost 38-7 to Miami)
- No. 25 SMU (lost 38-35 to Cal)
New to the poll this week
- No. 22 Arizona (won 23-7 over Arizona State)
- No. 23 Navy (won 28-17 over Memphis)
- No. 25 Missouri (won 31-17 over Arkansas)
Others Receiving Votes
Tennessee 71, Houston 57, Iowa 51, UNLV 33, New Mexico 20, South Florida 11, SMU 8, Iowa State 4, Arizona State 3, Louisville 3, UConn 3, North Dakota State 3, Illinois 2, Washington 1, Pitt 1, San Diego State 1