The clip sounds quaint, five years later. “Two words,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham says, addressing his team after an important victory. “Bowl eligible!”
It's true. Merely winning a sixth game of the season was a breakthrough for the Utes in 2014, following two seasons of staying home from bowl games. The landscape looks different now. The baseline expectation for Utah is repeating as Pac-12 South champion, and that brings the Rose Bowl clearly into view.
That’s the goal of every Pac-12 team, and it is hardly unreasonable in Utah’s case. As the Utes ransacked four Pac-12 opponents last October, the thought became unavoidable: This team should be very good in 2019.