So much for the drama.
Against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Friday night, No. 5 Utah needed only a win to further close in on its first-ever berth in the College Football Playoff. A victory would have cemented Utah’s place atop a crowded field of one-loss teams and added a little spice to Sunday’s final Playoff selections.
Utah didn’t necessarily need to win big or pretty. It just needed to do what it has done all season.
But disaster happened. The Utes didn’t win. They won’t be in the Playoff. They may not even make a New Year’s Six bowl.