The final exam on the last day of the year had a lot to do with the Utah football team’s 2018 grade.
The Utes fell out of the AP Top 25 and received a B-plus in USA Today's grading of all 130 teams in the FBS.
Those evaluations seem harsh, considering where the Utes once stood. They were No. 17 in the AP Top 25 prior to a 31-20 loss to Northwestern in the Holiday Bowl. Two factors likely played into Utah’s drop: The way the Utes crumbled in the second half was disturbing to voters, after they led 20-3 at halftime.