Utah is ranked a program-best No. 8 in the first College Football Playoff Top 25 of the season, giving the Utes genuine hope of at least playing in a New Year's Six game.
Oregon, Utah's potential opponent in the Pac-12 championship game next month, is No. 7 in the rankings, released Tuesday night. Having those teams ranked ahead of No. 9 Oklahoma is a significant development for the Pac-12 at this stage.
To make the four-team Playoff, the Utes and Ducks would have to hope for only mild turmoil among the top six of Ohio State, LSU, Alabama, Penn State, Clemson and Georgia.