LOS ANGELES — Expectations can barely get any higher this season for the Utah football program, which is picked to finish second in the Pac-12 South Division.
In the annual preseason poll released Wednesday, the Utes were slotted behind perennial favorite USC. The Trojans received 22 votes for first place, eight votes ahead of Utah.
Washington was the overwhelming choice to capture the North Division, with 40 first-place votes. Stanford and Oregon each got one vote.
The Huskies know all about high expectations, repeating as the preseason favorite. Most prognostications anticipate Washington being a strong contender to be one of the four teams in the national playoffs.