Joel Klatt names Utah Football as a top College Football Playoff sleeper outside the Top 10

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FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt released his list of teams outside the top 10 who could reach the College Football Playoff. Among those to make the cut was the 15th-ranked Utah Utes.

This isn't the first time Klatt has been high on Utes football as of late. He placed Morgan Scalley's team in his weekly Top 10 ahead of the Utah State matchup.

Utah took care of business for a third straight week with a 33-0 shutout over Utah State last Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The Utes coasted during the entire contest with Devon Dampier throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Braden Pegan had a season-high 122 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches.

Klatt addresses where Utah stands going into Big 12 play. While naysayers will say Utah's opponents have a combined record of 1-8, Klatt set the record straight. "So are Georgia's (opponents)," Klatt said in response. "Nobody is playing quality opponents right now." He referenced Texas, Ohio State and Ole Miss playing quality opponents, but also asked, "Who has anybody beat?"

@joelklatt believes that Utah has the team and the path to make the College Football Playoff.
Death Taxes and Utah Football is back. pic.twitter.com/wtCex8oIvv
— John Leone (@_johnleone) September 23, 2026

In the early part of the season, there are so pretty good indicators the Utes are going to be the team nobody wants to face. Utah has beaten every opponent they have faced by at least 33 points this season. This includes Arkansas, who took home a 43-10 loss in Week 2. The Utes are also in the top 10 nationally for scoring offense and defense. Scalley's team has two ranked opponents on the schedule right now (No. 25 Houston, No. 9 BYU).

All things considered, Utah is the truest dark horse in the Big 12 right now. Everyone might be talking about BYU or Texas Tech making the College Football Playoff. However, there is a path for the Utes to either win the Big 12 championship and receive an automatic bid, or be a high-ranked at-large. Either way, there's a chance for both BYU and Utah to be in the Playoff.

There would be nothing better for college football than a scenario where a second edition of the Holy War would be played on campus in the first round of the Playoff. There would have to be a chain of events to happen for that to be possible, but it's not in the realm of unlikely at this point.

Utah moved up to No. 15 in this week's AP Top 25 poll. The Utes hit the road for the first time this season on Saturday against Iowa State (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX).