Why Utah Football Should be Rooting for BYU to Upset Notre Dame This Weekend
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The 11th-ranked Utah Utes head to Boulder to face the Colorado Buffaloes in the latest edition of the Rumble in the Rockies on Saturday (10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
A few hours before the Utes are likely to stay undefeated on the season, the No. 8 BYU Cougars face one of the biggest matchups in Kalani Sitake's tenure. No. 2 Notre Dame comes to Provo in what's billed as the biggest game for the Irish thus far into the season.
The game obviously means everything to BYU fans because of how close the Cougars have been each of the last two seasons. This is what was supposed to be a matchup in last year's Pop-Tarts Bowl. But Notre Dame pulled out and canceled the invitation after not making the College Football Playoff. Now we'll get to see how good both of these teams are midway through the 2026 season.
Who will Utah Utes fans root for in this one? The answer should be simple. BYU might be a sworn enemy and archrival of Utah. However, a Cougars' win is key for the Utes because of the Holy War on November 7th. If Utah beats an undefeated BYU team to open up the final month of the regular season, this adds to the Utes' potential playoff resume.
They don't need BYU to beat Notre Dame, but it would be a much better look for them if they did. It's a simple concept, and any Ute fan can get down with it. We all know this is true, and the Big 12 doesn't get the same level of national respect right now. One win could change that for BYU, and then a trickle-down effect for Utah. All Morgan Scalley and the Utes have to do is take care of business.
If Utah goes 12-0, the Playoff is definitely on the docket. However, what if Utah goes 11-1 in the regular season and then loses in the Big 12 Championship Game? An 11-2 finish will likely keep them out of consideration for the postseason bracket. This is high-stakes poker, and if the Big 12 wants to benefit in the postseason, BYU beating Notre Dame is important.
Utah will likely move up into the top 10 regardless of what happens this week between BYU and Notre Dame. All they need to do is beat Colorado. Deion Sanders' team is dealing with several issues and is 1-10 in Big 12 play going back to the start of last season.
The Utes beat up on the Buffs last year with a 53-7 final. Expect a similar result this time around. Utah travels to Boulder for the latest edition of the Rumble in the Rockies on Saturday.
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