Utah Takes Top Spot in Josh Pate's Big 12 Power Rankings

Josh Pate revealed his Big 12 power rankings on his show, The Late Kick, and the Utes occupied the top spot while arch-rivals BYU meddled near the bottom of the rankings. 

Pate formulated his rankings using a "3-year blend" of on-field production, talent acquisition, stability, and the program's resource pool. 

With that in mind, it is clear why Utah takes the top spot, coming off the most successful 3-year stretch arguably in program history, winning back-to-back Pac 12 championships in the most cannibalistic and competitive era of the conference while also making back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances. With Cam Rising returning, along with the countless transfer portal acquisitions and recruiting wins, the Utes are primed to make the 2023 season a distant memory. 

In Pate's rankings, the Utes are followed by (2) K-State, (3) OK State, (4) Texas Tech, (5) TCU, (6) Kansas, (7) UCF, (8) Arizona, (9) Iowa State, (10) Colorado, (11) WVU, (12) Houston, (13) Arizona State, (14) Baylor, (15) BYU, and (16) Cincinnati. 

Pate joins the long list of pundits high on the Utes, and if the team manages to stay healthy while rejuvenating the passing game, these projections will quickly turn into reality.