Rece Davis Names Utah's Biggest Playoff Problem Ahead of Top-10 BYU Showdown

Utah enters the first College Football Playoff rankings as one of the country’s three remaining undefeated teams, but ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis believes the Utes’ schedule will keep the committee from fully rewarding that record.

Davis predicted on the College GameDay Podcast that the No. 3 Utes (8-0) will land “right around five” in Tuesday’s rankings, pointing to a strength of schedule that he said “ranks in the 80s.”

Rece Davis on Utah’s schedule

Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley works the sideline against the Cincinnati Bearcats | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Utah’s strength of schedule right now ranks in the 80s, and so that’s below the midway point in the country,” Davis said.

He doesn’t doubt what the Utes look like on the field. But he said that’s only half of what the committee weighs.

“I think they’re a really good team. I think they’re a dangerous team, very physical, can hold their own with anybody, but again, that’s only part of the evaluation,” Davis said. “The other is the paper.”

Utah has beaten Idaho, Arkansas, Utah State, Iowa State, Kansas, Colorado, Houston and Cincinnati. Only Houston, now No. 17, sits in this week’s AP Top 25.

Podcast co-host Dan Wetzel pressed the same point: “How many quality wins does Utah really have? They did beat Houston, which I think is a really good team.”

Why does the BYU game matter?

A Brigham Young Cougars cheerleader performs during the second half of a game against the Arizona State Sun Devils | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Davis kept his verdict short: “I think Utah better win.”

No. 7 BYU (7-1) arrives with a 28-24 win over Notre Dame on its resume and three straight wins over the Utes. Davis said a win over the Cougars would give Utah the type of result most contenders don’t have.

“Utah’s going to have a lot of wins just like everybody else if they don’t beat BYU. They’re good wins, but everybody has those,” Davis said. “Differentiating wins, those will be harder to come by.”

He expects the committee to deliver that message Tuesday: “I think they’re going to look at the schedule and have them right around five and say, ‘You still got opportunities here. You beat BYU, we look at it in a little bit of a different light.’”

Utah’s remaining playoff path

Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) celebrates after his team scores a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bearcats | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A loss wouldn’t end Utah’s season, either. Davis noted the Big 12 Championship Game offers a second shot: “If Utah goes, they would have another chance.”

After BYU, the Utes visit No. 24 Arizona and TCU before hosting West Virginia to close the regular season. Our latest College Football Playoff rankings prediction has both Utah and BYU landing first-round byes.

First-year Utah coach Morgan Scalley isn’t letting the stakes change the routine. “It’s not the big one, it’s a big one, just like last week was a big one,” Scalley said Monday. “I’m pretty confident in our guys that they’re not going to look beyond this week.”

The committee releases its first rankings Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, and BYU vs. Utah kicks off Saturday at noon ET on ABC.

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