ESPN analyst disrespects Utah before 2024 football season

Utes are favored to win the Big 12, but some see the season playing out differently

Utah officially joins the Big 12 conference /

The Utah Football team opened fall camp this week and began their final preparations for the 2024 season. The players and coaches have made it abundantly clear there is one goal in mind and that's being the "last man standing" in the Big 12 with an automatic bid in the College Football Playoff.

No doubt, Kyle Whittingham’s program is poised to make this year historic. Despite being picked by the media to win a Big 12 title, some aren't sold on the strength of the Utes. ESPN's Heather Dinich recently released her list of 30 college football teams with the best shot at making the new 12-team college football playoff.

Utah made the list, but their position was unexpected with five Big 12 teams ahead of them. Georgia took the top spot, followed by Oregon, Texas, Ohio State, and Penn State rounding out the top five. The rest of the top ten consisted of Notre Dame, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma.

Florida State was snubbed from last year's playoff and ended up at No. 11, followed by Michigan, Clemson, LSU, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Louisville, Miami, SMU, Boise State, Arizona, UTSA, NC State, Auburn, USC, Oklahoma State, Utah, and Texas Tech.

BYU will be down with "the blues" for Holy War in Salt Lake City

There's no evidence Kansas is the best team in the Big 12, but it's surprising they have the top odds of making the Playoff. The Utes are ranked low, especially considering oddsmakers say they have the best odds of winning the Big 12, which would grant them an automatic appearance in the CFP quarterfinals. Even more surprising is how many teams outside the Power Four teams are above Utah. Also, given how FSU was treated last year, the four-best SEC team could sneak in ahead of others with a lower strength of schedule.

ESPN currently gives Kyle Whittingham's team a mere 12.5% chance to make the CFP and a 0.2% chance to win a national championship. These low percentages contrast sharply with the positive buzz surrounding Utah throughout the offseason. This discrepancy suggests that while ESPN's algorithms provide one perspective, they should be taken with a grain of salt.

Despite the seemingly pessimistic odds, Utah's placement in the list highlights the competitive nature of college football and the unpredictable journey to the playoffs. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if the Utes can defy the odds and secure a spot in the 12-team playoff, proving that their offseason hype was well-deserved.