Joel Klatt believes this year could be Kyle Whittingham's Playoff "swan song" at Utah

FOX Sports analyst sees a special year ahead for the Utes with big goals

Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Joel Klatt holds a high opinion of the Utah Utes in his rankings for the upcoming season. Initially, in the post-spring Top 25 rankings, the FOX Sports analyst positioned Utah at No. 6, just behind Ole Miss and ahead of Alabama. While his preseason fall rankings shifted Utah to No. 9, Klatt remains confident in the team, even predicting that they will win the Big 12 Conference.

Klatt's ranking places Utah three spots ahead of their preseason Associated Press ranking at No. 12, showing his strong belief in the team's potential. Despite Michigan, Alabama, and Notre Dame moving ahead of Utah since his spring rankings, Klatt maintains that Utah is a formidable force. He highlights Rice-Eccles Stadium as a critical advantage for the Utes, noting their impressive 18-1 home record over the past three years. In Klatt's view, this makes Salt Lake City the toughest place to play in the Big 12.

Death, taxes, Utah football. This is my pick in the Big 12,” Klatt said. “Utah is really good, really tough. I know the Big 12 teams are not going to want to hear this, and I understand that some of those places are tough to play in, but Salt Lake City — and Utah — is now the toughest place to play in the Big 12. Period. Period,” Klatt said. “That home-field advantage is real. They are incredible at home. This is one of the best teams in the country.”

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A key factor in Utah's success is their quarterback, Cam Rising, and tight end, Brant Kuithe. Rising has been instrumental in leading the Utes to two Pac-12 titles, while Kuithe played a significant role in their success before his 2022 season-ending injury. Klatt believes that as long as these players remain healthy, Utah will continue to dominate, as they have in recent years.

Klatt also praises head coach Kyle Whittingham, who has an impressive 162-79 record and is considered one of the top coaches in college football. Klatt believes this season could be a defining moment for Whittingham, with Utah potentially making a run to the College Football Playoff.

“This could be a swan song for a guy that has been as good as any in the country. You think that team’s not going to play hard for him? You think that defense is not going to play hard? They’re aggressive. They’ve got a great home field. They got a veteran quarterback. Watch out for Utah,” Klatt said.