Utah comes in at No. 8 in initial CFP rankings

Utes still alive in quest for top-4 spot

As announced last Tuesday, Utah is still alive in its quest to reach the college football playoff.

The Utes check in at No. 8 in the CFP initial rankings, or most importantly the third team with one loss on the season. With hope still clinging to a CFP spot, Utah is very much in control for at least making a statement in the last quarter of the season.

Oregon, who checks in at No. 7, and the Utah are on a collision course to meet in the Pac-12 championship on Dec. 6 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. A win by the Utes in that game will give them a great exclamation point to end the season, finishing at 12-1 with a Pac-12 championship and a win over a top-7 Oregon team.

Nov 2, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) looks to pass against the Washington Huskies during the second quarter at Husky Stadium — Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports

Utah's place in the top-25 comes as no surprise.

Since the CFP debuted in 2014, the Utes have been ranked in the Top-25 in 25 of the 32 week, sixth best in the country and tops in the Pac-12. Only Ohio State (32), Alabama (32), Clemson (32), Oklahoma (30) and LSU (28) have spent more time ranked in the polls than anyone the Utes.

Utah, which is on a bye this week, will have another chance to rise in the rankings when it hosts UCLA on Saturday, Dec. 16. Game time is TBD