Playing Florida is a possibility; so is a matchup with Texas, Alabama or any number of other teams as the BCS shakes out in the next two weeks.

With a 12-0 regular season wrapped up, the Utes - ranked No. 6 in the BCS - can speculate all they want until the final BCS standings are released Dec. 7 and they learn their fate.

Two things they do know is they aren't playing until at least January, a long break that allows them to take the week off before starting bowl preparations; and they are very unlikely to slide all the way to the Orange Bowl.

Cincinnati's win over Pittsburgh on Saturday means all the Bearcats (9-2) have to do to clinch the Big East title is beat Syracuse (3-8) Saturday. That is good for the Bearcats, but a bad matchup for an SEC team from the Sugar Bowl's viewpoint. It would select Utah instead and leave the Bearcats to play the ACC champion in the Orange Bowl.

The Fiesta Bowl is considering the Utes, although the prevailing notion is it would take USC if the Trojans are available. Otherwise, the bowl will decide which team, Ohio State or Utah, is a better matchup for its Big 12 team.

If Utah goes to the Sugar Bowl, it would play the loser of the Alabama/Florida SEC title game on Dec. 6.

So how do the Utes match up with their possible opponents? Let's take a look, starting with Johnson's notion of playing the Gators.

Most believe the Gators are headed for the BCS title game on Jan. 8, but if Alabama, which is undefeated and has been ranked No. 1 since Nov. 2, wins, Johnson could get his game of choice.

Florida coach Urban Meyer has been vocal about not wanting to play Utah and his good friend Kyle Whittingham, but if the Sugar ignores his wishes and pairs the two teams, fans get a game with entertaining storylines on the field and off it.

Johnson credits Dan Mullen, his offensive coordinator who followed Meyer from Utah to Florida, for much of his development. However, Utah's fiercest competitor would love nothing more than to go against Mullen's latest successful project in Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman winner who has led an offense that has scored 42-plus points in its last six games.

If Florida can put up those big numbers in the SEC, home of the nation's best defenses, Utah's defense will be challenged in a way it has never been.

A better matchup for the Utes could be Alabama. The Tide have a capable quarterback in John Parker Wilson, but he's no Tebow. The Tide normally get their offense going behind running back Glen Coffee, who averages 6.1 yards a carry.

Utah's defense has thrived against teams with a run-first mentality. The biggest test for Utah against the Tide could be in the trenches since Alabama has two great lines, led by defensive lineman Terrence Cody, a 6-foot-5, 365-pound mountain of a man.

Who the opponent would be in the Fiesta Bowl is more unclear. If the top three teams in the Big 12 South win out, the tie between Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech will be broken using the BCS standings and the highest ranked team would go to the Big 12 championship game to play Missouri.

The winner presumably will go to the BCS title game and it's highly likely the loser will be taken by the Fiesta to replace the team it loses to the championship.

Whether the opponent is Colt McCoy's Texas, Sam Bradford's Oklahoma, Graham Harrell's Texas Tech or Chase Daniel's Missouri, the Utes would face one of the top offenses in the country. All four teams are ranked in the top six nationally in scoring.

For now, the Utes aren't too worried about who they will play or how they'll measure up on the field. Just being a part of the BCS again is satisfaction enough, receiver Brent Casteel said.

"It doesn't matter who we play, we'll just go and play our best and try and get a win," Casteel said.

Utes get commitment: The Utes picked up a commitment from Beau Burton, a 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back out of Saguaro H.S. in Scottsdale, Ariz., who chose the Utes over Colorado State and UNLV. Burton has rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 28 touchdowns.

lwodraska@sltrib.com

* Who: The rules state only one non-BCS team that finishes in the Top 12 of the BCS standings will receive an automatic berth. Utah and Boise State are both in the Top 12, at No. 6 and No. 9, respectively, but the automatic slot goes to the team with the highest ranking. The chances of Boise State passing Utah are virtually nonexistent.

* What: The BCS bowls are the championship game in Miami on Jan. 8, the Rose Bowl (Big Ten champion Penn State vs. Pac-10 champion) in Pasadena on Jan. 1, the Sugar Bowl (SEC vs. at-large) in New Orleans on Jan. 2, the Orange Bowl (ACC vs. at-large) in Miami on Jan. 1 and the Fiesta Bowl (Big 12 vs. at-large) in Phoenix on Jan. 5. The Big East champion is an automatic qualifier but doesn't have a tie to a bowl.

* When: The Utes will find out for sure who they play when the final standings are released Dec. 7.

* Where: The Utes are likely to play either in the Fiesta Bowl or the Sugar Bowl. The Fiesta is expected to take USC if Oregon State beats Oregon and goes to the Rose Bowl, which would leave USC as an at-large team. If USC goes to the Rose Bowl, then the Fiesta may take Utah over Ohio State. The Sugar Bowl has said it would take Utah if the Utes are available.

1. Alabama 0.970

2. Texas 0.960

3. Oklahoma 0.900

4. Florida 0.780

5. USC 0.710

6. Utah 0.860

7. Texas Tech 0.890

8. Penn St. 0.730

9. Boise St. 0.630

10. Ohio St. 0.570

11. Georgia 0.690

12. Okla. St. 0.580

13. Missouri 0.520

14. TCU 0.510

15. Ball St. 0.400

16. Cincinnati 0.430

17. Oregon St. 0.240

18. BYU 0.310

19. Michigan St. 0.260

20. Florida St. 0.290

21. B.C. 0.180

22. Ga. Tech 0.240

23. Oregon 0.000

24. Nrthwstrn 0.020

25. Pittsburgh 0.050

Utes put out Gator bait; now they must wait

* Who: The rules state only one non-BCS team that finishes in the Top 12 of the BCS standings will receive an automatic berth. Utah and Boise State are both in the Top 12, at No. 6 and No. 9, respectively, but the automatic slot goes to the team with the highest ranking. The chances of Boise State passing Utah are virtually nonexistent.

* What: The BCS bowls are the championship game in Miami on Jan. 8, the Rose Bowl (Big Ten champion Penn State vs. Pac-10 champion) in Pasadena on Jan. 1, the Sugar Bowl (SEC vs. at-large) in New Orleans on Jan. 2, the Orange Bowl (ACC vs. at-large) in Miami on Jan. 1 and the Fiesta Bowl (Big 12 vs. at-large) in Phoenix on Jan. 5. The Big East champion is an automatic qualifier but doesn't have a tie to a bowl.

* When: The Utes will find out for sure who they play when the final standings are released Dec. 7.

* Where: The Utes are likely to play either in the Fiesta Bowl or the Sugar Bowl. The Fiesta is expected to take USC if Oregon State beats Oregon and goes to the Rose Bowl which would leave USC as an at-large team. If USC goes to the Rose Bowl, then the Fiesta may take Utah over Ohio State. The Sugar Bowl has said it would take Utah if the Utes are available.