This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In the final two polls of the season, the 9-4 Utah football team has been voted a top-25 program.
It's been 23 days since the Utes' season ended, but after Ohio State trumped Oregon in the College Football Playoff title game, both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' Poll released new rankings. Utah finished No. 21 in the AP poll and No. 20 in the coaches' poll.
The last statement of the season was a 45-10 pounding of Colorado State in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 20. Utah has since lost both its offensive and defensive coordinators, but head coach Kyle Whittingham and other staffers will return after Utah's first winning conference record in the Pac-12.
The Utes will lose all-conference standouts Nate Orchard, Kaelin Clay and Jeremiah Poutasi, but are slated to return other key players from their first bowl-winning squad since 2011: quarterback Travis Wilson, running back Devontae Booker, receiver Kenneth Scott, defensive lineman Hunter Dimick, linebacker Jared Norris and cornerback Dominique Hatfield among them.
The 2015 season begins on Sept. 3 at Rice-Eccles Stadium against the Michigan Wolverines and new coach Jim Harbaugh.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Associated Press Top 25
Record Pts Pv
1. Ohio St. (59) 14-1 1,475 5
2. Oregon 13-2 1,402 3
3. TCU 12-1 1,349 6
4. Alabama 12-2 1,297 1
5. Florida St. 13-1 1,212 2
5. Michigan St. 11-2 1,212 7
7. Baylor 11-2 1,098 4
8. Georgia Tech 11-3 1,071 10
9. Georgia 10-3 925 13
10. UCLA 10-3 908 14
11. Mississippi St. 10-3 767 8
12. Arizona St. 10-3 756 15
13. Wisconsin 11-3 724 17
14. Missouri 11-3 710 16
15. Clemson 10-3 683 18
16. Boise St. 12-2 653 21
17. Mississippi 9-4 543 9
18. Kansas St. 9-4 509 11
19. Arizona 10-4 499 12
20. Southern Cal 9-4 315 24
21. Utah 9-4 302 23
22. Auburn 8-5 216 19
23. Marshall 13-1 161 NR
24. Louisville 9-4 116 20
25. Memphis 10-3 94 NR
Others receiving votes • Notre Dame 28, Stanford 27, Nebraska 22, Air Force 21, Duke 18, LSU 12, Utah St. 11, Arkansas 10, Minnesota 9, Oklahoma 7, Texas A&M 7, N. Illinois 4, Colorado St. 2.
—
USA Today coaches poll
Record Pts Pvs
1. Ohio State (62) 14-1 1550 4
2. Oregon 13-2 1477 3
3. TCU 12-1 1408 6
4. Alabama 12-2 1363 1
5. Michigan State 11-2 1282 7
6. Florida State 13-1 1262 2
7. Georgia Tech 11-3 1136 9
8. Baylor 11-2 1135 5
9. Georgia 10-3 1018 13
10. UCLA 10-3 909 15
11. Missouri 11-3 907 14
12. Mississippi State 10-3 799 8
13. Wisconsin 11-3 765 17
14. Arizona State 10-3 750 16
15. Clemson 10-3 733 18
16. Boise State 12-2 627 21
17. Arizona 10-4 574 11
18. Kansas State 9-4 556 10
19. Mississippi 9-4 444 12
20. Utah 9-4 331 25
21. Southern Cal 9-4 297 —
22. Marshall 13-1 178 —
23. Auburn 8-5 167 19
24. Louisville 9-4 113 20
25. Memphis 10-3 93 —
Others receiving votes • Nebraska 79, Air Force 45, Notre Dame 26, Duke 23, Stanford 22, Minnesota 20, Arkansas 18, LSU 13, Utah State 8, Texas A&M 7, Rutgers 4, Oklahoma 3, Washington 3, Oklahoma State 2, Louisiana Tech 1, Navy 1, Northern Illinois 1.