This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
There are believers. And there are nonbelievers. And both groups have votes.
At 5-0 and No. 4 in the Associated Press poll this week, the Utah Utes find themselves with an unusual distinction: While they're behind No. 2 Baylor and No. 3 TCU, they have as many first-place votes combined (16) as both the Bears (13) and the Horned Frogs (3). Even though the Utes have their highest AP poll ranking in regular-season history, 16 voters would have them as the best team in the country.
On the other end of the spectrum, 14 voters placed Utah between No. 6 and No. 10.
In the USA Today coaches' poll, Utah sits behind fellow undefeateds Clemson, LSU and Michigan State.
The split in national opinion is unique, and perhaps even surprising given that Utah's last two wins came against ranked teams.
But Cal quarterback Jared Goff saw the Utes up close on Saturday night. He's a believer.
"They're one of the best defenses in the country for a reason," he said. "They played really well."
A 30-24 win over Cal wasn't as dominating as Utah's splashy victory in Eugene, but the Utes passed a crucial test playing in a hyped environment that coach Kyle Whittingham compared earlier in the week to a "biosphere."
With all the media attention, including "College GameDay" on campus, Devontae Booker — who pounded out 222 rushing yards and still looked fresh-faced afterward — said the pregame rhetoric had worn him down.
"I got tired of it, really," he said. "It seemed like we were playing Michigan again. I really don't like to talk about how big a game is, I just go out there and play."
Regardless of the talk, it was a big win for Utah. The defense hassled a future first-round pick into five interceptions. The offense managed to score 30 points on a subpar passing night, thanks much in part to Booker.
Most importantly, the Utes' record remained unblemished while other contenders in the Pac-12 struggled. In the two weeks since Utah beat Oregon at Eugene, UCLA and USC — once Utah's top competition to win the South Division — have each taken troubling losses. The only other team that's unbeaten in conference play is Stanford, which isn't on Utah's schedule this year.
There's no question it's an unusual year when USC and Oregon each have two home losses in conference play through Week 6.
On Sunday, reports surfaced that USC athletic director Pat Haden asked coach Steve Sarkisian to take a leave of absence, further clouding how the Trojans might play on Oct. 24 against Utah.
"Everybody's cannibalizing each other," Whittingham said. "I expect that will probably go on all year. I mean, it's a balanced league."
But circumstances aside, Utah still stands alone as the only undefeated Pac-12 squad. And while upcoming games against Arizona State and USC will test that record, it's clear that the Utes have improved their positioning from Pac-12 contender to Pac-12 favorite.
The College Football Playoff polls come out in November, but if the AP poll is any indication, the Utes could be in position for one of four seeds if they keep winning. They'll have to contend with a bull's-eye on their backs, one that will only grow in time. But so far, the Utes have managed to scrape off underdogs in four of their first five games. While the Ducks faltered against Washington State, Utah's wins over Michigan and Utah State have looked better in recent weeks.
While some of Utah's players were confident enough to say they felt like the No. 1 team, Whittingham urged some caution.
"It's great to see a kid play with confidence, but we are not even to the midway point," he said. "Five down, seven to go. There's a lot of football ahead of us, and it's way too early to start thinking of the next game."
But even if Utah doesn't yet see itself as the top team in the conference — and maybe in the country — many others are already believing.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Arizona State at No. 4 Utah
P Saturday, 8 p.m.
TV • ESPN —
Utes soar into top 4
• Utah gets best regular season AP ranking ever at No. 4
• Utes get 16 first-place votes, besting No. 2 Baylor (13) and No. 3 TCU (3)
• Utah remains at No. 7 in USA Today coaches poll