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Utah might not have been playing for what it had aimed to be playing for in its final game of the regular season, and it might not have dispatched Colorado with the hoped-for ease.

Still, here it stands, with a school-record six Pac-12 victories and chatter among bowl executives that it will be invited by a bowl in the top half of the conference's selection order.

Kyle Whittingham said after Utah's 20-14 win that the 2015 campaign was "another step forward." From 9-4 to, potentially, 10-3. And recent history bodes well for the near future of his Utes.

Since Utah hired Urban Meyer, it has won nine or more games eight times in 13 seasons. Only twice has it followed nine or more wins with fewer than nine wins the next season: 7-5 in 2005, during Whittingham's first year as head coach, and 8-5 in 2011, during Utah's first year as a member of the Pac-12.

The past is no guarantee of the future, though. Utah will replace a four-year starting quarterback, one of the most productive running backs in school history, its top three leading receivers and two linebackers who Whittingham felt were among the nation's best.

Who knows? Utah might even have to replace Whittingham.

He acknowledged Saturday that "there's a big coaching carousel out there, and who knows what's going on."

Utah athletic director Chris Hill said earlier this month that the two had talked about the program's recent success. Whittingham received a raise and a one-year extension in January. Another successful season might earn the state's highest-paid employee another bump.

Sticking to the nearer future: Utah is headed to its 10th bowl game under Whittingham, who is 8-1 in the postseason.

Utah's destination might be a mystery until next Sunday, when the College Football Playoff Selection Committee begins to announce its playoff and New Year's Six pairings at 10:30 a.m. MST.

Its standing will improve if the Pac-12 can land a second New Year's Six berth via three scenarios: 1. Stanford beats USC in the conference title game and earns a spot in the four-team playoff, with the Rose Bowl then selecting the next-highest-ranked team (likely Oregon). 2. USC beats Stanford for a spot in the Rose Bowl, and the Cardinal gets an at-large New Year's Six berth. 3. The committee rewards Oregon with an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl, viewing the Ducks as a different team with a healthy Vernon Adams.

Should Stanford beat USC and go to the Rose Bowl as the conference's lone New Year's Six representative, the Pac-12's first chooser, the Alamo Bowl, seems likely to take Oregon.

The Holiday Bowl would then face a tough choice. South champ USC played in the Holiday Bowl last year. Washington State had its best season since 2003, but lost 45-10 Saturday to the Huskies. Holiday Bowl executive director Mark Neville told The Tribune on Sunday that both teams, as well as Utah, would receive consideration in that scenario.

The Foster Farms Bowl picks next. Multiple executives told The Tribune they do not expect Utah to be available for the Sun Bowl's selection, at No. 4. Should that happen, though, the Sun Bowl would likely be obligated to invite Utah as the lone remaining 6-3 team — and committee chairman John Folmer said they'd consider themselves happy to do so.

Twitter: @matthew_piper —

2015 Pac-12 bowl selection order

No. 1 Rose Bowl • vs. Big Ten champ, 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif., on ESPN

No. 2 Alamo Bowl • vs. Big 12 No. 2, 4:45 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2 in San Antonio, on ESPN

No. 3 Holiday Bowl • vs. Big Ten, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30 in San Diego, on ESPN

No. 4 Foster Farms Bowl • vs. Big Ten, 7:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 in Santa Clara, Calif., on ESPN

No. 5 Sun Bowl • vs. ACC No. 3-6, noon Saturday, Dec. 26, in El Paso, Texas, on CBS

No. 6 Las Vegas Bowl • vs. MWC No. 1 or BYU, 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 in Las Vegas, on ABC

No. 7 Cactus Bowl • vs. Big 12 No. 6, 8:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2 in Phoenix, on ESPN