This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The assumption at this point would be Utah is over the "Rodney Dangerfield" era of Pac-12 relevancy — especially after a 10-3 season in which the Utes were ranked in the top three of the AP Top 25 at one point.

But CBS Sports disagrees, naming Utah one of the top five most disrespected college programs in the nation — sharing the "honor" with Notre Dame, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Mississippi State.

The article deems Utah's early Pac-12 struggles as a contributing factor to the nationwide snub, but that the "Utes have turned a corner since then," throwing support behind the team to have a real shot at the Pac-12 title this season.

"Stanford is the clear favorite, and should be, but there aren't many people who consider Utah to be a legitimate contender within the conference this year."

— Brennan Smith

Twitter: @BrennanJSmith