This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

When it comes to Utah football, I've got a devil sitting on one shoulder and an angel on the other. And both are talking.

The devil says the Utes have a long way to go, that the quarterback issue still hasn't been solved, that the Utes rank ninth in the Pac-12 in passing, averaging a mere 212 yards a game, same as it ever was. He says Troy Williams looked like he had chugged a case of Red Bull before the Washington game, chucking the ball all over like scattered cannon shot.

He says the Utes are 7-2, but just as easily could have been 5-4, that the games against Cal and Washington were botched, and that the whole one-play-away thing could just as easily be flipped in the other direction, against teams like BYU and USC. He says even the defense isn't all that great, ranking fourth in scoring in the Pac-12, fourth overall, and eighth in pass defense.

He concedes that the Utes rank third in stopping the run, but then he points to Myles Gaskin and the 151 yards he rolled up on 19 carries last Saturday. If Utah couldn't beat the Huskies on its home field, what makes anyone believe it could beat them on a neutral field in the Pac-12 championship game, were Utah to get that far? The Utes, he says, will end up being what they typically are — a Pac-12 bridesmaid. Good job, good effort, good win in a lesser bowl somewhere.

The angel says the devil is full of it, that the Utes have only two losses, and that they are two plays from being undefeated, that they were the equal of Washington until that punt return that was aided by some sight-impaired officials. He says the Utes are thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to being the best team in the conference, and that if the Huskies really are the fourth-best team in college football, as they are ranked, what does that say about the Utes, who were tied with them at 24 until Mitch Wishnowsky outkicked his coverage in the final minutes?

He says Williams had some shaky moments early against Washington and then settled in to throw two of the sweetest lasers for touchdowns that any college kid has thrown this season. The 24-yarder to Evan Moeai was like firing a ball into the back window of a speeding cab from a block away. It was a thing of beauty. He also says Joe Williams has been kissed from on high, having been suspended in heaven for a month and then returned, running for 683 yards in three games, running with the wings of … well, you know who on his feet, and a divine offensive line escorting him out front.

He says the Utes have lost two close games, but that they've really lost next to nothing. He relents that a shot at a playoff spot is gone, but that was never a probability. He says the Utes have three beatable opponents left — Arizona State in Tempe, Oregon at Rice-Eccles, and Colorado at Boulder. If those games are won, a berth in the league title game is there, a chance at a Pac-12 championship is there, that a place in the Rose Bowl is there and that a Rose Bowl trophy is achievable. What's not to like about that? Nothing.

The devil says the Utes were in a similar situation last season, when they were 6-0 and had a top-five ranking, and then the whole thing blew apart when they lost three of their final handful of games to skid into the Vegas Bowl against BYU, and that they might have even lost that game, a game in which the Cougars tried initially to give the game away and then came charging back.

The angel says all of that was just a detour, a temporary duck down a back alley toward a freeway onramp for a good finish this season. He says the lessons have been learned, the difficulty already endured.

The devil says the Utes are damaged psychologically now, that they'll have a hard time bouncing back from defeat, that it will play with their minds through a bye week, seeping in like poison through the extra time off.

The angel says that's ridiculous. He says after the loss, Kyle Whittingham said his players weren't devastated, rather, they were mad at letting the game out of their grasp. He quotes the coach as saying: "There was nobody hanging their head, there was nobody feeling sorry for themselves. It was more a feeling of anger, and some resolve in that locker room that going forward … we still have a lot of positive things. We have to make the most of it."

The angel says the Utes know what they are capable of doing. And they're right. He says there's nothing overblown about this team, that Washington is really good — and so are the Utes. He says that's why, when they lost on Saturday, they remained in the same spot in the coaches poll (16th) and went up a notch in the AP poll — also 16th.

The devil says the Utes should hang their heads, that a great season was there for them and they messed it up.

The angel quotes the great Jerry Sloan, saying the Utes can't play backward, that they can win the game in front of them, and the one after that, and the one after that. He says there are enough games to play in a season without adding another one to the pile, ebecause the what-if game cannot be won.

He says opportunity is in no short supply, that the Utes can still finish strong, that maybe they can win the Pac-12 title. He says that's not dreaming, not blowing sunshine, not eating sweet pickles and sniffing daffodils. He says it's real, it's right in front of them. He says what Whittingham said, "It's a three-game season now."

I tend to believe the angel.

It's a season the Utes can win.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on the Zone Sports Network, 97.5 FM and 1280 AM. Twitter: @GordonMonson.