The University of Utah’s loss at Oregon has shut the door on its Pac-12 title hopes.
Right?
Not so fast.
Had Utah won, all the Utes would have needed to reach the Pac-12 championship game is win at Colorado on Saturday. Instead, the Utes need the win in Boulder and get a bunch of help — although the help they need is very plausible.
Here’s what needs to happen, according to a Pac-12 official, for the Utes to sneak in:
1. UCLA must beat Cal on Friday
2. Oregon State must beat Oregon on Saturday
3. Washington must beat Washington State
4. And the Utes must win at Colorado
It’s a lot to ask, but the Bruins and Huskies will both be considerable favorites.
The X-factor here is the 8-win Beavers, who are legitimately a small handful of plays away from being 10-1 and in the championship game mix. That rivalry game is in Corvallis and there are reasons to believe the Beavers can upset the No. 12 Ducks.
Utah-Colorado was announced on Sunday morning as a 2 p.m. kickoff on Pac-12 Network. Oregon-Oregon State is a 12:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC, and Washington-Washington State will begin at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.