Georgia falls out of the latest CFP rankings, but do they have a way back in?
The second edition of the College Football Playoff rankings is out and while Georgia’s omission is notable, they should easily get back in.
Sports Pulse
Today’s game between the Utah and Colorado football teams should not have gone the way it did, according to outside experts.
The Utes were the preseason favorites to win the Big 12 Conference, as voted by the media covering the league. The same media picked the Buffaloes to finish elevene under second-year head coach Deion Sanders.
Yet here we are in November and it has almost become the opposite. Colorado (7-2) is ranked second in the Big 12 and will play for the Big 12 championship if the Buffaloes can win their final three regular season games, starting with the Utes (4-5) in Boulder today at noon hours ET on Fox.
Utah, on the other hand, sits at the bottom of the standings with a 1-5 league record after losing three quarterbacks to injury this season, including former starter Cam Rising.
Colorado still hasn’t beaten Utah in its last seven tries dating back to 2017. A loss to the Utes at home today would be practically catastrophic after the Buffs rose all the way to No. 17 in the College Football Playoff rankings this week. It could cripple their playoff hopes. The stakes also remain high for Colorado receiver-cornerback Travis Hunter, who is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on Dec. 14, according to BetMGM.
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When is the Utah-Colorado game?
Kickoff is Saturday, November 16 at noon ET from Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
How to watch the Utah-Colorado game
The game will air on Fox and will also be available on Fubo. Former Colorado quarterback Joel Klatt will host the broadcast for Fox, along with play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson and sideline reporter Jenny Taft.
Watch Colorado vs. Utah on Fubo
What bowl game is Colorado going to?
The Buffaloes became bowl eligible last month and are now playing for a playoff berth and premium bowl invitation. It all depends on how they end up. If they lose one or more of their final three regular season games, they could fall out of the playoffs and into the Holiday or Alamo bowls on December 27 and 28.
But if they win and then win the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 7, they will find themselves in the new 12-team playoff and potentially get a first-round bye as one of the four highest-ranked conference champions. In that case, they would play in a quarterfinal in the Fiesta, Sugar, Rose or Peach bowls on December 31 or January 1.
How many quarterbacks have been injured for Utah?
Three are out with injury, led by former starter Cam Rising, who missed the 2023 season with a knee injury and then suffered a season-ending leg injury last month. Quarterback Brandon Rose started last week’s 22-21 loss to BYU but also suffered a foot injury that ended his season. Before that, coach Kyle Whittingham revealed that backup QB Sam Huard had undergone surgery and would also be unavailable for the rest of the season.
That leaves freshman Isaac Wilson to start today vs. Colorado. He is the brother of NFL quarterback Zach Wilson and has started five games for the Utes, completing 98 of 177 passes for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns. His backup will be senior Luke Bottari, who has not played this year.
If this all sounds familiar, it’s because Bottari, the fifth-string quarterback, started last year’s game against Colorado due to a similar rash of injuries. The Utes still won it 23-17.
But they will still be challenged to keep their quarterbacks from feeling more pain today. Colorado leads the Big 12 in quarterback sacks with 29.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @SchrotenboeR. Email: [email protected]
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