College Football Predictions – Utah Utes 2017 NCAA Football Preview
2016 Recap
2016 Record – 9-4
2016 ATS – 7-6
The Utes started out strong at 4-0 whilst bagging wins vs BYU and USC but struggled down the stretch losing three of their final four regular season games. They grabbed their 9th win in the always-epic Foster Farms Bowl taking down the Indiana Hoosiers 26-24. The Utah football program continues to roll along having bagged eight 8+ win seasons in the past 10 years.
2017 MEGALOCKS Opening Power Rating
PAC 12 – TBD
South Division – TBD
OFFENSE
The battle for the starting QB job should be interesting. Incumbent Troy Williams was a decent game manager last season but will be challenged this season by ROLL TIDE transfer Cooper Bateman. MEGALOCKS UTAH INSIDERS have advised that the battle is still undecided heading into fall camp. In any event, the Utes will need their QB(s) to adapt to a new “pass-happier” system, as new OC Troy Taylor comes over from Eastern Washington. Feels like some risk here.
The running game lacks a true star, at least on paper, and they are definitely going to miss last season’s 1,400 yard man Joe Williams. The offensive line is probably the biggest concern on the team with only one returning starter. That makes it a virtual certainty that the Utes’ rushing numbers will be down, and if there are pass-protection issues, uh oh. The WR group also looks fairly underwhelming so it seems to us that Utah may have to “scheme” their way to reaching their typical 30 points per game. (Note – as we went to press the Utes were considered front-runners to land ex-Oregon WR Darren Carrington. That would be a yuuuge addition)
DEFENSE
This is where things get fun.
Stop us if you have heard this before, but the Utah defense looks really good, particularly the DL. The Utes have led the PAC 12 in rushing defense in each of the past two seasons and we feel like #3 is a 900 STAR SUPER STEAMER LOCK. A couple of starters return including all-UNIVERSE DT Lowell Lotulelei, and as an added bonus, they get back star DE Kylie Fitts who missed most of last season due to injury. The SACK LAKE CITY defense led the PAC 12 in sacks in 2016 and should still be in the top tier even with the loss of AA Hunter Dimick. The back seven also looks solid with their top-2 leading tacklers from the 2016 unit both returning for duty in 2017 (SS Chase Hansen had 90 tackles, 7.5 TFL).
SPECIAL TEAMS
This is always a strong point for the Utes. It will sting to lose their fantastic PK Andy Phillips but they still have the best P in college football on their side – Mitch Wishnowsky – and he was a 1st Team AA who won the prestigious Ray Guy Award. The return units should be fine.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot
September 16 – SAN JOSE ST. Forget SACK LAKE CITY. This is SANDWICH CITY. Utah takes on the Spartans after the HOLY WAR with BYU and right before PAC 12 play gets underway. They will be yuuuge favorites and will not be on our card that week.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
Utah has not captured a division title since moving to the PAC 12.
HC Kyle Whittingham is 10-1 in bowl games. BOWL GAME HC GOAT.
MEGALOCKS ATS Value Rating (10) 6.0
MEGALOCKS says:
Overall, we give the UTES a 6.0 ATS Value Rating (Above Average) this season.
There must be a graveyard for millions of handicappers who chose to continually fade the Utah Utes. They never look sexy but do a good job of “just winning” and getting the money vs Vegas more often than you would think. Having said that, in 2017, we worry about the OL and the move to a new offensive system. MEGALOCKS always loves finding teams that are “boring” “money-makers”. If the new offense struggles early and the defense spends too much time on the field we are not crazy about their prospects.
Conclusion ? The defense should be great and that is always our #1 concern. We trust that the HC and special teams can help cobble together another winning season vs Vegas. Do not be too cavalier but trust in a team that consistently overachieves.
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