SALT LAKE CITY — The state of Utah continues to make its presence felt inside the college football rankings thanks to a big home win and the clock striking midnight for other teams.
Without snapping the ball while on a bye Saturday, the BYU Cougars moved up to No. 8 in the latest Associated Press Top 25, thanks to losses by former Cinderellas Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt.
The Cougars are now set for their biggest game of the season as they head to Lubbock for next Saturday's showdown against No. 9 Texas Tech. The winner will be considered favorites to win the Big 12 Conference title and claim a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Utah's dominance in Saturday night's 45-15 beatdown of Cincinnati looked like a bye week scrimmage, but it counted and helped the Utes move up seven slots to No. 17.
The schedule eases up considerably for Utah following their upcoming bye week, with just Baylor, Kansas State and Kansas remaining on the regular season slate.
Ohio State retained its stranglehold of the rankings, remaining in the top spot ahead of Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia.
