BYU is playing for a College Football Playoff berth and a league championship. Utah wants to end a four-game losing streak, become bowl eligible and shatter the Cougars’ dreams of a Big 12 title.

This game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night will either be an extension of No. 9 BYU’s remarkable 8-0 winning streak or a Super Bowl-like victory for Utah.

My God, how the roles have reversed in two months since the start of this season.

The anointed have become the oppressed. The pursuer has become the chased.

Utah was the No. 1 pick in the Big 12 in July; experts said BYU would be 13th.

The Cougars know how fragile the Big 12 standings can be after seeing undefeated Iowa State defeated by Texas Tech and Kansas State upset by Houston. This was during a week where South Carolina kicked Texas A&M.

We saw Northern Illinois beat Notre Dame and Vanderbilt beat Alabama. Along the way, ASU, Arizona, Houston and TCU beat preseason Big 12 favorite Utah.

Tis the season, it’s 2024. It’s a little maddening.

And that’s why BYU can’t afford to take anything for granted with Utah, which, like Oklahoma State, had two weeks to prepare for the Cougars; the Cowboys almost pulled off a surprise at LaVell Edwards Stadium several weeks ago.

“This game terrifies me,” said former BYU and NFL star Austin Collie, who has had his own moments of glory in this heated rivalry. Speaking to 1280 The Zone Radio earlier in the week, Collie said the fact that Utah is playing with its back to the wall with a coach like Kyle Whittingham scares him as a BYU alum.

Some truths emerge from this game.

• Utah will be the best defense the Cougars have faced during their 8-0 stretch.
• BYU will be the best all-around football team the Utes have faced this season.
• The Cougar defense is nothing like the one that contributed to a five-game losing streak that ended in 2023. Coordinator Jay Hill has refined and sharpened BYU’s defense.
• BYU is solid at QB with Jake Retzlaff and their offense is up and running, consistent and efficient with both the pass and run.

Utah’s QB situation It may have been decided internally, but publicly, it’s a roll of the dice as to whether Isaac Wilson or Brandon Rose will trot out Saturday night. Maybe the two will come in and out.

that of Utah the offense struggled a lot after Cam Rising, invested by NIL, was injured. Again.

While changing offensive coordinators isn’t news to Whittingham, doing so during the season certainly is.

Consistency versus inconsistency,

An established culture at BYU versus a culture that was bruised and left wanting at Utah, a program that lived off its uncompromising esprit de corps for decades.

BYU turns over numbers; Utah needs help to get there.

Weaknesses for BYU? Rushing defense is ranked 69th and third down conversion percentage is 81st.

A weakness for Utah? The team’s passing efficiency is 108th, scoring offense is 105th and first down offense is tied for 115th.

If consistency and team play are the main factors in this game, BYU should win and win convincingly.

If Utah forces turnovers, pick-six scores or scoop-and-scores to make up for what its struggling offense produces, they have a chance.

On paper, BYU wins.

But the oddsmakers have it tight, under a touchdown differential for this historic game.

For what?

Because it’s BYU-Utah.

It is a game freed from what has been.

This week’s predictions

• Pittsburgh 31, Virginia 24
• Boise State 38, Nevada 17
• Penn State 31, Washington 21
• LSU 28, Alabama 24
• Oregon 42, Maryland 27
• Colorado 28, Texas Tech 24
• Clemson 33, Virginia Tech 28
• Iowa State 34, Kansas 31
• Indiana 28, Michigan 24
• Georgia 31, Ole Miss 28
• Texas 37, Florida 24
• Miami 31, Georgia Tech 27
• Ohio State 38, Purdue 21
• Washington State 42, Utah State 24
• Cincinnati 27, West Virginia 21
• Arizona State 27, UCF 24
• TCU 31, Oklahoma State 24
• BYU 24, Utah 14

Last week: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.; overall 129-44 (.745)