Utah Football 2024 Big 12 Schedule: 2 big tests for Utah early and BYU in early November?

Utah's 2024 Big 12 schedule has officially been released and it's interesting let's talk about it you are locked on youth your daily podcast on the Utah you part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day hello everyone and thank you for making locked on you your first listen every single day we are available on all platforms including YouTube and wherever you may get your podcast if this is your first time listening to our show make sure you like And subscribe love interacting with all of you on YouTube as well as on social media where you can follow our show at locked onut onx today's episode of Locked onut is brought to you by FanDuel you can make every moment more new customers can join today and you'll get $200 in bonus bets if your first bet of $5 or more wins visit fanduel.com lockon to get started my name is JT Wier former intern inside the University of Utah athletic department excited to be joined on Today's Show by Kevin borba of Fan Nation all UT and Kevin when reacting to the Big 12 schedule it's a it's a mixed bag in a lot of ways for me am I excited about some of the big games and the positives like excited about the big games and I think the second half of the season in particular really sets up Utah for success but we'll talk about this more in the second segment I don't love that BYU versus Utah isn't on the Rivalry weekend the UCF game just as someone who gets excited for rivalry weekend and for so long that game hadn't mattered when Utah played Colorado this year it was gonna matter more than likely even more and it's not on that weekend again you get a kind of a little bit of a meaningless game to me against UCF and I just think it's really interesting to me that Utah's two toughest games of their season in my opinion are their first two to open Big 12 plays so in terms of just a fan of just col like Utah and college football like I didn't love the schedule the way it was all scheduled out and then also as I mentioned I just think it's really interesting that you have these massive games against Oklahoma State and Arizona state which both those match ups Utah against them should all everyone should be ranked but like why aren't those in October and November or later in October and November like why are they so early I I just think it's really interesting how everything kind of worked out Kevin yeah it's one of those things where it's like you got to question the the thought process and maybe it's like they don't want to go up against uh I don't know what week it is I was trying to look this up while you're were talking the Texas vers Oklahoma game is October 12th like maybe maybe the Big 12 is trying to figure out a way to not kind of coincide with the the first rivalry week or first big game week of all the other all the other conferences so they kind of threw in sprinkled in their biggest games of all the contenders early on in the season so that way everyone's like oh the Big 12 is playing and right now the SEC is still playing The Citadel or whoever it may be or something something like that so I thought that was interesting like you said also we joked about it before the show I think we'll know by because they play Arizona on 28th we'll know by the 28th that evening if Utah is basically controlling the Big 12 and has a path to the playoff or if they're kind of going to be in a situation where they were I think it was two years ago um when they needed a couple things to go here and there to make the Pack 12 title game uh so we'll know by the 28th what their future kind of holds unless they collapse obviously um it it is crazy that that is how early it feels like and it's also kind of nice where Utah as they do have a cupcake not complete cupcake because it's I mean they're at least playing Baylor when a lot of teams wouldn't even play another Power five team Baylor's just down with the way Utah looks right now I expect Utah to take care of business in that game at Rice Eckles it'd be different if it was on the road to me but Utah should make it out of their first few games fine I mean even against Southern Utah and Utah State I don't expect the Utah starters to be in come the fourth quarter time but I'll give I mean Utah State you never know literally have Bryson Barnes on their team so we'll see the plays he can make against his former team but uh as it relates to the Big 12 schedule just again I I do I just think it's crazy that Oklahoma I understand why one of these games is early it's a big it's a marquee game it matters but Oklahoma State and then Arizona I just think it's interesting it's very much so I welcome to the Big 12 Utah as well because you do suffer those two losses like you said like your season can kind of fall apart from there so it is just really strange to me that on paper and I'm Brett ymark all the big 12 they knew this as well like the toughest teams on Utah's schedule are I I just don't know how you don't think it's Oklahoma and Arizona you cannot look in a way too early top 25 list and not find some combination of Utah Oklahoma State and Arizona as the top three teams in the Big 12 currently and they decided they wanted all of them to play each other in September and not in October or even November a little bit I that's the part that once again I just think it's so strange yeah I think it's it's really weird but again I I honestly I think it's the big 12 maybe looking around because obviously the Big 12 was the final conference I don't know if the big 10's release their schedule the SEC and the ACC both release their schedules and so maybe they like looked around and were like okay do we want to go up against inser like Oklahoma versus Texas I'm gonna go back to that one just because I looked that up yeah do we want to try to get ratings against them because I promise you Utah Oklahoma State's not GNA outdo those um that game like no it is not it's just it's just the truth like unfortunately these these programs in the Big 12 are still developed rivalries uh I also maybe hopefully everyone's healthy by this time of the year unlike at the end of last season that Colorado Utah game shador didn't play obviously cam Rising didn't play Luke I mean Luke batari was playing we didn't even get Bryson Barnes to play or or Johnson right so it was just one of those things where like maybe there was just some motivation to kind of hopefully have everyone healthy and I also think it is interesting one Utah doesn't have a single conference game that's like consecutively on the roads so they don't have to go at Oklahoma State at Arizona um but the game that also stands out to me I know we're not talking about just random games but that late November game against Iowa state is kind of tricky uh just because Iowa Iowa State's always a tricky team late in the year and so I really think Utah i w say they they kind of won um their scheduling like reveal but like I definitely feel like it could have gone worse like they could have had Iowa State paired with Oklahoma State and Arizona um but I think they they made out all right so it's not too bad it's just kind of weird I guess you could call it I totally agree with that I've referenced this stretch for Utah numerous times on my show last year I felt like the stretch of games that included USC Oregon Arizona State and then going against Washington would decide Utah's season they went two and two in those games hence why they were not involved in the Pack 12 Championship that's even before they would go on to of course lose to Arizona in addition to those as well too so I think you're absolutely right there um some other interesting things just to note with the schedule and you did like you said you did make a great note too that it's uh like Utah's no Inc conference game back toback road games it is funny that like their only back-to-back Road game consists of a bus ride to Utah State because then they go to Oklahoma State the week so very lucky for Utah there uh I think the other notable thing we got to talk about is the buys I really like the buy game placement can I nitpick and say hey can we have it between Oklahoma State and Arizona sure would that have been nice yeah but you still You'll Play five games you get a buy you get three more games in then a buy and then you get what Utah hopes to be five more games if you make the big 12 championship and get a buy there so I really like the placement of the buy games too and and Kevin you can expand on the buy games too and the importance of those but is there any other things just big takeaways you had from looking at this schedule too yeah the buy thing is huge because honestly the the worst place to have a buy is like really early in the year my first year covering Stanford they had a week two by week so it was like they played they played Colgate and then it was like by week and then they took on Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison and it was like okay well cool everyone's rested for a week two games so I think Utah kind of there's only so much you can complain about with by weeks but I think they they made out all right um I do think everything for the most part is pretty good uh I think that late November game against UCF may work out in Utah's favor it's one less game they have to play in the cold like obviously it's not it's not BYU but if they're on the road like would you rather be on the road in the snow or like would you rather be on the road in Florida when it's like probably a little windy so I would say that's my other observation because I know we're gonna talk about BYU not being that final week but it's cold in November in Utah this could be like the prime opportunity for Utah to like get up for a game because it's not freezing and I also feel like cold weather games there's always that added element of like what's going to happen because of the weather and do in some ways cold weather games benefit Utah because they like to run the ball and play defense sure but there's gonna be very few games this year that I don't feel like Utah has the quarterback Advantage with Cam Rising so I don't want that neutralized all I'm not making a calling cam Rising Josh Allen but when the bills have hosted numerous playoff games Josh Allen has been neutralized in some ways because they just can't throw the ball in that weather and that's where their offensive line play has hindered them a little bit offensive line for Utah still a big question mark coming into this season I like the pieces they have there but I'm not ready to say this is going to be one of the best offensive lines in college football which two years ago I was definitely feeling that with Braden Daniel satow La Keaton bills all coming back to the unit versus a lot more up in the air like I said so it is interesting and I it yeah Utah is going to be excited to go out Florida in December rather than when they were out there in August a couple years ago um the cold that is the time you definitely want to be in Florida when the weather is uh is like that and you mentioned they're going out to Florida they're not going to Provo and or provo's not coming BYU is not coming to Utah that's one of the interesting things about this schedule we long thought that the Rivalry game would be played with Utah versus BYU the last game of the regular season that's not the case and to me that is significant want to talk a little bit more about that in one moment but first want to talk to all of you about our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook happy Super Bowl to all who celebrate from FanDuel America's number one sports book if you're like me Super Bowl Sunday is all about scoring the best seat on the couch grabbing your favorite football snacks and placing some super bets I love getting together with friends and family watching the commercials and just enjoying the final NFL game until September and fanduels has so many ways you can end the season with a dub to or two or 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between Utah and BYU on what date would it be renewed we all started to kind of lean towards you know what this is a priority it feels like it's the biggest rivalry in the Big 12 right now sure there's some other ones in there but I don't know I I feel like it might be Utah BYU so I thought that they would want to stick that on rivalry weekend when all the major rivalries are played in college football and no I'm not calling it as big as the iron ball the game all of that but still a rivalry game that I think people would watch especially when the play date is on the Friday night and you're avoiding the Saturday in which all the eyes will be on those other big games I just thought that made a lot of sense to put it there Big 12 felt otherwise and not only is it not like just a week before it's on November 9th so Utah will have three more games to play and after they've played BYU I I thought there was a real opportunity here like I talked before about maybe there's some value of giving it a spotlight in another week and that's maybe what they want to do but if you were going to do that and almost still play the game in like October maybe even late September like it's just weird to me to have it in November but not on rivalry weekend to me or maybe even a week before something I just think it's really strange and I don't love it yeah it's definitely I I like the thought process of like maybe it's to get the Intriguing matchup but like if that was their goal I'm just going to go off on some of the other games this weekend I Haven them pulled up we have Florida State at Notre Dame the same week you have let's see Alabama LSU Washington at Penn State Georgia Old Miss Florida Texas and then Oklahoma at Missouri so that right there is like six or I don't know how many games I read off but five or six ranked games and it's like bigam yeah they're huge games and it's like is Utah BYU in that caliber probably not uh I think it doesn't help and this could be a total reach so correct me if I'm wrong but I feel like Utah has downplayed this game a lot like they're like especially KY wooding him he calls it he says it's just another game um I think he knows it'si a rivalry but I don't think he gives it like that attention or that like Spotlight if you will and uh maybe the Big 12 is just trying to find another rival or maybe I don't know it's one of those weird things it's like is there a way to bring eyes to the Big 12 that weekend maybe that is the right way because obviously there's so many other great matchups in the SEC maybe if they know if college football knows that they have a huge um instate rivalry going on maybe people will be dialed in it's just one of those things where people get worked up about the smallest things and I think it would have been cool to play at the end of the year but I think the Big 12 is doing things differently I think that's kind of their MO I think that's how they're going to stay afloat as a conference and maybe not having this as a rivalry game per se like according to our standards is the way to do it I think you're absolutely right I think Kyle Whittingham has a little bit I I think most people know like how much this still means to the fans and everything and I feel like nationally hopefully people still recognize Utah vers BYU is is an exciting kind of matchup because of that connection that's existed there but you're not wrong and obviously KY Whittingham like there nowhere and it'll and it's not going to change this like Utah doesn't have a like we got like this is like they don't value it the way Michigan and Ohio State value the game I'm not saying you have to um but it's just like you said it's not there the same intensity it doesn't feel like Utah goes hey we're working every day to do two things this year win the Big 12 and beat BYU I I don't get that's the sense of the mindset I feel like it is like hey when it comes up it'll be a rivalry it's important but it's definitely not something that's on their mind like some of the other biggest rivalries are and yes Utah versus BYU I do think it's a good rivalry but I think the reason that I don't love that it's on that weekend with all those major games you just said is BYU please shock me please be in contention for a top 15 spot in college football by the time that game rolls around I don't expect BYU to be ranked I expect Utah to be ranked and Utah's good at home I expect them to take care of business there are a lot more intriguing matchups to offer a college football fan that weekend that have those playoff implications over Utah BYU while because of Utah BYU I think people will care there will be some fun to it as well but these are the kind of things now that Utah and BYU will play again year after year can go back into building the Rivalry hopefully it is a fun game it's competitive so it makes people excited for the next one too I think that's something that uh that definitely matters as well but it'll be interesting to see and once again just weird that this game is late in the year but I'm glad they're playing it I know there's always a lot of uh vitriol between the fan bases but I think it's going to be fun to have it back once again um final big takeaways on the schedule just for me is I do overall when it just is like hey Utah making the college football playoff that's where I think the schedule works out well for them I expect them to be undefeated of course in the non-conference play I think they got a really good chance to come out and make an early statement in the season against Oklahoma State once again I like one of these games being early I don't love both of them being early but what's nice is they're not both on the roads you get Arizona coming to you and they have lost some players because of Jed fish's departure so that's another one where I like Utah's early chances and I think if you get those two big wins early just sets you up for success I mean even the next stretch after the buy Arizona State TCU Houston Utah all clearly better than those teams and even the close the season yes the one against Iowa State's a little interesting but even that's at home it takes only B knck is the only guy to come into Ryle stadium and beat Kyle winningham's Utah team at home the last couple Seasons Brock py ain't walking through that door for Iowa State I know they got some good players but that one's just hard for me to see so yeah there's still opportunities I I still give Colorado a chance to beat Utah just because I'm that high on chador Sanders I think there's a way they can turn around so and by a rivalry game UCF late in the season if they overlook him like there are still opportunities for Utah to stumble throughout this schedule but and yes a while ago there was an article released like calling Utah schedule one of the easiest in college football and I think that's where you can kind of see it and like that but just seeing the dates on paper I do think as it relates to Utah wanting to make a run at a big 12 title in a playoff birth for the first time in their program history that's where the schedule works out well yeah and I think it is worth noting both Oklahoma State and Arizona got out to slow starts this past year and so it could also work out in Utah's favor in the sense that Utah's a veteran team um we typically know what to expect from them maybe Arizona State or not Arizona State Arizona and Oklahoma State maybe they take a little bit to get cooking um obviously like you mentioned Arizona has the changes um with the coach they lost some key players in Oklahoma State they have a good running game but their quarterback situation with Alan Bowman I'm like is that really convincing enough I don't know so I think it's weird that and kind of I guess that could be a little scary that they play them back toback and early in the season but that could also be an advantage for Utah um I also don't feel like they really got a tough uh like a Road schedule um like I could I could be wrong um but Oklahoma state is by far the toughest game um they they go it's a crazy crowd out there they go crazy for their Cowboys and then I look at everyone yeah and they I look at everyone else and I think outside of Oklahoma State the toughest Road game is probably gonna be at Colorado and that's not until November so I think Utah made out pretty well 1000% agree it's going to be interesting to see how it plays out and we're going to continue to talk about this schedule for Utah football the rest of the week on lock on UT but for the rest of today's show I want to talk about the Utah Women's Basketball team that is still in the midst of a strong season I'll be at a little bit of a stumble first the Utah Women's Basketball team took care of business last Friday against Oregon defeating them 58- 48 this is another one Alysa peely doing her thing leading the team and scoring having 16 points eight rebounds also how about Jenna Johnson with the double double 10 points 10 rebounds for her as well also Deja Young And since being inserted the starting lineup she brought the energy Off the Bench now does that in the starting lineup had three steals scored a couple buckets as well for this Utah women's team and always good to get a road win in college basketball and that is what Utah was able to do when they went on the road and defeated Oregon but unfortunately they were not able to earn a road win against Oregon State and the Utah offense had a tough performance in this one they scored only 66 points which I believe is their season low and give the bees credit the Pack 12 is always tough when it comes to women's college basketball and this game against Oregon State no exception they're ranked 25 and it's hard to win on the road Oregon State's 17 and3 right now Utah's 15- six they're five- four in conference play which is crazy because they have also have just last week they had wins against two top seven teams that's just how crazy good the conference is overall but this is one where Alissa peely showed up I mean she had 28 on I'll be on 28 shots but still getting the 28 points like that but Utah just not able to a rhythm offensively they only score 13 points in the fourth quarter while Oregon state would go on to score 24 to put this game really out of re or excuse me Oregon State actually UT where Utah struggle was in the second and third where they only scored 13 and 10 points and then Oregon state would go on to in those quarters really outscore Utah they outscored them by 19 points in the third and this is where you really feel the absence of no GI neins who was out for the season with an injury Utah's second best player coming into the year in my opinion so these these kind of weekends are tough those or and you get one you split the weekend but like if you want to be a team that goes to the final four it's that's where these kind of weekends are like we'll see what the ceiling is but still I'm still really high on this Utah women's team I just don't think there's even though it's not a great loss when you lose that badly you still only lost to a top 25 team so that's where I'm still optimistic about this Utah Women's Basketball team yeah I think the hard part is you look at like how well they shot um not often are you going to be able to shoot 39% as a team and win a g and not often is are you allow are going to allow your opponents to shoot because I'm not joking Oregon State shots 69% from the field and then 65% from three with 13 threes so it's not often A team's going to get that hot um also if you watch a lot of Utah women's basketball like we all we all know everyone does the Utah Utes are very entertaining team we love Alysa peely she's really good but you look at Kenny McQueen zero points in 30 minutes is not the norm for her um even if you go through like her her last few games she had she had scored 7 21 8 14 um three against Stanford 16 12 so it's just not it's not common for someone to get like her to get get shut out um so it's just one of those things where I think everyone in college basketball is susceptible to those games where someone's gonna get really hot and the best you could do is try to be hot and unfortunately for them Oregon State probably came close to a record um in terms of Threes And I think uh shooting however poorly Utah shot is not the right for success but I would look more at the USC and UCLA games as more of their ceiling um because that was both those teams were playing quite well um prior to that game and I just think Oregon State's kind of an anomaly even though Oregon State's good not to take away from them but shooting 70% from the field is not a normal thing yeah and I think the nice thing too for the Utah ones basketball team is this is just what's nice about college basketball like yes the first few rounds of the women's tournament are played at Host site so that's where they need to improve proove their stock if they want to get and host games like they did last year but the Pack 12 tournament neutral sight the biggest games after that neutral sight as well and even if and I still think this Utah Wes basketball team will put themselves in a position to H host games I know they still have some work to do to climb the standing but this is a good get right trip for them they're on the road again going to Washington Washington State neither of those teams ranked then you get your revenge game against Oregon state who's at home Oregon comes to town to I expect Utah to win the next four then you get a huge one you get a stretch of Colorado UCLA and USC all three of those teams ranked inside the top currently I think Utah has a chance to go on a run to start the second half of their season because as good as those teams I just mentioned were at least they don't have any more top five opponents coming up their way because I they don't play St or they don't play Stanford again and some of these other ones and they already I mean they already played the number one team in South Carolina and gave them a game too so I'm still high on the Utah WIS basketball team it'll be interesting to see how the rest of the season unfolds for them but Kevin there's a lot going on at the University of Utah right now football schedule coming out Utah men's and women's basketball in action gymnastics team doing their thing too if people want information on all things Utah Athletics where should they head over to yeah go over to uh FN all Utes on Twitter fanation all Utes we are covering uh me and my my couple guys we're out here covering everything from football schedule breakdowns to uh transfer portal stuff Utah is making some big moves uh the senior bowls this week so you guys won't want to miss our Senior Bowl coverage about Cole bishop and SE iaki and the other guys that are there as well so yeah just make sure to tune in follow us we got you covered awesome Kevin thank you so much appreciate you joining us yeah thank you for having me that's going to do it for today's edition locked on Utes we'll be talking some Senior Bowl and more Big 12 schedule stuff as well as all things relating to the University of Utah on the rest of this week's lock on NES we look forward to seeing you then