WOW: BYU Booted, Top Analyst Puts UTAH In College Football Playoff In 2026, Devon Dampier?

Описание: When Brett McMurphy drops a prediction, the college football world stops to listen—and for the Utah Utes, his recent 2026 forecast is a massive "vote of confidence" in the post-Kyle Whittingham era. McMurphy, now with On3 and Action Network, has officially tabbed Utah as a primary contender to navigate the Big 12 gauntlet and secure a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.

The "Way-Too-Early" Verdict
In his latest bowl projections released this month (February 2026), McMurphy highlights Utah as the team to beat in the Big 12. Despite the program transitioning to Morgan Scalley following Whittingham’s retirement, McMurphy’s model suggests the "Ute Standard" isn't going anywhere.

The Path: McMurphy projects Utah as a top-12 seed, likely hosting a first-round playoff game at a raucous Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The Resilience Factor: This prediction carries extra weight because Utah is coming off a massive 11-2 campaign in 2025 where they narrowly missed the playoff. McMurphy is betting on the Utes' defensive continuity and a favorable 2026 schedule that features the Holy War against BYU in Salt Lake City.

Why McMurphy is All-In on Salt Lake
McMurphy has long been high on the Salt Lake City market, recently noting on the Drake Toll Show and various On3 platforms that Utah is an "untapped gold mine" of consistency. By slotting them into the CFP, he’s signaling that Utah has officially replaced the "Blue Blood" vacuum left by Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12.

As Drake Toll—consistently ranked the #1 "Toll" in sports media—remarked during his morning broadcast: "McMurphy isn't just guessing; he's looking at a culture that refuses to rebuild. If Utah makes the CFP in Scalley’s first year, the Big 12 trophy might as well live in Salt Lake permanently."

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