Source: utahutes.com / Utah is off to a 9-1 start, and with just a pair of 4-6 teams left on the schedule in Arizona & Colorado, have an excellent chance at heading into a prospective Pac-12 Title Game at 11-1...

Welcome back NCAA football fans! Today's post is a just quick one as I will be profiling teams that still have a chance to reach the College Football Playoff in the coming weeks. Georgia is locked into the committee's #4 spot at the moment, but if the Dawgs' get-in it will most likely not be as the 4th-seed anyway, because it will have meant they knocked off current #1 LSU in the SEC Title game. So, who will be in that fourth spot when the final set of CFP rankings are unveiled in a few weeks? We start the buildup with a look at the Utah Utes, who are currently on a collision course to meet fellow 1-loss squad and playoff-contender, Oregon, in the Pac-12 Title game. Let's take a look at what the Utes have done to this point:

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Source: 1280thezone.com / Utah relies heavily on a solid run game, and although that has caused them to be fairly limited offensively in years past, this year's version is averaging nearly 35 point per game - not too shabby.

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UTAH (9-1 Overall, 6-1 Pac-12)

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Rankings:

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CFP (#7)

AP (#7)

Coaches (#8)

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Schedule:

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@ BYU (6-4) W 30-12

vs NIU (4-6) W 35-17

vs Idaho State (3-8) (FCS) W 31-0

@ USC (7-4) L 23-30

vs Washington State (5-5) W 38-13

@ Oregon State (5-5) W 52-7

vs Arizona State (5-5) W 21-3

vs Cal (5-5) W 35-0

@ Washington (6-4) W 33-28

vs UCLA (4-6) W 49-3

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Points Scored Per Game: (34.7)

Points Allowed Per Game: (11.3)

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Team Statistics (Current National Rank):

Total Offense: (25th)

Total Defense: (3rd)

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Efficiency Ratings:

FEI (Fremeau Efficiency Index): (5th)

TE (ESPN.com Team Efficiency): (5th)

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Source: deseret.com / The Utes have done it behind a swarming D all season long. They grounded UCLA's hurry-up spread-attack this past Saturday, holding the Bruins to just a FG in a 49-3 shellacking.

As you can see above, the Utes are led by an elite-level defense that currently ranks 3rd nationally in total defense. They have held opponents to single digits five times on the season, and in four of the past five games, as that unit has come on particularly strong. In fact, only two teams have scored more than 17 points in a game against the Utes this season, and they just so happen to be the two best teams they've faced in 7-4 USC (whom they surrendered 30 to in their lone loss) and 6-4 Washington. While they've been extremely efficient on both sides of the ball, it's worth noting that they've beat up the lesser teams they've faced, and arguably weren't nearly as efficient against the two best teams they've played. Nonetheless, the Utes have a resume with plenty to offer. The real question is, where will they be in the final set of CFP rankings?

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I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments section below - thank you all for the support at always! Where do you rank the Utes currently? & Will they make it into the CFP?