Welcome to Glass Slipper! There are two NFL games next week. We really made it; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

Kyle Whittingham has been waiting his entire career for an opportunity like this. The best coach in America has a real chance to win his program’s first national championship, and cement himself as a legend in the state forever. It’s time to have a conversation about the #3 team in the Glass Slipper rankings, Utah.

Offense

Cam Rising is older than Justin Jefferson. That’s not a joke. If you’re unaware, Mr. Griddy himself is headed into Year 5 in Minnesota. Meanwhile, Rising still plays college football.

Utah’s veteran leader also happens to be the most proven quarterback in the sport. It’s pretty simple; when Cam is in the huddle, the Utes win. Rising is 18-5 in games that he’s both started and finished healthy, and won the Pac-12 in both seasons as the guy. He’ll have a Big 12 ring to add to his collection soon.

The top running back on this team is… wait a second. I’m sorry, what? Micah Bernard? Sheesh. This has to be the oldest offensive backfield in college football history. Us Ohio State fans remember Bernard as the kid that had to play both ways in the 2022 Rose Bowl. He was actually really impressive that night, all things considered. Imagine getting deployed as a weapon on offense, then turning around and having to deal with a searing hot CJ Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. I think our dear friend Micah comes through with an 1,000-yard campaign.

Dorian Singer was one of the best receivers in the nation at Arizona, then proceeded to shrivel up and disappear after linking with an elite quarterback. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt here and assume that 2023 was just a fluky down year. He’ll revert back to his Tucson self, and I trust Whittingham to turn former four-star Mycah Pittman into a dangerous second option. Combine that duo with fantastic tight end Brant Kuithe, and you have a nice group of threats for Rising.

The youth and inexperience up front worries me, but offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig seems to really believe in his guys. A fully healthy Utah squad almost never looks overmatched physically, so I’ll defer to his judgement on this one.

Defense

This is a quintessential Utes defense. Tough, smart, and nasty. Even with brutal injury luck, these dudes gave up just 19.3 points per game in 2023 while competing in a conference loaded with star quarterbacks. The unit returns a large chunk of its starters, and it will now be lining up across from significantly weaker offenses in the Big 12.

Everyone is back on the defensive line, including - pay attention, Bengals - standout tackle Junior Tafuna. He’s been an all-conference selection three times, and I would not be stunned if he’s named an All-American in December. Playing behind him are Karene Reid and Lander Barton, two future NFL linebackers. In the secondary, I think cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn is ready for a star leap. That kid was a zero-star recruit that played quarterback in high school, but he’ll absolutely get a shot in the league with another big year.

This is far from the most talented bunch, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be elite. I have Utah finishing the season with a top-10 defense.

Season Outlook

Pre-Bowl Record Prediction: 12-1

Selection Sunday Fan Mood: This whole conference realignment thing was awesome. We’re going to run the Big 12 and get first-round playoff byes for a long, long time. Of course I’d love to win it all. But this was such a fun year that it almost doesn’t matter. Maybe Cam gets granted an eighth season, and we can run it back in 2025.

Pressroom

Spin It

“Didn’t We Almost Have It All” by Whitney Houston. Magnum opus.