Best Season: Utah

Up next is one of the programs that I personally prefer to see winning, as they always have a sort of underdog feel: Utah. If you notice, they have a tenured coach and a returning quarterback who no one is predicting to do anything this year. This is pretty standard for Utah. They also never have the "best" recruiting class they but always play tough, a testament to the program that Kyle Whittingham has built. In my opinion, coach Whittingham led them to their best season ever in 2008.

When Utah visited Michigan Stadium, fans hoped for a better result than their previous 10-7 loss in 2002. The new coach of Michigan, Rich Rodriguez, had introduced an offense that was slow to get going against the Ute defense. Despite this, the experienced Michigan defense prevented Utah's offense from gaining momentum. The Ute offense finally found their groove in the second quarter, scoring sixteen points to take a 22-10 lead into halftime. However, they were unable to replicate this success in the second half, with only a 53-yard field goal from Louie Sakoda adding to their score. Michigan scored a touchdown and a failed two-point conversion brought them within two points of Utah. The Utes were able to run down most of the clock before turning the ball over on downs to Michigan. The Wolverines were unable to score before time expired, giving the Utes their first win of the season.

Following their emotional victory over Michigan in the opening game of the season, Utah faced UNLV, a team that had dealt them an embarrassing 27-0 defeat the previous year. The Utes were determined not to let this happen again and avoid a "let-down" game. However, the Rebels started strong behind the running of Frank Summers and took a 7-0 lead, later extending it to 14-7. With halftime approaching, quarterback Brian Johnson led Utah on an eighty-yard drive, culminating in a touchdown that tied the game. The Utes then took control of the game in the second half, scoring on their first four possessions and turning the game into a one-sided affair. Six different Utah players scored touchdowns, and both Johnson and running back Matt Asiata contributed with both rushing and passing touchdowns.

Despite falling behind 7-0 early, Utah's victory over Utah State was never in doubt. The Utes went on to score 30 unanswered points, with Matt Asiata scoring three rushing touchdowns, including a pair in the second half. Utah State struggled on offense, managing only 116 yards of total offense, with 57 of those yards coming against Utah's backups on their final drive of the game. Utah State's only two scoring drives were set up by turnovers.

Up next was Air Force. Although Utah dominated Air Force in terms of yardage, outgaining them 440-191 and holding their option offense to a mere 53 rushing yards, the game remained close until the final minute. Utah was forced to mount an 11-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in Darrell Mack's third rushing touchdown, to secure the victory with only 58 seconds left on the clock. Utah initially built a 9-0 lead but found themselves in a hole after Johnson's interception in the end zone and a second-quarter fumble that was returned for an Air Force touchdown, giving them a 16-9 halftime lead. However, Utah's ground-heavy attack allowed them to tie the game early in the second half and take control of the game. Mack rushed for 101 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, while Asiata added 116 yards on 19 carries.

Against Weber State, the Utes took control of the game early and amassed 450 total offensive yards, resulting in a 37-7 lead early in the final quarter. Although the Wildcats, coached by former Utah head coach Ron McBride and a member of the lower Football Championship Subdivision, scored twice in the late stages of the game, the outcome had already been decided. Louie Sakoda, the kicker for Utah, set a school record for most points scored with 13 points from three field goals and four extra points.

Utah managed to secure a win next against Oregon State after scoring 11 points in the final 1:29. Although they trailed early in the second quarter, the Utes finished off the half strongly with a 28-yard field goal by Louie Sakoda and touchdowns from Brian Johnson to Freddie Brown for 14 yards and a 12-yard run by Brent Casteel, taking a 20-9 halftime lead. However, Oregon State responded with 19 unanswered points to take a 28-20 lead with 2:18 left to play. Unconventionally, Oregon State opted to go for two points twice instead of kicking extra points after their first two touchdowns of the half. Had they chosen to kick, they would have led by 30-20. But Johnson led the Utes on a four-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a 25-yard scoring pass to Bradon Godfrey, followed by a 2-point conversion by Johnson to tie the game, after Oregon State was penalized for pass interference on Utah's first two-point attempt. After a failed Oregon State drive, Utah gained possession and Johnson threw for 7, 8, and 16 yards to get into range for a game-winning field goal by Sakoda, which was successful from 37 yards out as time expired.

Despite facing strong winds of over 40 mph (64 km/h), Utah managed to secure a comfortable victory over Wyoming, even though their offense was outgained by Wyoming, 252–242. Utah's defense and special teams played a major role in the game, with Sean Smith intercepting a deflected pass on Wyoming's second possession and returning it 25 yards for a touchdown. Louie Sakoda then kicked two field goals to extend Utah's lead to 13-0 before Aiona Key blocked a Wyoming punt, which he returned 6 yards for another touchdown. Utah's Matt Asiata scored both a rushing and receiving touchdown, taking Utah's lead to 34-0, before RJ Rice recovered a muffed punt in the end zone for Utah's final score of the game.

Utah's offense showed its explosive potential against Colorado State as they utilized various big plays to dominate the improved Rams. Brian Johnson connected with Freddie Brown and David Reed for 32 and 33-yard touchdowns respectively, while backup quarterback Corbin Louks contributed with running touchdowns of 21 and 69 yards. Jereme Brooks, a wide receiver, also joined in on the scoring with a 34-yard run. The Utes piled up 549 total offensive yards, with 327 of those coming from their ground game.

The New Mexico Lobos had previously spoiled successful Utah seasons, notably in 1994 when they defeated an undefeated Utes team ranked #8 in the nation, and in 2003 when they handed the MWC champions their only conference loss in a decisive win at Rice-Eccles Stadium. New Mexico nearly repeated the feat, but Utah's special teams stepped up, with Key blocking a field goal attempt in the first half and Sakoda delivering well-placed punts to pin the Lobos deep. His final punt landed the Lobos at their own 1-yard line with only 1:58 left on the clock, and with no timeouts left, the Lobos could only advance to the Utah 46 before the game ended. Sakoda kicked two field goals, and Johnson's 10-yard pass to Casteel in the third quarter gave Utah a 13–3 lead, which they held onto for the remainder of the game.

The highly anticipated "Blackout" game saw Utah don black uniforms for the first time in the school's history, and the fans responded by donning black attire, transforming Rice-Eccles Stadium into a sea of black. However, TCU was unfazed, starting strong with 64 and 72-yard drives on their first two possessions to take a 10-0 lead. Although Louie Sakoda's 49-yard field goal narrowed the gap, Utah still trailed 10-6 deep into the fourth quarter, hindered by TCU's strong defense and questionable playcalling. TCU missed two field goal attempts, the first off the left upright and the second wide right, which gave Utah one last chance to regain the lead and the frontrunner status in the MWC, with a chance to earn a BCS bid. With 2:48 left, Utah took over on their own 20 and managed to march down the field. Brian Johnson completed a crucial 4th and 5 play to Freddie Brown, which eventually led to the game-winning touchdown pass to Brown on a slant pattern. The ecstatic crowd caused the press box to shake, with the commentators noting the noise level's intensity. TCU had one final possession, needing to score to force overtime or win the game, but Andy Dalton's deep pass on 4th and 10 with seconds left was intercepted by Robert Johnson at the Utah 15 to seal the victory for the Utes.

For the game against San Diego State, Utah dominated the game from start to finish, with Brian Johnson leading the way with an impressive performance. He threw five touchdowns in the first half, completing 27 of his 38 passes for a total of 283 yards. The Utes maintained control throughout the game, and in the final quarter, backup safety Deshawn Richard scored two touchdowns by returning passes 89 and 36 yards, which emphatically sealed the Utes' victory over the Aztecs.

Utah dominated BYU in their matchup, capitalizing on six turnovers to secure a resounding win. Quarterback Brian Johnson outperformed his highly-touted counterpart, Max Hall, completing 30 of 36 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns, while Hall struggled with 21 completions out of 41 attempts, for 205 yards and no touchdowns, throwing five interceptions and losing a fumble.

Johnson started strong, leading Utah to scores on their first three possessions, building a 17-3 lead. BYU fought back to tie the game, but a 35-yard field goal from Louie Sakoda with 1:41 left in the first half gave Utah a 20-17 lead. On the following play, Hall made an ill-advised throw, intercepted by Joe Dale, and was also flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving Utah the ball at the BYU 44. Two plays later, Johnson found David Reed in the corner of the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown and a 27-17 halftime lead.BYU managed to get within three points after Hall rushed for a touchdown with 6:46 left in the third quarter, but it would be their last scoring play. Utah scored touchdowns on their next three possessions, with Johnson connecting with Casteel for an 8-yard score, and Asiata throwing a jump pass to Joppru for a touchdown, extending their lead to 41-24 with 12 minutes left in the game. Smith's fifth interception of the year led to Johnson's fourth touchdown pass of the day, a 1-yard throw to tight end Colt Sampson, and Utah celebrated their victory over a ranked team with a field-rushing for the third time that season.

Despite being 9½ point underdogs, Utah put on an offensive show in the first quarter and a dominant defensive performance to beat fourth-ranked Alabama and complete a perfect 13–0 season, their second undefeated season in five years. Alabama struggled early, only gaining one first down before a sack by Stevenson Sylvester ended their drive. Utah responded by scoring a touchdown on their first drive, with quarterback Brian Johnson completing all five of his passes, including the touchdown pass to Casteel. Utah continued to dominate on both sides of the ball, with Johnson throwing for 336 yards and three touchdowns, and the defense sacking Alabama's quarterback eight times and holding their run game to just 31 yards on 33 carries. Despite a rally from Alabama in the second quarter, Utah responded with key plays when it mattered most, ultimately winning the game 31-17.

This win marked Utah's eighth consecutive bowl victory and their first victory against an SEC school in seven tries. It also made them the first program in the BCS era to finish a season undefeated twice, joining the 2004 team. The victory propelled them to a No. 2 ranking in the AP poll and a No. 4 ranking in the coaches poll, with some members of the press even arguing for Utah to share the national championship. While they didn't end up with the top spot, the win cemented Utah's place as a major force in college football.