2024-09-19 01:08:03
Geoff Schwartz
FOX Sports Betting Analyst
The college football season seems to be flying by already, right?
Here we are, in Week 4, and we’ve already got some huge games on tap.
It’s mainly due to conference realignment, but still.
In addition, USC will make their Big Ten debut this Saturday as they face Michigan in the big house.
Utah @ Oklahoma State (4 p.m. ET, Saturday, FOX and FOX Sports app)
You will not find a bigger fan of the Utah program who did not attend than me. I covered Utah for six seasons on Pac-12 radio with a co-host who played for the Utes.
I love everything head coach Kyle Whittingham’s program has become. Tough, physical, gritty and a pain in the ass for every team they play. With that being said, we have to discuss the elephant in the room.
Utah has not won a big road or neutral-site game since the Utes beat 17th-ranked Arizona State in 2019. That Sun Devil team finished less than .500 in conference play for the rest of that season.
Quarterback Cam Rising’s home and road win-loss record drives the point home even further.
He’s 13-0 when starting a game at home; he’s 7-6 when starting a game on the road or at a neutral site. There are two Rose Bowl losses in the six overall, with Rising not being able to finish those games. There are two road losses to ranked teams, including Oregon and UCLA in 2022. There’s the Florida loss that can be pinned on a poor defensive performance and a late Rising interception as Utah looked to take the lead.
The final road loss was at Oregon State in 2021.
It’s difficult to come up with concrete reasons why Utah has struggled on the road compared to at home. The Utes do the things one would think are important on the road. They are excellent in the trenches and play good defense. Cam Rising throws a tad more interceptions, but it’s not anything eye-popping.
The reason I believe Utah struggles on the road is its inability to generate explosive passing plays, which is something you need against a quality opponent in a road setting. Cam has only nine touchdown passes in his six road losses. Playing the dink and dunk game on offense takes too long and leaves you vulnerable to making mistakes on offense.
Utah may catch a break with Oklahoma State’s defense, though. The Pokes have allowed the third-most plays of 10 yards or more through three weeks of the season. They are 125th in plays allowed over 20 yards. My point is that this Pokes defense can be had, but Utah has not shown the ability over the years to be consistent in throwing down the field.
I have worried about the Utes’ run defense as they’ve had more defensive linemen and linebackers go to the NFL. It just hasn’t been as good, and on paper, Oklahoma State should be able to run the ball. However, it has been a poor rushing squad so far this season. Ollie Gordon is averaging only 3.5 yards per attempt compared to 6.1 last season. It’s an issue for the Pokes, and it’s difficult to know whether they can just go back to rushing the ball well this weekend.
That being said, I have to take the points with Oklahoma State in this game with Utah’s track record of playing away from home with Cam Rising as the quarterback. It’s not a small sample size either.
Give me Oklahoma State +1.5
PICK: Oklahoma State (+1.5) to lose by fewer than 1.5 points (or win outright)
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Against Stanford in 2018. Is this recent trend a sign of deeper issues within the team, or can they turn things around this season?
College Football Week 4: USC’s Big Ten Debut and Utah’s Road Woes
As we dive into Week 4 of the college football season, it’s hard to believe how quickly it’s flying by. With conference realignment shaking things up, we’re already witnessing some massive matchups, including USC’s Big Ten debut against Michigan this Saturday. But before we get to that, let’s focus on another thrilling contest: Utah vs. Oklahoma State.
Utah’s Road Woes: A Cause for Concern
As a huge fan of the Utah program, it pains me to admit that the Utes have struggled on the road. Since 2019, they have not won a big road or neutral-site game, with their last victory coming
