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BYU Football: 2021 opponent Power Rankings

By Adam Gibby

BOCA RATON, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 22: Lopini Katoa #4 of the Brigham Young Cougars leaps over against the Central Florida Knights at FAU Stadium on December 22, 2020 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 22: Lopini Katoa #4 of the Brigham Young Cougars leaps over against the Central Florida Knights at FAU Stadium on December 22, 2020 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – SEPTEMBER 7 : Britain Covey #18 of the Utah Utes gets past a tackle attempt by Weston Kramer #55 of the Northern Illinois Huskies during their game at Rice-Eccles 8 Stadium on September 7, in Salt Lake City Utah(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – SEPTEMBER 7 : Britain Covey #18 of the Utah Utes gets past a tackle attempt by Weston Kramer #55 of the Northern Illinois Huskies during their game at Rice-Eccles 8 Stadium on September 7, in Salt Lake City Utah(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /

Everyone knew this would be the biggest game and highest ranked and it is. Aside from losing nine straight games to the Utes, BYU Football won’t have another opportunity to play Utah until 2024.

This game is huge for so many reasons that go beyond the rivalry.

2020 saw BYU steal all the headlines by going 11-1 and having Zach Wilson taken as the second overall pick in the NFL Draft. The momentum has actually appeared to be going BYU’s way for the first time since 2009, or longer.

Losing to Utah would reverse everything and put things back to where they’ve been for the last decade. Winning would put all the momentum in BYU’s favor for the next few years and would give fans something to hold onto during that time.

Recruiting, fan bases, prestige and momentum would all greatly be affected for BYU regardless of how this game goes, just in opposite directions.

I’m not quite ready to say this is the biggest BYU vs Utah game in history, but with the transfer portal, NIL and the two teams not playing for the next two years, it may be.

At the very least, unless BYU is 11-0 going into the Coliseum, this will be the biggest game of the year. Actually, BYU can’t be 11-0 unless they beat Utah, so this is undebatable the number one opponent in the 2021 opponent Power Rankings.

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