Utah · Big 12Utah’s path to the Big 12 title game runs through November
Morgan Scalley inherits an experienced core and a manageable draw, but BYU, Arizona and TCU loom as the Utes’ defining stretch.
AUG 28, 2026
Utah enters Morgan Scalley’s first season as head coach with the schedule profile of a Big 12 championship-game contender. The Utes went 11-2 overall and 7-2 in league play last season, return quarterback Devon Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker, and bring back starters at linebacker and in the secondary.
Utah also avoids Texas Tech, Kansas State and Arizona State. Phil Steele rates its schedule 62nd nationally in difficulty, while ESPN’s FPI places it No. 63. That is a workable road for a team ranked No. 21 in both preseason polls, even with rebuilt offensive and defensive lines.
The schedule’s pressure point is the reported three-game run against BYU, Arizona and TCU. The BYU game carries added weight for Scalley: it will be his first rivalry game as Utah’s head coach, and BYU has won three straight in the series, including both meetings since the programs became Big 12 opponents. BYU enters the year ranked No. 14 in the AP poll after a 12-2, 8-1 Big 12 season.
The full schedule context for the Arizona and TCU trips is not available in the verified schedule. But Utah’s rebuilt fronts will be tested in the stretch that could decide whether Scalley’s first team reaches the conference title game.