2026 season · Week 8

Utah Utes Playoff Chances

Updated October 18, 2026 · Based on 6,000 simulated seasons

Utah (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) has a 59% chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoff, a 31% chance to win the Big 12 and a 4% chance to win the national title, according to the A to Z Sports model (6,000 simulated seasons, updated October 18, 2026). It earns a first-round bye in 29% of simulations. Projected regular-season wins: 10.4. Biggest game left: vs. Houston (Sat, Oct 24, Week 8) — a win puts Utah at 76%, a loss at 25%. Playoff odds by final regular-season record — 12-0: >99% · 11-1: 95% · 10-2: 36%.

Utah Utes odds (October 18, 2026)
Make the College Football Playoff59%
Win the Big 1231%
Reach the conference championship53%
First-round bye29%
Reach the semifinals22%
Win the national title4%

Utah playoff odds at a glance

Utah (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) has a 59% chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoff, a 31% chance to win the Big 12 and a 4% chance to win the national title, according to the A to Z Sports model (6,000 simulated seasons, updated October 18, 2026). It earns a first-round bye in 29% of simulations. Projected regular-season wins: 10.4. Biggest game left: vs. Houston (Sat, Oct 24, Week 8) — a win puts Utah at 76%, a loss at 25%. Playoff odds by final regular-season record — 12-0: >99% · 11-1: 95% · 10-2: 36%.

More Big 12: Big 12 championship odds · Arizona · Arizona St · BYU · Baylor · Cincinnati · Colorado · Houston · Iowa State · Kansas · Kansas St · Oklahoma St · TCU · Texas Tech · UCF · West Virginia · All teams

About the A to Z Sports CFB Playoff Predictor

The A to Z Sports CFB Playoff Predictor: every FBS team's path to the 2026 College Football Playoff. It gives all 138 FBS teams their odds to make the 12-team playoff, win their conference, earn a first-round bye and win the national title, from 6,000 simulations of the rest of the season. Pick the winner of any game and every team's odds update, with each conference's official tiebreakers and the 2026 CFP format applied. Every team has a page with what it needs and who to root for, and you can build, download and share your own bracket. Free to use. No account needed.

Last updated October 18, 2026 · results through Week 7 · based on 6,000 simulated seasons.

How to use the College Football Playoff Predictor

  1. See every team's odds. We simulate the rest of the season thousands of times and count how often each team makes the 12-team playoff.
  2. Pick any game. Tap a team to make them the winner. Both teams' strength updates the way it would after a real result, and every team's odds update nationwide.
  3. Sim the rest. Use "Sim this week" or "Sim to Selection Day" — your picks stay locked.
  4. Pick the title games. "Title games" (after the last week) shows each conference's likely championship matchups. Pick a winner — the pick follows that team if it gets there.
  5. Make the bracket yours. Your picks shape the projected bracket — tap See the Bracket on any page. Tap any team to send it through, or edit the 12 to swap in any team. It follows the 2026 rules, so every Power 4 champion and the top Group of 6 team stay in.
  6. Go deeper. Conference pages apply each league's official tiebreakers. Team pages show what your team needs and who to root for.
  7. Share it. Copy a link to your scenario, or download a ready-to-post graphic of your team's odds, the projected 12-team field or your bracket.

Frequently asked questions

What are Utah's chances to make the College Football Playoff?

A 59% chance, according to the A to Z Sports model (6,000 simulated seasons, updated October 18, 2026). The Utah Utes are 6-0 (3-0 in the Big 12). Chance of a first-round bye: 29%. Chance to win the national title: 4%.

What does Utah need to make the playoff?

If Utah finishes the regular season 12-0, it makes the playoff in more than 99% of simulated seasons; at 11-1, 95%; at 10-2, 36%. The biggest game left is vs. Houston (Sat, Oct 24, Week 8): a win puts Utah at 76%, a loss at 25%. Winning the Big 12 is an automatic bid: Utah wins it in 31% of simulations.

Who should Utah fans root for?

The results elsewhere that help Utah most: Kansas over TCU (Week 9, +3 points); UCF over BYU (Week 8, +3 points); Baylor over Houston (Week 13, +3 points). Each number is how much that result alone raises Utah's playoff odds.

Can Utah win the Big 12?

Utah reaches the Big 12 Championship in 53% of simulated seasons and wins the conference in 31%. Ties for a title-game spot are broken with the Big 12's official tiebreakers.

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