This Saturday, there are five top-25 matchups in what’s shaping up to be an excellent slate, but my eyes will be absolutely locked in on the late game. The #23 Utah Utes will travel less than 50 miles south on I-15 to take on their archrival, the #15 BYU Cougars, in what might be the best rivalry in college football. I’ve attended The Game (Ohio State / Michigan), The Iron Bowl, and Army/Navy, so I feel like I have the credentials to tell what makes a rivalry game a rivalry game. Let’s break it down.
Proximity: Ohio State / Michigan is extremely intense, but there’s something to be said about facing off against your former high school classmates in an in-state rivalry like Utah / BYU. You have to choose your allegiance on Saturdays, as both games are happening in the Salt Lake City metro area on Saturdays.
Origin: Disputed! They can’t even agree on when they started. Utah claims the series started in 1896, while BYU says 1922. Thus, Utah claims 3 more rivalry wins and losses compared to the Cougars.
Moment: In the 1999 matchup in SLC, a Utah cheerleader ran down the visiting BYU sideline with a Utah flag, and was later tackled by a BYU fan that ran on to the field, but not after the cheerleader got 7-8 punches in. “Even our cheerleaders are kicking your butt.” -Utah wide receiver Steve Smith, 1999.
Colors: As much as I love the Red River Rivalry, Oklahoma and Texas are red and orange. The Holy War has BYU’s royal blue opposite Utah’s red. The 2024 edition of the game featured all-blue vs all-red uniforms: a sight to behold.
Name: It’s called “The Holy War”, next.
This Year: Undefeated BYU is coming into the game off an OT thriller against Arizona, while Utah (led by former BYU player Kyle Whittingham) just pummeled #21 Arizona State 42-10. The Utes’ lone loss came at the hands of Big 12 frontrunner Texas Tech.
Both teams have their eyes on the CFP, and a win would be a significant resume booster for either team; however, Saturday will be about much more than that.
Other games to watch:
#10 LSU @ #17 Vanderbilt. 12 PM ET
# 5 Ole Miss @ #9 Georgia. 3:30 PM ET
#11 Alabam @ #17 Tennessee. 7:30 ET
#20 USC @ #13 Notre Dame. 7:30 ET