Big 12 football power rankings after spring portal closes: Did Red Raiders get better?

If Utah can stay healthy in 2024, which they couldn't do in 2023, it will be tough to stop the Utes from winning the Big 12. Veteran QB Cam Rising is back after missing all of last season recovering from a torn knee ligament suffered in the 2022 season's bowl game and that will make a huge difference for an offense that averaged below 24 points per game last season.

Yes, the Utes lost some talent on defense but Kyle Whittingham has earned the benefit of the doubt. Outside of the weird 2020 season when Utah played only five games due to COVID-19, he has won double-digit games in three of the last four seasons.

What's more, Whittingham won eight games last year despite not having his starting QB for a single snap. That's because he's developed quite the culture in Salt Lake City.

This year, Utah will have only two tough conference games, at Oklahoma State and vs. Arizona to open conference play. After that, the Utes should be prohibitive favorites in every game.