Tavern Game of the Week: BYU vs. Utah

After such an incredible slate of opening weekend games, week two of college football is suffering from a bit of a hangover as we don't see nearly as many noteworthy matchups. In fact, not a single game this weekend features two teams ranked in the top 25. However, there are a few games featuring unranked, in-state rivals that should be intriguing. The Tavern Game of the Week is between the Utah Utes and the BYU Cougars. As I mentioned, neither of these teams have a spot in the top 25, but both have received votes with Utah getting 43 and BYU with 5. I think it's safe to say the winner of this game could very well make an appearamce in the week 3 rankings, so both bragging rights and national exposure are up for grabs.

The Holy War was settled last year in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl, where the Utes edged out the Cougars by a touchdown with a 35-28 victory. Both teams' offensive numbers from week one are very similar, but these numbers were put up against varied levels of competition. BYU scored 18 points and totaled 415 yards in their win over Arizona, while Utah scored 24 points and totaled 436 yards against Southern Utah. BYU won with a late fieldgoal that put them ahead by two, so maybe the momentum from a close win will carry over into their matchup on the road against the Utes, who are favored by just three points.

BYU is one of four independent teams in college football, but they're looking to join a conference in the near future. Many speculate that the Big 12 would be the Cougars' first choice, but BYU certainly has some improving to do in order to impress a conference whose stock is on the rise. Not only for the Big 12 campaign, but also for their dignity, BYU needs this win. The Utes have come out on top in the last five meetings, so first-year BYU head coach Kalani Sitake is looking to flip the script of the Holy War on Saturday night.

Beyond bragging rights, a win for Utah could gain them some attention as a possible dark horse to do some damage in the Pac 12. As we saw in week one, the Pac 12 isn't off to a hot start. If the Utes execute on Saturday night, they could be one of the few teams from their conference with a spot in the week 3 rankings.

I would suggest keeping an eye on senior Utah wide receiver Tim Patrick, who had a hell of a first game by tallying five receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns. The guy throwing to him, junior QB Troy Williams, didn't have too bad of a game either: 20 of 35 for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Although this Utes offense seemed to do well against Southern Utah, BYU's defense will be bringing a lot more heat so Utah will need to look a lot more sharp in week two.

Taking a look at BYU's backfield, senior QB Taysom Hill's performance in week one kept a good distance from both mistakes and highlights. There's not much to criticize when a quarterback throws for 202 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 37 yards, but it's also not really anything to write home about. The same thing goes for BYU running back Jamaal Williams, who ran for 162 yards on 29 carries and failed to get into the endzone.

I'd like to see BYU get a victory in thid year's Holy War just to see a bit of a change up, so I'm going with my gut here and picking the Cougars. I think that will squeeze them into the tail end of the top 25 for week three, as they'll surprisngly host UCLA as the higher ranked team.