BYU vs. Utah usually goes against scripts and expectations. Will that be the case Saturday?

BYU is playing for a College Football Playoff berth and a league championship. Utah wants to end a four-game losing streak, become bowl eligible, and blow up the Cougars' dreams of a Big 12 title.

This game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night will either be an extension of 8-0 No. 9 BYU's remarkable win streak or it could be a Super Bowl-like win for Utah.

My, how the roles have reversed in two months since this season began.

The anointed have become the oppressed. The chaser has become the chased.

Utah was picked No. 1 in the Big 12 back in July; experts said BYU would be 13th.

The Cougars know how fragile Big 12 standings can be after seeing undefeated Iowa State taken down by Texas Tech and Kansas State upset by Houston. This was in a week where South Carolina kicked Texas A&M's butt.

We've seen Northern Illinois beat Notre Dame and Vanderbilt knock off Alabama. Along the way, ASU, Arizona, Houston and TCU beat preseason Big 12 favorite Utah.

This is the season, this is 2024. It's a little maddening.

And this is why BYU cannot afford to take anything for granted with Utah, who, like Oklahoma State, had two weeks to prepare for the Cougars; the Cowboys almost pulled off an upset at LaVell Edwards Stadium several weeks ago.

"This game terrifies me," said former BYU and NFL star Austin Collie, who has had his own moments of glory in this passionate rivalry. Speaking to 1280 The Zone Radio earlier in the week, Collie said having Utah play with its back against the wall with a coach like Kyle Whittingham scares him as a BYU alum.

Some truths stand out about this game.

Utah will be the best defense the Cougars have faced in their 8-0 run.

BYU will be the best all-around football team the Utes have faced this season.

The Cougar defense is nothing like the one that helped lead to a five-game losing streak to end in 2023. Coordinator Jay Hill has BYU's defense fine-tuned and sharp.

BYU is solid at QB with Jake Retzlaff and his offense is up and running, consistent and effective with both the pass and run.

Utah's QB situation may have been decided internally, but publicly, it's a roll of the dice as to whether Isaac Wilson or Brandon Rose will trot out Saturday night. Maybe both will shuffle in and out.

Utah's offense has struggled mightily after NIL-invested Cam Rising was injured. Again.

While changing offensive coordinators is not a foreign news item for Whittingham, doing it during the season certainly is.

Consistency versus inconsistency,

An established culture at BYU versus a culture that's been bruised and left wanting at Utah, a program that has lived off its tough-nosed esprit de corps for decades.

BYU gets turnovers; Utah needs help to do so.

Weaknesses for BYU? Rushing defense is ranked 69th and third-down conversion percentage is 81st.

Weakness for Utah? Team pass efficiency is 108th, scoring offense is 105th and first down offense is tied for 115th.

If consistency and team play are the premium factors in this game, BYU should win and win convincingly.

If Utah forces turnovers, scores on pick-sixes or scoop-and-scores to offset what its ailing offense produces, they have a chance.

On paper, BYU wins.

But oddsmakers have it close, under a touchdown differential for this storied game.

Why?

Because it's BYU-Utah.

It's a game unburdened by what has been.

This week's predictions

Pittsburgh 31, Virginia 24