The Utah Blockcast

Utah comes out of the bye with no margin for error. We break down Kyle Whittingham’s message heading into Baylor, plus some appreciation for Creed Whittemore. Then transition to Utah basketball, which picked up a commitment over the weekend, and improved to 3-0 Monday night.

Utah was on a bye, but the Big 12 wasn’t. Texas Tech’s win over BYU shifted the title-race math, so I break down the simplified path Utah needs to travel reach the Big 12 Championship — including the key tiebreakers that actually matter.

Then the switch to hoops: Utah basketball is 2-0 and back at the Huntsman on Monday night vs. Holy Cross. Go Utes.

In this week’s episode, Steve Bartle & Josh Bennett break down the latest — from Utah’s debut at No. 13 in the first 2025 College Football Playoff rankings, and position-by-position grades.

3:39 - No. 13 Utah & What Needs to Happen - We open with Utah’s ranking, what it really means, and map out the two possible paths to the playoff.

12:01 - Position-by-Position Grades - Here’s the gritty part: we grade every major unit — QB, run game, offensive line, WR/TE room, front seven, secondary, and special teams.

In this week’s episode, Steve Bartle & Josh Bennett break down the latest — from Utah’s debut at No. 13 in the first 2025 College Football Playoff rankings, and position-by-position grades.

3:39 - No. 13 Utah & What Needs to Happen - We open with Utah’s ranking, what it really means, and map out the two possible paths to the playoff.

12:01 - Position-by-Position Grades - Here’s the gritty part: we grade every major unit — QB, run game, offensive line, WR/TE room, front seven, secondary, and special teams.

The first 2025 College Football Playoff Initial Rankings dropped, with BYU Cougars at No. 7, Texas Tech Red Raiders at No. 8 and the Utah Utes cracking the top-13 at No. 13, the Big 12 Conference is finally getting respect.

On this episode:

• Why the committee’s nod of respect to Utah and the Big 12, now it's up to the league to 'prove it on the field.' 

• A rundown of Utah's chances at an at-large big, including what has to break outside Salt Lake City for the Utes to leapfrog teams like Oregon Ducks, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners.

In this week’s episode of the Utah Blockcast, we break down the Utes’ commanding 45-14 win over No. 17 Cincinnati — from explosive offensive plays and dominant rushing yards to game-changing special teams and what this means for Utah’s Big 12 title hopes. Join Steve, Cam, Tyson, and Josh as they unpack the big moments, highlight standout players, and look ahead to what’s next in the conference race.

ESPN College GameDay hits Salt Lake City and the stakes couldn’t be higher. No. 24 Utah hosts No. 17 Cincinnati in a Big 12 collision that could reshape the title picture. We talk about Utah’s dominant 53-7 win, Alex Smith as the GameDay guest picker, Cincinnati’s efficient, turnover-free offense, the key matchups, and The Winning Recipe that will decide which team takes control. 

Eric Lilly of Chatterbox Bearcats joins the Blockcast to talk through all things Cincinnati. We dive into what's been different for Scott Satterfield's program this year and what's led to Brendan Sorsby's impressive performance among many other things.

I break down and add context to some of Kyle Whittingham's comments from his weekly press conference. This week includes Byrd Ficklin's start, Devon Dampier's status, and ESPN College GameDay coming to Salt Lake City.

Utah Football snapped back to form in a 53–7 demolition of Colorado — their most lopsided win ever in the Rumble of the Rockies. The Blockcast crew dives into the electric “Stripe The Stadium” atmosphere, Byrd Ficklin’s fearless freshman debut, and the QB situation. Plus, Wayshawn Parker’s breakout, defensive dominance from Fano and JHD.

In this week’s show we welcome on the Denver Gazette's Tyler King, beat writer covering the Colorado Buffaloes, for a preview of the Buffs vs. Utes matchup. We dig into Colorado’s season narrative, the mututal respect between Coach Whittingham and Coach Prime. As well as key elements, and break down the tactical match-ups that will decide the game. Tyler offers insider perspectives, breakout player names, and his best prediction-take for how this one goes.

Previewing the Colorado game, breaking down different dynamics, and matchups of the contest. Whether it's Byrd Ficklin or Devon Dampier, Utah's winning recipe revolves around a strong response and establishing the run. 

In this episode... Steve Bartle, Cam Beck, Tyson Moll, and Josh Bennett talk through Utah's 24-21 loss in the rivalry game. Including what went wrong in the game, the impact of the loss on the conference, and some thoughts on the big picture. 

On this episode... We preview the Runnin' Utes matchup with the Nevada Wolfpack, which includes hearing from Terrance Brown and Seydou Traore.  

This is episode is the Thursday night live stream with Steve Bartle and Josh Bennett. We talk through the matchup including the stage these two teams are playing on this week, the implications, matchups, and make predictions for the game. 

On this episode... Mitch Harper and myself talk ball and the matchups of the rivalry game. 

On this episode... Mitch Harper and myself talk through the storylines leading into the matchup, including where Dave Portnoy should go eat pizza in Provo. 

On this episode... I welcome on former one of the great Mayor's of Sack Lake City, Hunter Dimick, to talk about the rivalry game and his time at Utah.

On this episode... I welcome on current New Orleans Saints safety Terrell Burgess. We talk through his time at the University of Utah, his thoughts on the rivalry game with TDS, as well as his experience in the NFL so far.

On this episode... Steve Bartle, Cam Beck, Tyson Moll, and Josh Bennett talk through Utah's 42-10 win over the Sun Devils. Talking through Devon Dampier, the rushing attack, and the defensive performance as well. Then, we check the vibes around the Big 12 and who is trending up or down.

Immediate reaction and takeaways from Utah's 42-10 win over the No. 21 Arizona State Sun Devils. 

This is Thursday night's live stream episode... Which includes are live reaction to Arizona State's starting QB Sam Leavitt listed as doubtful on the latest availability report. After collecting our thoughts, we dive into the matchup between the Sun Devils and Utes. 

On today's episode... I welcome on Damon Allred of ArizonaSports.com to provide some insights on the Arizona State Sun Devils. We hit on topics such Sam Leavitt in year two, Jalen Moss returning to action, and the mutual respect between the two head coaches. 

This is Tuesday's "In Whitt's Words episode, where I add context to some of Kyle Whittingham's comments from his weekly press conference. In this one, we dive into the respect Whittingham has for Arizona State and Kenny Dillingham. The plan at safety without Nate Ritchie. And why Utah might not be looking to redshirt Byrd Ficklin.

In this episode... We talk about the benefits of Utah bye week, from the personal and team standpoints. Then we dive into the action of week six in college football, before diving into Big 12 power rankings, and a brief first-look at the Arizona State matchup.