​No pressure, Morgan Scalley, but win the Big 12, go to the College Football Playoff, and be legendary along the way.Try this for a coaching run at Utah.Ron McBride won 88 games in 13 years before being replaced by some Urban Meyer guy who went 22-2.Meyer didn’t coach in the Fiesta Bowl at the end of the 2004 season, but Kyle Whittingham did – he did okay for himself over 21 years before moving on to Michigan.As good as Whittingham was, though, he never got the Utes to a College Football Playoff – Utah is one of the winningest programs never to get into the CFP.Sep 6, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley watches the team warm up before a game against theCal Poly Mustangsat Rice-Eccles Stadium© Rob Gray-Imagn Images(© Rob Gray-Imagn Images)As good as he was, it’s been forgotten that Whittingham needed a few years to get up to speed, going 15-10 in his first two full seasons. Scalley will be expected to make Utah amazing immediately, with a relatively favorable schedule and ton of young talents ready to show what they can do.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFor all of the discussion about Texas Tech last season, and BYU just missing out on the playoff, Utah went 10-2, was a dominant force by the end of the season, and the only losses were to the Red Raiders and Cougars.Just do that, Morgan, and a little bit more.- 2026 Utah Schedule AnalysisHead Coach: Morgan Scalley (1st year, 1-0)Best Case / Worst Case: Win the Big 12 Championship/Be realistically out of the College Football Playoff hunt before October.2025 Record: 11-2Biggest Question: Can the new coaches and players keep the elite production going?1st Quarter Scoring: Utah 113, Opponents 41Sacks: Utah 34 for 252 yards, Opponents 14 for 80 yardsRushing Touchdowns: Utah 41, Opponents 18Utah didn’t go far to get its new offensive coordinator.Kevin McGiven made Bronco Mendenhall’s offense crank out the numbers at Utah State last season. The Aggies finished third in the Mountain West in total offense with 410 yards per game, and were second in scoring, averaging 31 points per outing.No, he wasn’t with Mendenhall at New Mexico in 2024, but it’s the same sort of style that made a superstar out of …AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDevon Dampier. When he’s on, he’s among the most dynamic quarterbacks in college football.He ran for almost 1,500 yards and 23 touchdowns at New Mexico, and last season he ran for 835 yards and two scores, and threw for close to 2,500 yards and 24 scores, with the Utes.The running game should be even more amazing. The Utes averaged six yards per carry thanks to Dampier, and leading rusher Wayshawn Parker, a quick back who led the Big 12 averaging 6.6 yards per carry on his 981 yards.Backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin averaged 8.4 yards per carry with 513 yards and ten scores.The Utes landed a few wonderful receivers from the portal. JJ Buchanan took off to Michigan, but Utah State star Braden Pegan followed McGiven over t