Utah was widely considered a strong favorite and a potential Big 12 title contender entering their first season in the conference, but their play—especially in conference games—has been profoundly disappointing.

The core of the disappointment stems from the 2024 season's final record and poor conference standing.

Losing Record and Conference Woes: Utah finished the 2024 season with a losing record of 5–7 overall and a highly disappointing 2–7 in Big 12 play. They failed to become bowl-eligible, a shocking outcome for a program that had established itself as a perennial 9+ win team and two-time Pac-12 champion.

Offensive Struggles: The team's biggest issue was the offense, which was historically ineffective. Their scoring offense ranked 14th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 conference statistics. This was primarily attributed to a crippling wave of quarterback injuries throughout the season, which derailed any chance of offensive rhythm and forced them to use four different quarterbacks.

Inability to Close Games: They suffered several close, winnable losses in conference play to teams like TCU, Houston, and a heartbreaking defeat to rival BYU.

The Irony of the Defense: The disappointment is magnified by the fact that their defense remained elite, finishing 5th in the Big 12 in scoring defense (and 2nd overall for the entire season in the conference). The defense performed at a championship level, but the offense could not consistently hold up its end.

Heading into the 2025 season, the narrative of disappointment has recently been highlighted by a stunning home loss to Texas Tech. After a strong 3-0 start, the Utes were blown out 34-10 in their first ranked conference matchup of the year, with the offense again sputtering and committing four turnovers. This performance has dropped Utah out of the AP Top 25 and reignited concerns about the program's offensive identity and ability to compete against the new Big 12's best teams.