Reeling from a tough divisional loss, facing the reality that USC- already 2-0 in conference- is not going to completely fall apart, and confronting tough questions about their secondary, WSU has become a must-win game for the Utes. It's not better for the Cougars, who succumbed to a remarkable offensive surge from one of the worst P5 teams in the country and collapsed against UCLA in true #PAC12AfterDark style.

Both teams are likely to bring their best on Saturday, and both teams' best is pretty darn good. Utah's secondary will be stressed and tested again with a similar offensive scheme but substantially less wide receiver talent, and they will have had a week to adjust their offensive approach for the potential absence of Zack Moss, if he's not ready to go. WSU's defense, brutalized to the tune of 657 yards and 50 second half points, will have to correct their scheme and also reckon with the fact that they have thrown an interception every 50 pass attempts- unsustainable for a team that wants to throw it all day long.

Utah is generally favored to win this game, but the margin folks are expecting is much wider than the numbers would indicate.

WSU is a very good football team, and their second half performance against UCLA will likely prove to be, by far, the worst thirty minutes of football they play all season. Fans would be wise not to read too much into it, and to expect WSU to revert to their top-25 form. Utah's advantage in this game boils down to home field, and the likelihood is that it will be the difference between a field goal and a touchdown that separates these teams. Fans of both teams will be desperate for the breaks to go their way, as a second consecutive loss to open the conference season will require a dramatic re-calibration of expectations.

Utah 35, WSU 31