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The University of Utah Athletics
Media poll picks Utes third in South Division
7/14/2016 5:04 PM | Football
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—The annual preseason media poll was announced today during the Pac-12 Conference Football Media Days in Hollywood, Calif., and Utah was projected to finish third in the South Division. It is Utah's best preseason ranking since it was picked second in 2012. Last season, after being picked fifth in the preseason poll, the Utes claimed a share of the South Division title.
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Utah received 127 votes and two first-place votes from the league's media, including one vote to win the 2016 Pac-12 Championship game. With a poll-high 186 points (24 first place), Stanford was favored to win the 2016 Pac-12 title. UCLA was picked to win the South Division (180 points/19 first place), followed by USC (173/12), Utah (127/2), Arizona (87), Arizona State (85) and Colorado (63).
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Utah, which has been ranked in the top three in the South in two previous preseason polls (third in 2011 and second in 2012), returns to No. 3 preseason after three straight years as the No. 5 pick.
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The Utes are coming off their best season in five years of Pac-12 membership—tying USC for the Pac-12 South Division title in 2015 with a 6-3 conference mark. Utah finished 10-3 overall and was ranked in the top 20 by both major polls (No. 17 AP, No. 16 Coaches). Utah appeared in every College Football Playoff ranking with a final rank of No. 22.
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"Third is better than fourth, fifth or sixth, so I guess that's somewhat a show of respect," said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, who is preparing for his 12th season as Utah's head coach and has coached at the school since 1994.
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As assistant and head coach, Whittingham has participated in more victories (180) than any football coach in school history. More than half of those wins have come in 11 years as Utah's head coach, when he is 95-46. He has won 90-percent of his bowl games (9-1), the best winning percentage of any coach in NCAA history.
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Whittingham is currently participating in the two-day Pac-12 media event at Hollywood and Highland with Ute senior offensive lineman J.J. Dielman and senior defensive back Justin Thomas.
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Dielman was second-team All-Pac-12 as a junior when he led Utah's offensive linemen in cuts (32 in 11 graded games). He has started every game for the past two seasons. Thomas, who collected 48 tackles (1.0 TFL), three interceptions and six pass breakups in 2015, has started a least part-time since his freshman season.
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They are two of 14 returning starters for the Utes (6 offense, 7 defense, 1 kicker). Fall camp will run from Aug. 4-20 and Utah's season opener is Thursday, Sept. 1 in Rice-Eccles Stadium against Southern Utah.
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Below are the results of the preseason media poll (points 6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses):
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North Division
1. Stanford (24) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 186
2. Washington (8)Â Â Â Â Â Â 163
3. Oregon (1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 132
4. Washington State 112
5. California                 67
6. Oregon State          33
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South Division
1. UCLA (19)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 180
2. USC (12) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 173
3. Utah (2) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 127
4. Arizona                    87
5. Arizona State         85
6. Colorado                63
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Utah received 127 votes and two first-place votes from the league's media, including one vote to win the 2016 Pac-12 Championship game. With a poll-high 186 points (24 first place), Stanford was favored to win the 2016 Pac-12 title. UCLA was picked to win the South Division (180 points/19 first place), followed by USC (173/12), Utah (127/2), Arizona (87), Arizona State (85) and Colorado (63).
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Utah, which has been ranked in the top three in the South in two previous preseason polls (third in 2011 and second in 2012), returns to No. 3 preseason after three straight years as the No. 5 pick.
Â
The Utes are coming off their best season in five years of Pac-12 membership—tying USC for the Pac-12 South Division title in 2015 with a 6-3 conference mark. Utah finished 10-3 overall and was ranked in the top 20 by both major polls (No. 17 AP, No. 16 Coaches). Utah appeared in every College Football Playoff ranking with a final rank of No. 22.
Â
"Third is better than fourth, fifth or sixth, so I guess that's somewhat a show of respect," said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, who is preparing for his 12th season as Utah's head coach and has coached at the school since 1994.
Â
As assistant and head coach, Whittingham has participated in more victories (180) than any football coach in school history. More than half of those wins have come in 11 years as Utah's head coach, when he is 95-46. He has won 90-percent of his bowl games (9-1), the best winning percentage of any coach in NCAA history.
Â
Whittingham is currently participating in the two-day Pac-12 media event at Hollywood and Highland with Ute senior offensive lineman J.J. Dielman and senior defensive back Justin Thomas.
Â
Dielman was second-team All-Pac-12 as a junior when he led Utah's offensive linemen in cuts (32 in 11 graded games). He has started every game for the past two seasons. Thomas, who collected 48 tackles (1.0 TFL), three interceptions and six pass breakups in 2015, has started a least part-time since his freshman season.
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They are two of 14 returning starters for the Utes (6 offense, 7 defense, 1 kicker). Fall camp will run from Aug. 4-20 and Utah's season opener is Thursday, Sept. 1 in Rice-Eccles Stadium against Southern Utah.
Â
Below are the results of the preseason media poll (points 6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses):
Â
North Division
1. Stanford (24) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 186
2. Washington (8)Â Â Â Â Â Â 163
3. Oregon (1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 132
4. Washington State 112
5. California                 67
6. Oregon State          33
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South Division
1. UCLA (19)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 180
2. USC (12) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 173
3. Utah (2) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 127
4. Arizona                    87
5. Arizona State         85
6. Colorado                63
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