place in the PAC-12 after last night's win. She asked how that could be possible. I mentioned (without looking at the standings) that if Utah is having any kind of success in the PAC-12, it's because the conference is having a down year. I look up on kenpom.com later and find out that, yep, the PAC-12 is 6th among Power Six conferences and closer to 7th place (AAC) than they are to 5th place (Big Ten). They only have 1 team in Pomeroy's Top 25 - Arizona. Even the WCC has 2. The AAC has 3 and the MWC is tied with the PAC with 1 also. I didn't categorize this as Ute Smack because it really isn't; it's just reality when the revenue disparity is so large within that conference. Utah is down at the bottom with Washington State and Oregon State. They could probably do well enough some years to be middle of the pack but if they get higher than that, then the conference is down.

Here's the recent results:

2018 - PAC-12 6th - Utah 3rd in conference
2017 - PAC-12 6th - Utah 4th in conference
2016 - PAC-12 4th - Utah 2nd in conference
2015 - PAC-12 6th - Utah 2nd in conference
2014 - PAC-12 4th - Utah 8th in conference
2013 - PAC-12 5th - Utah 10th in conference
2012 - PAC-12 6th - Utah 11th in conference

After looking at that, it makes me wonder if the PAC-12 ever doesn't have a "down year." I guess it can rely on its football success