Which would Utah Utes fans prefer — a spot in the College Football Playoff or a Rose Bowl berth?

Rain Phinney supports the Utah Utes as they play the Oregon State Beavers in a football game at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore., on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. Utah won 52-7. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — The results of Saturday’s football games couldn’t have gone much better for Utah and the Pac-12 Conference in their hopes of getting into the College Football Playoff.

Well, it would have been nice if Maryland had beaten Ohio State, rather than losing by 59 and if NC State had knocked off Clemson instead of getting beat by 45. But you can’t have everything.

A couple of five-point games between unbeaten teams went the right way for Utah and Oregon as Minnesota knocked off Penn State 31-26 and LSU defeated Alabama 46-41.

That was good for the Pac-12 because it hurt the playoff chances of Penn State and Alabama, who were both ranked in the top four in the first CFP rankings. I believe the committee would have a hard time justifying including a one-loss Alabama or one-loss Penn State team that doesn’t even win its own division, into the playoff.

Utah and Oregon are likely to move up a spot or two when the new College Football Playoff rankings come out Tuesday night, after just sitting home and doing nothing but watching other contenders lose over the weekend.

Minnesota’s win over Penn State pretty much ruined the Big Ten’s hopes of getting two teams into the Playoff as the Nittany Lions were in position being in the No. 4 spot in the initial rankings. They still have a chance if they can knock off Ohio State on Nov. 23, but that could eliminate the Buckeyes.

Some would say Minnesota is still a threat for the playoff after its upset win. Yes, but not really. Last week the Gophers were ranked No. 17, despite being undefeated because of a weak schedule and they have a tough road ahead with games against Iowa and Wisconsin over the next three weeks. Then if they do survive those games, they’ll likely have to get past Ohio State or Penn State in the Big Ten title game to have a shot at the playoffs. If they accomplished all that, they’d deserve a spot in the playoffs, but they’d knock another Big Ten team out.

The SEC could still get two teams in, but a likely championship game between LSU and Georgia would put one of those teams out.

So as the Utes creep up in the rankings, the question among many Ute fans right now is which would be better — a spot in the College Football Playoff as the No. 4 seed or a berth in the Rose Bowl as the No. 5 or 6 seed?

Of course, the obvious answer to many would be the playoff, since the Utes would get a chance to play for the national championship. Isn’t that what it’s all about, winning the championship?

As Lee Corso would say, not so fast, my friend.

On the other hand, how many times will the Utes get a chance to play in the Rose Bowl, a dream they’ve had ever since joining the Pac-12 eight years ago.

Sure there will be opportunities to get into the Rose Bowl again, you say.

But just ask Arizona. In its 41 years in the league, how many trips have the Wildcats made to the Rose Bowl? That’s right, zero.

When was the last time Oregon State made it to the Rose Bowl? Would you believe 1965? How about Cal? The answer is 1959, the same year Utah coach Kyle Whittingham was born.

But making the College Football Playoff is also very difficult.

Let’s just say Ohio State, LSU and Clemson all stay unbeaten and the Pac-12 champion gets into the playoff as the No. 4 team. Most likely LSU and Clemson would be matched up in the Peach Bowl, close to their fan bases, while Ohio State would play the Pac-12 champ in the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona. Both games are scheduled for Dec. 28, a full two weeks before the national championship game in New Orleans on Jan. 13.

Realistically, could the Utes stay with an Ohio State team that has obliterated every opponent this year, winning by an average score of 51-8? The Utes’ season could be over well before New Year’s Day when the Rose Bowl is played.

Would Ute fans rather travel down to Pasadena for a Rose Bowl game on New Year’s Day or go to Phoenix or Atlanta three days after Christmas with the hopes of playing two weeks later in New Orleans?

I’ve talked to folks in both camps, some saying it’s a no-brainer to want the playoff and others who say the Rose Bowl would be a dream come true.

If the Utes stumble over the next three weeks, we may look back on all this speculation and laugh. The main thing is getting to the Pac-12 championship game on Dec. 6, which will likely assure them of a playoff or Rose Bowl berth.

For now, it’s a good conundrum for the Utes and their fans to think about. Either a Rose Bowl or a national playoff game would be the highlight of the team’s history. The Utes just need to take care of business this month snd then can worry about their two good choices.

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