With the league's top two teams going a combined 0-4 on the road this past weekend, and Arizona surging, the road trip in LA takes on much more importance than perhaps it did a week ago. Even the DNF-Atology projections have shifted, giving the Utes a road split in projection #3, whereas the previous two had us going 0-2 on this road swing.
After a terrible result on the road in Oregon last week, the Utes came home and "got right" against the Washington schools. Poetel has been playing lights out and the rest of the team has been rounding into form as well with just five games remaining down the stretch...and this is the final road tilt of the season before we welcome in the Arizona schools and the Buffs.
If the Utes can win both this week, we have the opportunity to control our own destiny in getting a top 2 seed in Vegas. A split positions us for a top four seed in vegas and going o-2 on this roadie means that at a minimum, we need to go 3-0 at home to finish the season in order to get a top 4 seed in Vegas and look good in the eyes of the committee.