The Utah Utes are No. 2 in the country.

The second College Football Playoff rankings of the season, released Tuesday, Nov. 10, on ESPN, placed the 9-0 Utes behind only No. 1 Georgia, according to the Deseret News. Utah jumped one spot from No. 3 after beating BYU 28-20 in the Holy War on Saturday, Nov. 7, at a sold-out Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The ranking is the highest in Utah's CFP history. The Utes debuted at No. 3 in the first CFP poll on Nov. 3, which the Deseret News reported was itself a program CFP record, topping a previous high of No. 5 in December 2019. ABC4 reported the No. 2 spot is Utah's highest ranking since the 2008 season, when the Utes finished undefeated and ranked second nationally.

Utah owns the nation's longest active winning streak at 15 games, according to Gephardt Daily. That is the program's longest streak since winning 16 straight from December 2007 through September 2009.

If the playoff bracket were set based on Tuesday's rankings, Utah would earn a first-round bye and an automatic Sugar Bowl bid. BYU, which dropped one spot to No. 10 at 7-2, would face No. 7 Miami in the first round. The winner of that game would then play the Utes in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal.

How Utah got here

Quarterback Devon Dampier accounted for four touchdowns against BYU. He threw for 177 yards and two scores with no interceptions, rushed for 87 yards and two more touchdowns, and hauled in a 29-yard reception on a trick play.

That trick play came on fourth-and-1 from the BYU 45. Running back Wayshawn Parker took the snap and pitched it to receiver Creed Whittemore, a former quarterback, who threw to Dampier. Utah's quarterback made a leaping grab for the first down.

"Devon Dampier, warrior. I mean, the guy is a warrior," coach Morgan Scalley said after the game, according to the Deseret News. "Second player in FBS … in the last 30 years, he's one of two to have multiple passing touchdowns, multiple rushing touchdowns and 25 receiving yards (in a game). How about that catch? My gosh."

Utah jumped out to a 14-0 lead in less than five minutes. Dampier hit tight end Noah Bennee for 47 yards on the opening drive, then scored on a 22-yard run. After forcing a three-and-out, Dampier connected with receiver Braden Pegan for a 46-yard touchdown.

BYU rallied to take a 20-14 halftime lead, but Utah shut out the Cougars in the second half. The Utes' defense intercepted BYU quarterback Bachmeier three times after halftime. Linebacker Trey Reynolds picked off a third-and-goal pass from the 2-yard line with 4:39 left. Safety Nate Ritchie sealed the win with an interception in the closing seconds.

What's next

Utah visits No. 23 Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 14. The Utes then travel to TCU on Nov. 21 and close the regular season at home against West Virginia on Nov. 27. The final 12-team playoff bracket will be released Dec. 6.

Scalley kept his team's focus forward after the BYU win.

"We cannot let the joy of this distract us from what the ultimate goal is," he said.