An unforgettable morning of fireworks, fanfare, and a life-changing kick marked ESPN’s latest visit — and another milestone for the Utes in their Big 12 era.

CINCINNATI — The Bearcats football squad is in a bye week after losing to the Utah Utes 45-14 and nearly dropping out of the AP top 25. The result was enough to keep them out of the initial College Football Playoff rankings and dropped them down the national analytic metrics for the first time in nearly two months.

That doesn't mean there won't be one down the road, but let's start with right now. Between junior Devon Dampier and true freshman Byrd Ficklin, the topic of which QB is best right now for the Utes popped up this week in the wake of Ficklin's optimistic first collegiate start in a rout of Colorado.

Colorado football is back on the field for road conference matchup against Utah hoping to build on some recent momentum with an upset performance.

Barring wicked injuries, it could be reasonably expected that Utah will win the rest of its regular-season games. That’s exactly what the Utes, according to what Devon Dampier said on Saturday night, after they did away with the Cincinnati Bearcats, a team heretofore undefeated in Big 12 play, intend to do.

After two losses, Utah football fans may still have a shot at seeing their team compete for the Big 12 Championship, but the odds are slim.

Utah’s recruiting class for next year currently includes two 4-star talents and 15 3-stars in the 247 Sports composite rankings.

With the most significant half-time deficit in the Deion Sanders era, the Buffaloes had no chance against Utah. Here's what we learned from the loss.

At the moment, the Big 12 is shaping up as a two-bid league, but those two bids are BYU, which controls its own destiny toward Arlington, and Texas Tech. If the CFP were seeded and bracketed today, Utah is out.