Utah
Koki Riley: What to do with Miami, and why Utah made a leap in AP Top-25 Poll after Week 10
On Thursday, Awful Announcing — a blog dedicated to covering sports media news nationally — pondered whether I was the best or worst AP poll voter.
I don’t have a clue which side of the spectrum I land on, but I appreciate the fact that there’s at least one person who is listening to the reasoning behind my selections. I always strive to provide fair and honest analysis, even if it’s extreme or unique in comparison to the consensus.
So with that said, let’s break down my poll after Week 10.
My AP Top-25 poll after Week 10
1. Indiana, 2. Texas A&M, 3. Ohio State, 4. Alabama, 5. Georgia, 6. Texas Tech, 7. Notre Dame, 8. Ole Miss, 9. BYU, 10. Oregon, 11. Louisville, 12. Oklahoma, 13. Utah, 14. Miami, 15. Southern Cal, 16. Texas, 17. Missouri, 18. Vanderbilt, 19. Michigan, 20. Washington, 21. Tennessee, 22. Illinois, 23. Virginia, 24. Georgia Tech, 25. Iowa
Just missed: Houston, TCU, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati
What I did with Miami
It felt like dropping Miami to No. 14 in my poll wasn’t enough after the Hurricanes’ loss to SMU. The loss means Miami is just 2-2 in ACC play and the Ponies already had three defeats heading into this week, including two losses to middling at best teams in Baylor and Wake Forest.
But this loss wasn’t as devastating as it may have seemed on the surface. SMU still only has one defeat in conference play, and Miami’s only other loss comes to a Louisville team that I have at No. 11 in my poll.
It seems like Miami’s College Football Playoff hopes are done, but the Hurricanes still have a win over a top-10 team (Notre Dame) and dominated a pretty good South Florida team. The Notre Dame win kept Miami ahead of Texas and USC. Neither team holds a win that impressive, and they have flaws in their own right.
Texas earned a huge win over Vanderbilt this week and beat Oklahoma, but also lost to Florida and probably should’ve fallen to lowly Kentucky and Mississippi State. USC snuck past Nebraska on the road this week and beat Michigan, but the Trojans — unlike Miami — lost to the Irish.
Sliding up to No. 6 in Miami’s place was Texas Tech after the Red Raiders dominated another Big 12 team (Kansas State) on Saturday. Besides one loss with the backup quarterback on the road, Tech has been unstoppable.
I prefer the Red Raiders over Notre Dame, given that the Irish needed a late touchdown to pull away from a woeful Boston College team this weekend and have a weaker strength of record, according to ESPN.
Utah’s rise
Utah’s lack of stellar play at quarterback still makes me nervous, but its resume has become impossible to ignore at this point.
When they haven’t lost, the Utes have blown everyone out, including this weekend when they crushed Cincinnati 45-14 at home. It was the sort of statement victory they needed, given that their best win before this week was over Sam Leavitt-less ASU at home.
The lopsided wins, combined with the fact that its only defeats came to top-10 teams in my poll, were why the Utes made a meteoric rise in my rankings this week.
Other notes
Virginia is at No. 12 in the overall poll, but is only 24th in my poll for a couple of different reasons. The Cavaliers have a great overtime win over Louisville, but close wins over North Carolina, Florida State and Washington State, and a loss to NC State make me question what their actual quality is.
Oddly enough, the team below them in my poll also lost to NC State this week. I’ve consistently been lower on Georgia Tech because of the lack of competition it’s faced to this point, despite being undefeated.
The Yellow Jackets still made my poll because beating Duke on the road isn’t easy, and an 8-1 record for a Power Four conference team is still pretty good. They’ll be tested to end the year as they face Pittsburgh and Georgia to finish the season.
Iowa was the last team out a week ago, but the Hawkeyes are in this week despite not playing because Houston and Cincinnati lost. Iowa lacks a strong win, and the Iowa State loss doesn’t look great, but the Hawkeyes have managed to be the only team that’s lost to Indiana by single digits.
Utah
Utah delays imposing fee for wildfire mitigation program
The Utah Legislature tried to address the unaffordability or, for some, unavailability of home insurance last year.
The state created a program to inspect “high-risk” properties statewide and charge those properties a fee.
Its start date was supposed to be Jan. 1, but now lawmakers are giving state and local officials an extra year to implement it. House Bill 41, which Gov. Spencer Cox signed in March, moves the start date to Jan. 1, 2027.
Bill sponsor Rep. Thomas Peterson, R-Brigham City, says that’s to give time for cities and counties to petition the state to add or remove properties from the fee area.
“[The Division of] Forestry, Fire and State Lands has said they will work with the cities and counties to amend their maps, if it’s indeed justified,” the representative said during a House committee hearing.
The program targets properties with buildings in the “high-risk wildland-urban interface,” or WUI, meaning those that straddle wilderness and development. The Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands has a map classifying certain properties as high-risk WUI.
That’s the map local governments can petition to amend this year.
Those properties will pay a fee into the new Utah Wildfire Fund, which is supposed to offset fire-related costs. The fee pays for inspections to make sure property owners are being firewise and maintaining their land.
The fee is expected to range from $20 to $100 annually, depending on the size of buildings on a given property and risk level. The state forester has more information on an online FAQ page.
Utah
This Utah Family Retreat Takes Its Elevated Design Cues From the Alpine Surroundings
as hard as it is to say goodbye to a special place where you’ve made countless memories, letting one good thing go can invite something even better to take its place. When one Chicago-based couple welcomed their first grandchild, they knew that it was time to part ways with their former Victory Ranch, Utah, retreat and expand into a custom-built home in nearby Kamas, which was designed to grow with their family.
With Jennelle Butera of Bloum Design Co. helming the design, every area of the expansive new homestead was tailored to suit the needs of a full, bustling household, with curated design choices that seamlessly coordinate with the majestic mountainous terrain on full display in nearly every room.
To give the space an artful signature all its own, Butera commissioned numerous custom accents. “We love working with local artisans,” she says. “We layered in pieces that feel deeply personal, from a solid walnut dining table with brass butterflies to a gunmetal kitchen hood and blackened steel fireplace surround.”
Though incredibly spacious and airy, the entire interior still has a warm and inviting feel, making it a natural home base for the entire brood to gather. From an intimate breakfast nook just off the main living area to a family room that’s ready for anything—from game night to cocktail hour—to a primary bathroom that could rival the most luxurious five-star spa, this is the ultimate entertaining home, sure to host countless reunions and gatherings in the years to come. And crucially, the space doesn’t feel cordoned off from the gorgeous natural world outdoors, but very much a part of it.
FAST FACTS
Designer: Jennelle Butera, Bloum Design Co.
Location: Kamas, Utah
The Space: A five-bedroom, six-bathroom home across 8,200 square feet
ENTRYWAY
Guests are greeted by subtle artistic touches.
An entryway needs to make a memorable first impression, and the one in this home, anchored by a distinctive custom walnut console table, is so much more than a simple pass-through. “This entry vestibule serves as an artistic moment,” Butera says. There’s subtle beauty to appreciate underfoot as well, as the dappled pattern of the natural stone pavers is used both indoors and out, providing a seamless visual transition.
THE GREAT ROOM
A comfy, calming space that lives up to its name.
Walking into the great room, visitors are struck by two distinct features: expansive panorama windows that showcase sweeping mountain vistas and a sumptuous seating area that practically begs sitters to stay awhile and appreciate the view. The deep olive green Montauk sofas were hand-selected not just for their gorgeous color and plush silhouette, but because they feel like a dream. “The clients even took a special trip to the Chicago showroom to personally sit-test them,” Butera quips.
DINING AREA
Gilded accents add polish to everyday meals.
Adjacent to the central seating zone is the dining area; at its heart is a custom-fabricated walnut table with cozy mohair-upholstered chairs that offer plenty of spots for dinner party guests to perch.
“Warm and chocolate tones were chosen to complement the natural landscape,” Butera says, and the effect is the total embodiment of—dare we say—quiet luxury. A sophisticated dry bar awaits service nearby, resplendent in its gleaming wallcovering by Alchemy Helio 3.0.
BREAKFAST NOOK
This bonus room is the go-to spot for quiet contemplation.
For those in-between moments throughout the day, this light-filled breakfast nook, grounded by a custom ash wood table and banquette, offers a casual, quiet corner. “This intimate, everyday space allows them to enjoy the view while sitting with coffee or tea,” Butera says. “It’s also the client’s preferred workspace.”
KITCHEN
Soft moodiness pervades in this hyper-efficient cooking hub.
“The kitchen showcases a curated interplay of dark and light,” Butera says. Subtle shifts in tone and mood are exemplified through the rich oxidized rift oak cabinetry, which contrasts against the smoky zellige tile backsplash. Crowning the range is a custom gunmetal hood, which Butera calls “the kitchen’s striking focal point.”
The space’s organizational flow was also meticulously mapped out through specialized, streamlined storage to ensure maximum efficiency while also allowing room for beauty. The client’s precious collection of pottery, handmade by her mother, holds court above the cook space in the glass-door upper cabinets.
FAMILY ROOM
A casual escape designed for off-hours enjoyment.
On the lower level, this entertaining zone ups the casual quotient, offering ample storage space for the household to stash games, books, and other off-the-clock accoutrements. Ever ready for all hosting needs, the space includes an oxidized rift oak bar and kitchenette. “The bar was intentionally designed to be camouflaged and sleek,” Butera notes. It also alleviates the need to run upstairs for a refill.
BEDROOM
Relaxed refinement takes center stage.
Waking up is never hard to do in this primary bedroom, which Butera calls “a zen-inspired sanctuary for enjoying the mountain views from bed.” She extended the serene tonal and textural palette to this calming space, adding a watercolor-inspired wallcovering to the room’s feature wall and extending it into the nearby boutique-inspired changing area.
PRIMARY BATHROOM
An everyday sanctuary replete with spa-level luxury.
“This primary bathroom is a spacious sanctuary, flooded with natural light,” Butera says. Layers of materiality—limestone floor tiles, a marble sink countertop, a white oak custom vanity—read as a naturalistic extension of the alpine atmosphere just outside.
GUEST ROOM
This home-away-from-home practically guarantees sweet dreams.
This entire home was designed with five-star hospitality in mind, so the guest rooms were certainly not an afterthought. “The main-level guest bedroom is a warm and welcoming space designed to make family and guests feel at home,” Butera says. The room’s biophilic-inspired sage, almond, and mauve hues cocoon the sleeper to put the mind at ease, while a lantern-like pendant from Visual Comfort & Co., aptly named “Paper Moon,” hangs overhead.
About the Designer
Jennelle Butera of Bloum Design Co. has been creating thoughtful spaces for over a decade. In each aspect of her projects, Jennelle and her team seek connection and collaboration with both their clients and their creative partners to create homes that are truly a team effort and reflect each contributing point of view.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.
Utah
What to Watch for in Jazz’s Season Finale vs. Lakers
The Utah Jazz have just one game left on the calendar to decide their final record to close out the 2025-26 season, and with it, finally determine their official lottery odds headed into the offseason.
While the Jazz might be out of the postseason hunt or anything close to it, their matchup agains the LA Lakers holds some high stakes, strictly because of those upcoming lottery odds.
Utah will also need to keep an eye on the Sacramento Kings’ final game of the year against the Portland Trail Blazers, as their outing will also have implications for where the Jazz will stand when it comes to their final lottery standing.
With that in mind, here’s what to watch for in both the Jazz and Kings face off in game 82 of their respective seasons:
If Jazz Lose + Kings Win
The best-case scenario for the Jazz’s lottery odds would be a combination of their own loss to the Lakers, combined with a Kings win vs. the Blazers. That would then put the 22-win Jazz one game below Sacramento in the end-of-year league standings, and with it, the standalone 4th-best odds in next month’s lottery.
That not only gives the Jazz a 12.5% chance at the number-one pick in the lottery, but also guarantees that they’ll retain their top-eight protected pick currently with the OKC Thunder.
It’s safe to assume this is the ideal outcome in mind for those in the Utah front office, but will require a bit of outside help since the Jazz claimed a win against the Memphis Grizzlies to tie Sacramento’s record.
If Jazz Win + Kings Lose
This is what the Jazz don’t want to see. A combination of their own win along with a Kings loss means they drop to sole possession of the fifth-best lottery odds; thus dropping to a 10.5% chance of claiming the number-one pick, and helping OKC to a slim 0.6% chance of taking Utah’s pick.
The fifth-best odds aren’t all bad. You’re given a 44.3% chance that your selection either moves up or stays within that range, and if it remains within the top five, gives Utah a really strong opportunity at a talented player atop the board. But of course, fourth is still better.
Considering the Lakers have a real incentive to win against the Jazz for their own seeding purposes as Utah has quite the opposite, this feels like an unlikely outcome on the surface. Crazier things have happened in the NBA, though.
If Jazz and Kings Both Win/Lose
If the Jazz and Kings both fall to the same result on Sunday night, nothing changes from where the landscape stands now.
Each team will tie with the fourth-best odds in the lottery with either 22 or 23 wins, and will be forced to a tiebreaker in order to determine who gets the fourth and fifth spots in the drawing come lottery time.
That tiebreaker inevitably comes down to a literal coin flip, and therefore would leave the Jazz with essentially just a 0.3% chance that the Thunder will claim their top-eight protected pick. It’s not officially guaranteed that Utah would be the ones walking away with possession of that pick, but it’s pretty dang close.
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