While there is still plenty of time until the 2024 college football season kicks off — for BYU and Utah State, the season is 100 days away, and 98 for Utah — that doesn’t stop the influx of discussion about the upcoming year.

One of the staples of preseason chatter is ESPN’s SP+ rankings, and earlier this week, Bill Connelly released his latest edition, i.e., the post-spring edition, and there are varying expectations for the three Utah FBS schools.

For the Utes, the 2024 season presents the chance to make a big impression in a new conference, the Big 12, while making a run at the expanded College Football Playoff with Cam Rising back and healthy.

For the Cougars, this year is projected to be another difficult learning season as the program adjusts to life at the power conference level.

And for the Aggies, there’s been plenty of turnover again, though perhaps less pessimism surrounds the program heading into 2024 — and a hope the school can finish in the upper half of the Mountain West.

What does Connelly’s latest SP+ rankings — which are calculated on returning production, recent recruiting and recent history — project for these three schools?

These insights give a glimpse at how Utah, BYU and Utah State are viewed on a national scale heading into the year.

As Connelly explains, “SP+ is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking, and along those lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the season. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather to date.”

Where does BYU football rank in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings?

• BYU ranks No. 67 nationally in the SP+ metrics with an overall minus-2.0 rating, a two-spot drop from the preseason SP+ rankings released in February.
• That includes BYU rating No. 63 on offense, No. 84 on defense and No. 11 on special teams.
• By comparison, the Cougars were No. 60 overall in last year’s post-spring ESPN SP+ rankings. BYU went 5-7 last season.
• The Cougars rank 12th among the new-look Big 12 Conference in the SP+ rankings, just ahead of Colorado (No. 69) and Cincinnati (No. 70) and just behind Baylor (No. 61). Only two of BYU’s conference games this season — at Houston (No. 79) and vs. Arizona State (No. 88), both in late November — come against Big 12 teams below the Cougars in the SP+ rankings.
• There are four Big 12 teams in the top 25 of the SP+ rankings: Kansas State (No. 17), Utah (No. 18), Oklahoma State (No. 20) and Arizona (No. 24). BYU plays all four this season, with only one road game at the Utes.
• BYU is ranked more than 40 spots below one of its two FBS nonconference opponents — SMU comes in at No. 23 — while the other, Wyoming, is behind the Cougars, at No. 87.
• The Big 12 is third among all FBS leagues in average SP+ ranking, behind only the SEC and Big Ten.
• BYU ranks 55th nationally in returning production at 65%, per Connelly’s numbers. That includes ranking No. 52 on offense (66%) and No. 51 on defense (64%).

Where does Utah football rank in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings?

• Utah ranks No. 18 nationally in the SP+ metrics with an overall 16.1 rating, a one-spot drop from the preseason SP+ rankings released in February.
• That includes Utah rating No. 39 on offense, No. 11 on defense and No. 34 on special teams.
• By comparison, the Utes were No. 14 overall in last year’s post-spring ESPN SP+ rankings. Utah went 8-5 last season while dealing with a litany of injuries.
• The Utes rank second among the new-look Big 12 Conference in the SP+ rankings in their first year in the league, just one spot behind Kansas State (No. 17) and ahead of Oklahoma State (No. 20) and Arizona (No. 24). Utah plays at Oklahoma State and home against Arizona in back-to-back weeks to start conference play, but avoids playing Kansas State.
• Utah is ranked well ahead of its two FBS nonconference opponents — Baylor comes in at No. 61, while Utah State is No. 101. While both Utah and Baylor are now in the same conference, that will be a non-league game.
• The Big 12 is third among all FBS leagues in average SP+ ranking, behind only the SEC and Big Ten.
• Utah ranks 43rd nationally in returning production at 66%, per Connelly’s numbers. That includes ranking No. 61 on offense (63%) and No. 33 on defense (69%).

Big 12 teams in the post-spring SP+ rankings

17. Kansas State.

18. Utah.

20. Oklahoma State.

24. Arizona.

30. Iowa State.

34. West Virginia.

36. TCU.

37. Kansas.

42. Texas Tech.

48. UCF.

61. Baylor.

67. BYU.

69. Colorado.

70. Cincinnati.

79. Houston.

88. Arizona State.

Where does Utah State football rank in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings?

• Utah State ranks No. 101 nationally in the SP+ metrics with an overall minus-11.0 rating, a six-spot drop from the preseason SP+ rankings released in February.
• That includes Utah State rating No. 49 on offense, No. 132 on defense and No. 92 on special teams.
• By comparison, the Aggies were No. 116 overall in last year’s post-spring ESPN SP+ rankings. Utah State went 6-7 last season with a bowl game loss.
• The Aggies rank eighth among Mountain West teams in the SP+ rankings, just behind Colorado State (No. 98) and Hawaii (No. 100) and slightly ahead of San Diego State (No. 14).
• Utah State’s conference opener will be against the highest-ranked MWC team in the SP+ rankings, No. 38 Boise State. The game is set for Oct. 5 in Boise.
• Utah State will play three FBS nonconference opponents this year — both Utah (No. 18) and USC (No. 21) are in the SP+ top 25, while Temple is three from the bottom at No. 132.
• The MWC is sixth among all FBS leagues in average SP+ ranking, behind fellow Group of 5 league the Sun Belt Conference and ahead of the American Athletic Conference.
• Utah State ranks 86th nationally in returning production at 57%, per Connelly’s numbers. That includes ranking No. 43 on offense (68%) and No. 110 on defense (47%).
• That’s a significant improvement over the post-spring SP+ returning production numbers last year, when Utah State ranked 127th nationally (41%).

Mountain West Conference teams in the post-spring SP+ rankings

38. Boise State.

57. Fresno State.

71. UNLV.

87. Wyoming.

92. Air Force.

98. Colorado State.

100. Hawaii.

101. Utah State.

104. San Diego State.

112. San Jose State.

121. Nevada.

131. New Mexico.

Utah’s rising prominence as a player in the global business landscape was the focus of a Thursday conference in Salt Lake City that included an impressive roster of domestic and international leaders including former President George W. Bush, former Mexican President Vicente Fox and past Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Natalie Gochnour, associate dean for the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business and director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, told attendees of the Crossroads of the World Summit at downtown’s Grand America hotel that Utah had already established itself as the crossroads of the West and was building an argument for a more ascendant position.

“What I do know is we’re the undisputed crossroads of the West and that’s the seed corn for being the crossroads of the world,” Gochnour said.

Gochnour shared data that reflects Utah’s outsize performance when it comes to global trade, including a comparison of the state’s rankings of 30th in the country in terms of population, 29th largest economy but 16th on a basis of per capita export values.

Gochnour also pointed out that, among western states, Utah has the third highest per capita export ranking, even beating out economic powerhouse California.

“It’s a pretty big punch,” Gochnour said.

While Bush was among the marquee speakers at Thursday’s event, the former president’s presentation was closed to media.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox quipped about his role as the state’s CBO — Chief Bragging Officer — and shared an anecdote from a recent trip to Vancouver, B.C., where he attended a TED conference.

Cox said he shared a dinner table with a well-known hedge fund billionaire, who he declined to identify, who said Utah’s most powerful built-in asset was the shared characteristics of its residents as smart, hard-working people who prioritize their families.

“Those are Utah values and they used to be American values,” Cox said. “Utah is what America used to be and, I hope, what it can be again.

“I can say those things (about Utah) but to hear it from someone else … I thought a lot about that conversation.”

This story will be updated.

This article is excerpted from the Utah Eats newsletter, compiled by Kolbie Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune’s food and drink reporter. To get the full newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday, become a subscriber by going to sltrib.com/newsletters.

Hello, Eaters!

Last weekend was the Living Traditions Festival in downtown Salt Lake City — which is not only the kickoff to the city’s summer festival season but also an opportunity to try foods from a lot of different countries.

Walking into the festival’s food market on 200 East, I started in the Basque region of northern Spain and ordered some croquetas (pictured at top) from the Basque Club of Utah. (Side note: Fried foods are the perfect walking-around food. Don’t ask me why.)

These croquetas came fresh out of the fryer, the panko crumbs on the outside perfectly crispy and leaving a sheen of oil on my fingers. On the inside, the croquetas were soft, something like grits or funeral potatoes, with chopped bits of ham scattered throughout.

(You can get Basque-style croquetas at Finca, at 1513 S. 1500 East, or at Finca – Pinxtos Bar, at 126 S. Regent St., both in Salt Lake City.)

I didn’t realize I was craving noodles until I saw the sign from the Thai Association of Utah, advertising pad thai. I know pad thai is available at many Thai restaurants in Salt Lake City — such as Laan Na Thai, at 336 W. 300 South, and Sawadee, at 754 E. South Temple — but I was just following my taste buds at that point.

In the dining tent on Washington Square, my dining companion and I traded bites of pad thai (pictured above) and adobo pork and rice from Kubo Express, a Filipino food vendor. In talking with the man at the booth, we learned that Kubo Express is going to be vending at the 47th annual Utah Asian Festival on June 8 at the Utah State Fairpark — and may even be roasting a whole pig.

After some walking around, we ordered a second lunch from the Italian-American Civic League, which I’ll talk more about below.

To end the day, we got some beignets (pictured above) from Mama Africa, which sells food from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The beignets, also called mikaté, were sprinkled with powdered sugar and tasted like fried clouds. (To have beignets brought to your house, look up “Mama Beignet” on your favorite food-delivery app.)

Half of the fun of eating at Living Traditions is doing so in the dining tent, where dozens of people are eating together. You get to people-watch and catch snippets of conversation, and hear what people think about the food.

If you missed the Living Traditions Festival this year, make it a point to attend next year. A lot of these businesses and vendors don’t have their own restaurants or food trucks, so events like this are often people’s only chance to sample their food. And if you like the food from a particular ethnic association or nonprofit, support them on social media.

Live deliciously,

Kolbie

Food News

• Jinya Ramen Bar, which has locations in Salt Lake City (675 E. 2100 South), Lehi (3725 Thanksgiving Way) and Murray (5905 S. State St.), has some new items on its menu, according to a news release.

These include corn tempura, which is ribs of corn fried in a crisp tempura batter; a vegan kids menu, which includes a vegan rice bowl, Impossible Tacos and vegan ramen; and nasu miso (pictured above), an eye-catching dish made with fried eggplant, Brussels sprouts and red bell pepper dressed in spicy miso, served in an eggplant cup and garnished with bok choy and bonito flakes. The nasu miso is available starting Saturday, June 1.

• Mar | Muntanya, at 170 S. West Temple St. on the sixth floor of the Hyatt Regency, has some new menu items for spring. Inspired by the Basque region of northern Spain, like all of Mar | Muntanya’s menu, these new dishes include scallop escabeche with Iberico bacon; octopus asador; albondigas Basquaise, which are Basque-style meatballs made with elk, bison and Wagyu beef; and Iberico pork ribs with sweet and sour sauce. Reservations are available via Tock.

• Les Amis du Vin Utah, a nonprofit social club that focuses on the appreciation of food and wine, is welcoming new members, said Jim Van Kovics, chair of the club’s board. Active since 1976, Les Amis du Vin Utah meets every couple of months at different clubs and restaurants in the Salt Lake City area to socialize, dine and sample wine. All levels of wine tasting experience are welcome.

The club’s next event will be held at Kimi’s Chop and Oyster House (4699 S. Highland Drive, Holladay) on Sunday, June 9. The deadline to make a reservation is Saturday, June 1; admission is $95 per person for members, and $102 per person for guests. If you’re interested in learning more about wine and meeting like-minded people, annual club membership dues are $35, which includes a one-year subscription to Wine Enthusiast magazine. For more information, visit ladv-utah.org.

• If you want to learn even more about wine, join Club Veneto, the wine club of Veneto Ristorante Italiano, at 370 E. 900 South in Salt Lake City. For $300 a year, you’ll get access to members-only dinners; Veneto’s “online wine cellar” with interviews, educational content and more; merchandise; vineyard tours; exclusive tasting notes; and live calls with wine experts, plus other perks. Also, Veneto will place special wine orders on your behalf through the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services. For more information, visit VenetoSLC.com.

After our first round of lunch at the Living Traditions Festival, we visited the Italian-American Civic League for the second round.

I ordered the sausage sandwich (pictured above) and cannoli (pictured below), and we took them into the dining tent to enjoy at the communal tables.

Made up of a slightly spicy sausage slathered in chunky tomato sauce on a bun and sprinkled with parmesan cheese, this sandwich was meaty and satisfying. I loved it.

The mini cannoli, with the ricotta filling and chocolate chips, ended the meal on a deliciously sweet note.

(There are several good Italian sandwich places around town, but we are fond of Caputo’s Market and Deli — which has locations in downtown Salt Lake City, 15th and 15th, and Holladay. And Carlucci’s Bakery, which is next door to the downtown Caputo’s, has cannoli among its many treats.)