This is part five of a series highlighting the best in the non-BCS conferences.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will say, proudly, that I'm a BYU fan.

This year is the last that Utah will be a non-BCS team. The Pac 10 has given them their "Golden Ticket." In 2011, the Utes can play for a Rose Bowl bid, and even a national championship.

The Utes may wish that they could skip 2010.

Utah has to play the other 8 teams of the MWC conference that will remain in the MWC. And each can't wait to make a statement against the Utes.

On the flip side, Utah has some messages of its own to send.

Like BYU, Utah doesn't have too many friends in the conference. For example, Wyoming remembers when the Utes decided to go for an onside kick when up 43-0.

TCU remembers when Utah took away its conference crown in 2008 by a mere 3 points.

Any of the rest of the MWC would love to catch the Utes by surprise.

Then there's the matter of BYU.

This is the last year that the "Holy War" will have conference championship implications. Both teams would like nothing more than to prove, this year at least, who is the best team in the state of Utah.

The last few years have been particularly nasty. Don't expect anything different this year, folks.

Jordan Wynn will lead the Utes on offense, who is returning as the starter after only having that job for six games last year. In that short amount of time, he managed to put up 1,329 yards and scored 8 TDs.

Wynn, though a freshman, showed some flashes of leadership and just simple great play. And seeing that most quarterbacks improve most between the freshman and sophomore years, you better watch out for him.

Joining Wynn in the backfield are Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata. Asiata is coming back after an injury put him out most of the season last year, whereas Wide became the Utes workhorse putting together 1,063 yards on the ground.

The Ute defense has a lot of holes to fill, particularly at linebacker. However, the Utes do bring back Brandon Burton and Lamar Chapman who helped Utah's terrific pass defense last year. 

All of this adds up to a pretty solid team that will play another bowl game this year.

However, Utah doesn't have the luxury of starting the season against a patsy. Rather, they start out against Pitt from the Big East.

The last time these two teams played, Pitt was on the receiving end of Utah's wrath in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl. You can't help but think that the Panthers would like to pay the Utes back during their visit to Rice-Eccles Stadium.

So will they win the MWC one last time before they leave to form the Pac 12? Could one last BCS bust come from the Utes before they won't need to bust the BCS?

Or, will the rest of the conference, including TCU and heated rival BYU, give Utah a sendoff it would rather not receive?

Only the scoreboard will tell.