SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah’s 30-24 win over California on Saturday was an anxiety factory, one of those fantastically bizarre nine-turnover classics that raised blood pressures and flooded Rice-Eccles Stadium with drawn-out tension reminiscent of a Hitchcock script.

The moment Boobie Hobbs broke up Jared Goff’s fourth-down pass to save the win and establish the 5-0 Utes as the Pac-12's last undefeated team, it felt as if a gigantic vacuum sucked all the worry right out of Salt Lake City air. And varying shades of boldness -- a feeling much stronger than mere relief -- replaced it. They emanated from the Utah players who bounced into the postgame press conference room. Some were especially self-assured -- “[Goff’s] a great quarterback, but our secondary is better,” Hobbs said -- while others, like Devontae Booker, quietly guaranteed that even more improvement is coming. But all of Utah’s players bristled with confidence, and a powerful mix of optimism and certainty flowed from where they spoke.

“We feel like we’re the No. 1 team,” Hobbs said. “We want to show the world we can compete with the Alabamas and the LSUs. Because we have the guys and we have great talent.”

Many writers agree with Hobbs -- 16 voted Utah as the top team in the country in today's AP Poll. Only Ohio State earned more first-place votes (27), but the total tally put Utah at No. 4 -- behind the Buckeyes, Baylor and TCU. Still, the Utes’ ranking is the program's highest ever during the regular season.

But for coach Kyle Whittingham, all of this -- the rankings, the division of votes, his players' assertion that the Utes are the No. 1 team -- is fluff.

"It's great to see your kids with confidence and excitement," he said. "But we're not even at the midway point. We're five games in, and we've got seven to go. We have a lot of football ahead of us, so it's way too early to worry about anything but the next opponent."

That would be Arizona State, an improving team that'll be riding a two-game win streak entering Salt Lake City on Saturday. Mark it as another opportunity for the Utes to lobby for an even higher rank, and for the Sun Devils to re-enter the Top 25 after a troubling start. Outside of Utah, three other Pac-12 teams are currently ranked: Stanford (15), UCLA (18), and Cal (23).

So the situation obviously remains fluid near the season's midway point, but Utah's confidence was set in stone Saturday. The Utes firmly believe in the body of their work: Though the perception of their 62-20 blowout over Oregon might have taken a hit, Whittingham said the Utes' season-opening win over Michigan has gained "a little more weight" given the Wolverines' recent dominance. This most recent triumph over Cal, one in which Booker ran wild and a rapidly improving Utah secondary intercepted Goff five times, adds further oomph to the resume.

If Utah stays the course, they'll ultimately have the chance to grab the No. 1 spot that Boobie Hobbs spoke of. But the marathon continues, and the finish line hasn't appeared on the horizon yet.