How would you like to be Terrance Cain right about now?

After winning a tough three-way battle for the Utah quarterback job in August, you did about everything you possibly could to help the Utes win.

You led the Utes to six victories in seven games and the No. 16 ranking in the BCS standings.

Your only loss was by a 7-point margin on the road to an Oregon team that is now ranked No. 8 in the BCS standings.

Your stats after seven games were nearly identical, even a little better to those of Brian Johnson, who simply turned out to be Mountain West Conference offensive player of the year in 2008.

Your stats after seven games were very similar to a guy named Alex Smith in his first year as Ute quarterback in 2003 when the Utes were also 6-1 through seven games. Smith simply turned out to be the No. 1 choice in the NFL Draft a year later.

Under your direction, your team was unbeaten in MWC play and still in contention for a second straight championship.

Despite all that, you were replaced at halftime of your eighth start by freshman Jordan Wynn, who hadn't played a down in two months, not a single play in his college career. You were replaced despite completing 10 of 13 passes with no interceptions and no fumbles.

The fact that you were sacked twice and could only manage to lead your team to three measly points in the first half warranted the change in the eyes of the Ute coaches.

Your replacement actually ended up having worse stats than you — completing 9 of 14 passes for 41 fewer yards, but somehow the offense was able to score 19 points in the second half for him and just three in the first half when you played.

Now it's looking like you may not play the rest of the year as long as the 19-year-old freshman doesn't goof up too much.

Such is the life of college quarterbacks these days. Whole careers can change on a handful of plays.

Who knows — if Cain had been able to avoid back-to-back sacks on consecutive plays late in the first half Saturday night and lead the Utes to a score instead of taking the Utes out of field goal range, perhaps he would have started the second half and been the one to lead his team to 19 points.

What if a Wyoming defender had been able to hold onto an errant pass from Wynn in the red zone that was right in his hands, he might have gone 90 yards for a score that would have likely killed the Utes' chances. Wynn might have been back on the bench instead of staying in the game and leading the Utes to victory.

Of course, Ute coaches will tell you they have been concerned with Cain's progress over the season and were thinking of making a switch to Wynn, regardless of a few plays.