Arizona projected to face SEC team in latest CBS Sports bowl predictions
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Brent Brennan and the Arizona Wildcats picked up win No. 6 on Saturday night against Iowa State, securing bowl eligibility for a second straight year - which last occurred in 2014 and 2015.
Arizona (6-1, 3-1) is on a five game winning streak heading into Saturday's massive Big 12 showdown against Texas Tech, a game that could have major ramifications for the conference title race.
But regardless Arizona - who is now ranked No. 22 in the AP Poll - will find themselves in a bowl game this winter, and the latest projection from CBS Sports has the Wildcats squaring off against a stumbling, but very talented, SEC team in Sin City.
Viva Las Vegas
Arizona is projected to take on the No. 16 Tennessee Volunteers in the Las Vegas Bowl on New Year's Eve at Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
These two programs have never played each other in football, while Arizona is 1-0 all-time in the Las Vegas Bowl, defeating No. 17 BYU 31-21 in front of 40,000 fans back on Dec. 20, 2008.
Tennessee is 6-2 on the year, coming off a devastating road loss at South Carolina. The Vols led 24-17 in the fourth quarter, but gave up the game-tying touchdown after getting stopped on fourth-and-1, and then fumbled to give the Gamecocks the opportunity at a game winning field goal.
Arizona is one of 12 Big 12 teams with a bowl projection, including two teams in the CFP: BYU (No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 LSU) and Utah (No. 3 seed vs. No. 11 Notre Dame).
The other nine include West Virginia (Independence bowl vs. Cal), Baylor (Poinsettia bowl vs. Oregon State), UCF (Armed Forces bowl vs. Army), Cincinnati (Cactus bowl vs. Michigan), Texas Tech (Pop-Tarts bowl vs. SMU), Houston (Alamo bowl vs. Oregon), Oklahoma State (Texas bowl vs. Oklahoma), Iowa State (First Responder vs. North Texas), and Kansas State (Liberty bowl vs. (Mississippi State).
What's next for Arizona
Arizona has cruised to three straight Big 12 victories, beating Cincinnati by 27 at home, West Virginia by 21 on the road, and Iowa State by 36 on Saturday in a big time homecoming victory.
Next up is arguably the toughest game remaining on the schedule, a road trip to Lubbock to take on No. 13 Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders dropped five spots from No. 8 to No. 13 after losing at Cincinnati, 37-24, on Saturday evening. Texas Tech has a win over then No. 22 Houston, 28-26, and dominated Arizona State 53-25 at home and Colorado 29-7 on the road.
A win for Arizona in this Halloween battle against Texas Tech helps put the Wildcats in a position to make the Big 12 conference championship game, and gives them an outside look at a College Football Playoff bid.
Arizona and Texas Tech will kickoff at 9:00 AM MST on Saturday, Oct. 31 in a game broadcast on ESPN.
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Andy Patton is a college basketball writer with deep ties to both Gonzaga and Arizona. A Gonzaga alumnus who graduated in 2013, he has hosted the Locked On Zags podcast covering Gonzaga basketball since 2021 and has co-hosted the Locked On College Basketball podcast since 2022. His years covering the Bulldogs have also given him extensive familiarity with Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who spent more than two decades on Mark Few’s staff at Gonzaga before taking over the Wildcats in 2021. Andy has worked in sports media since 2017, with experience covering nearly every major sport. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for USA TODAY from 2017–21, where he also spent time covering the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks, and previously served as lead writer for College Sports Wire. He has also covered the NBA, NHL and MLB for various TEGNA outlets, including KREM in Spokane, 12News in Phoenix and KING 5 in Seattle. Andy now lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife, daughter and dog.
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