Wildcats Slighted in Latest Bowl Projection

Now that spring practice is over, college football programs have a better understanding of what their teams will look like heading into next season. Obviously, every program’s goal is to make the College Football Playoff, but that is not realistic.

Arizona is coming off a 9-4 season and is regarded as a top-three team in the Big 12. The Wildcats made the Holiday Bowl last season but ultimately fell 24-19 to SMU. The Wildcats have much higher expectations for themselves next season, but CBS Sports disagrees.

Arizona Projected to Independence Bowl

CBS Sports released its bowl projections for every bowl game next season. The expectation around the Wildcats going into next season is at least a solid bowl game. That is not the case, according to CBS Sports. The media outlet has Arizona making the Independence Bowl and facing off against Army.

Independence Bowl History

That projection seems a little disrespectful. Let’s take a look at the history of the Independence Bowl and why it's so odd to see the Wildcats projected to play in it.

The Independence Bowl has been around since 1976. The first game in 1976 featured McNeese State and Tulsa, with the Cowboys walking away with the win. The reason the Wildcats seem out of place here is that, of the 98 teams that have participated in the bowl game, only nine were in the Top 25 at the time of the game. To make it even worse, only two ranked teams have played in the Independence Bowl since 1997.

The Wildcats had a terrific season last year under head coach Brent Brennan after having a rough season the year prior. Their 9-4 record earned them a No. 17 ranking in the country. USA Today ranked the Wildcats right where they left off at No. 17 in their post-spring ball rankings.

cats checking in at 1️⃣ 7️⃣ pic.twitter.com/SPKhTzF24W
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) May 1, 2026

Wildcats Deserve Better

In fact, the only Big 12 team CBS Sports has in the College Football Playoff is Texas Tech. BYU is one of the top teams in the conference and is projected to make the Alamo Bowl, regarded as one of the best bowl games outside the CFP. Overall, it seems like the Wildcats were very slighted in this projection.

Clear your calendars. We'll see you in the fall 😼 pic.twitter.com/pblSg2pOnO
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) January 21, 2026

Arizona definitely has some steep competition in the Big 12, as it has to play Texas Tech, BYU, and Utah. Those three teams made the top three in the conference last season. At the same time, the Big 12 has been wide open ever since 2020. Who knows who will actually be good in the conference?

If Arizona actually gets the Independence Bowl, then the season did not go the way Brennan and his staff wanted. The Wildcats should be around the 8-10 win range next season and make a push for the Big 12 championship.

Add us as a preferred source on Google