Boise State is a consensus College Football Playoff pick in latest bowl projections

National projections are remarkably consistent on the No. 22 Broncos, while six other Pac-12 teams appear across the postseason picture

Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen. | Photo courtesy of Boise State Athletics

Riding a three-game winning streak as Pac-12 play is set to begin this weekend, many national college football writers believe No. 22 Boise State will win a fourth straight conference title and earn a bid to the College Football Playoff.

The Broncos (3-1, 0-0), who are set to host Utah State (1-3, 0-0) on Saturday, reached the CFP in 2024 and represented the Mountain West in the 2023 and 2025 editions of the now-defunct LA Bowl. 

The Pac-12 has two official bowl tie-ins for the 2026 season: the Poinsettia Bowl and Hawaii Bowl.

The Poinsettia Bowl will pit the Pac-12 champion—assuming the team doesn’t qualify for the College Football Playoff—against one of the 10 Pac-12 legacy teams. 

The Hawaii Bowl will feature a Pac-12 team against a Mountain West opponent. 

All eight current Pac-12 members are also eligible for spots in ESPN’s bowl pool. 

The Pac-12 legacy members and holdovers Oregon State and Washington State can be selected for the Alamo Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Independence Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl and Sun Bowl in 2026. 

Here is a collection of bowl projections from national writers for Pac-12 teams entering Week 5 of the 2026 college football season. 

Kyle Bonagura, ESPN

College Football Playoff: Boise State at Texas

Hawaii Bowl: Texas State vs. North Dakota State

Independence Bowl: Oregon State vs. West Virginia

Poinsettia Bowl: Fresno State vs. Arizona State

Mark Schlabach, ESPN

College Football Playoff: Boise State at Indiana

Frisco Bowl: Texas State vs. Western Kentucky

New Mexico Bowl: UNLV vs. Fresno State

Poinsettia Bowl: Arizona vs. Oregon State

Bryan Fischer, Sports Illustrated

College Football Playoff: Boise State at Texas

Birmingham Bowl: Texas State vs. Tulsa 

Hawaii Bowl: Fresno State vs. UNLV

New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State vs. Louisiana

Poinsettia Bowl: Oregon State vs. Arizona

Brad Crawford, CBS Sports

College Football Playoff: Boise State at Texas

Independence Bowl: Washington State vs. Oklahoma State

Hawaii Bowl: Fresno State vs. North Dakota State

Poinsettia Bowl: Oregon State vs. Washington

Steven Lassan, Athlon Sports

College Football Playoff: Boise State at Ohio State

Frisco Bowl: Louisiana vs. Colorado State

Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. San Diego State

Poinsettia Bowl: Fresno State vs. Washington

Oliver Hodgkinson, PFSN College

College Football Playoff: Boise State at Texas

New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico vs. Texas State

Poinsettia Bowl: Oregon State vs. California

Puerto Rico Bowl: Fresno State vs. Air Force

Erick Smith, USA Today 

College Football Playoff: Boise State at Texas

Famous Idaho Potatoes Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Colorado State

Frisco Bowl: Washington State vs. Louisiana 

New Mexico Bowl: North Dakota State vs. Fresno State

Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego State vs. Arizona