Pac-12 Bowl Projections: Arizona, Cal Get Attention for Postseason Berths

Two things are worth noting about the nine bowl projections we cite:

1. Arizona and Cal, not expected to be bowl-worthy when the season began, are being seen as bowl teams by several of these experts. Four of our nine experts predict that Arizona (2-1) will be a bowl team, and three of them project Cal (2-1) to be in a bowl. Saturday’s Cal-Arizona game in Berkeley will have a significant impact on whether either is likely to land a bowl berth.

2. Three of the nine experts we cited – both of ESPN’s college football reporters as well as College Football News – predict that USC will be one of the four teams in the College Football Playoff. Ranked 14th in the preseason poll, USC is up to No. 7 thanks in large part to an offense that boasts quarterback Caleb Williams and is averaging 50.7 points per game, sixth-best in the country. USC has yet to commit a turnover, but it will be playing its first road game when it faces 3-0 Oregon State on Saturday.

The pecking order of bowls with Pac-12 tie-ins as well as the dates and sites of those games is available at the end of this report:

Here are the bowl projections for Pac-12 teams by the nine experts:

ESPN (Kyle Bonagura)

Peach Bowl (National CFP semifinal) – USC vs. Georgia

Rose Bowl – Utah vs. Michigan

Alamo Bowl – Washington vs. Texas

Las Vegas Bowl – Oregon State vs. Florida

Holiday Bowl – Oregon State vs. North Carolina State

Sun Bowl – Washington State vs. Florida State

LA Bowl – UCLA vs. Boise State

Birmingham Bowl – Arizona vs. Missouri

ESPN (Mark Schlabach)

Peach Bowl (National CFP semifinal) – USC vs. Georgia

Rose Bowl – Oregon vs. Michigan

Alamo Bowl – Utah vs. Baylor

Las Vegas Bowl – Oregon State vs. Texas A&M

Holiday Bowl – Washington vs. Wake Forest

Sun Bowl – Cal vs. Syracuse

LA Bowl – UCLA vs. Boise State

Independence Bowl – Washington State vs. Liberty

USA Today (Erick Smith)

Rose Bowl – Utah vs. Michigan

Alamo Bowl – USC vs. Texas

Las Vegas Bowl – UCLA vs. Florida

Holiday Bowl – Oregon vs. Wake Forest

Sun Bowl – Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh

LA Bowl – Washington vs. Fresno State

First Responder Bowl – Washington State vs. Kansas

Action Network (Brett McMurphy)

Rose Bowl – USC vs. Penn State

Alamo Bowl – Utah vs. Baylor

Las Vegas Bowl – Oregon vs. Mississippi

Holiday Bowl – Washington vs. Florida State

Sun Bowl – Oregon State vs. Miami

LA Bowl – Washington State vs. Boise State

Frisco Bowl – UCLA vs. Indiana

First Responder Bowl – Arizona vs. Louisville

The Sporting News (Bill Bender)

Rose Bowl – USC vs. Penn State

Cotton Bowl – Utah vs. Baylor

Alamo Bowl – Oregon vs. Oklahoma State

Las Vegas Bowl – UCLA vs. South Carolina

Holiday Bowl – Washington vs. North Carolina

Sun Bowl – Oregon State vs. Florida State

LA Bowl – Arizona vs. Boise State

First Responder Bowl – Washington State vs. Kansas State

CBS Sports (Jerry Palm)

Rose Bowl – Utah vs. Michigan

Cotton Bowl – USC vs. Appalachian State

Alamo Bowl – Oregon vs. Oklahoma State

Las Vegas Bowl – Oregon State vs. LSU

Holiday Bowl – Washington vs. Wake Forest

Sun Bowl – UCLA vs. Virginia Tech

LA Bowl – Washington State vs. Fresno State

First Responder Bowl – Cal vs. Tulsa

247 Sports (Brad Crawford)

Rose Bowl – USC vs. Michigan

Cotton Bowl – Utah vs. Cincinnati

Alamo Bowl – Oregon vs. Oklahoma State

Las Vegas Bowl – UCLA vs. Mississippi State

Holiday Bowl – Washington vs. Miami

Sun Bowl – Oregon State vs. Wake Forest

LA Bowl – Washington State vs. Fresno State

First Responder Bowl – Cal vs. SMU

College Football News

Peach Bowl (National CFP semifinal) – USC vs. Georgia

Rose Bowl – Utah vs. Michigan

Cotton Bowl – Oregon vs. Appalachian State

Alamo Bowl – Washington vs. Oklahoma State

Las Vegas Bowl – Washington State vs. LSU

Holiday Bowl – Oregon State vs. Miami

Sun Bowl – Arizona vs. Syracuse

LA Bowl – UCLA vs. Fresno State

Athlon Sports (Steven Lassan)

Rose Bowl – USC vs. Penn State

Alamo Bowl – Utah vs. Baylor

Las Vegas Bowl – Oregon vs. Texas A&M

Holiday Bowl – Washington vs. Wake Forest

Sun Bowl – Oregon State vs. Notre Dame

LA Bowl – UCLA vs. Fresno State

First Responder Bowl – Washington State vs. Iowa State

Here are the bowls with Pac-12 tie-ins, listed in their pecking order:

College Football Playoff semifinals (if a Pac-12 team finishes among the top four teams in the final College Football Playoff rankings): Peach Bowl, Dec. 31, 1 p.m. Pacific time or 5 p.m. Pacific time, Atlanta Ga., ESPN, and Fiesta Bowl, Dec. 31, 1 p.m. Pacific time or 5 p.m. Pacific time, Glendale, Ariz., ESPN.

1. Rose Bowl: Jan. 2, 2 p.m. Pacific time, Pasadena, Calif., ESPN – Pac-12 vs. Big Ten.

1A. New Year's Six Bowls -- A Pac-12 team could qualify for one of the other three New Year's Six Bowls -- Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31.

2. Alamo Bowl: Dec. 29, 6 p.m. Pacific time, San Antonio, Texas, ESPN – Pac-12 vs. Big 12.

3. Las Vegas Bowl: Dec. 17, 4:30 p.m. Pacific time, Las Vegas, ABC – Pac-12 vs. SEC

4. Holiday Bowl: Dec. 28, 5 p.m. Pacific time, San Diego, FOX/FS1 – Pac-12 vs. ACC

5. Sun Bowl: Dec. 30, 11 a.m. Pacific time, El Paso, Texas, CBS – Pac-12 vs. Notre Dame/ACC

6. LA Bowl: Dec. 17, 12:30 p.m. Pacific time, Inglewood, Calif., ABC – Pac-12 vs. Mountain West.

First Responder Bowl -- The Pac-12 might occupy a spot in this Dec. 27 bowl in University Park, Texas, against a team from the ACC, American Athletic or Big 12.

Gasparilla Bowl -- The Pac-12 might fill an opening in this Dec. 23 bowl in Tampa, Fla., against a team from the Big 12, ACC or SEC.

Armed Forces Bowl -- The Pac-12 could get a berth in this Dec. 22 bowl in Fort Worth Texas.

Cover photo of Arizona football by Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports

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