Bowl Projections: Pac-12 Might Lose Another Bowl
Two bowls with Pac-12 tie-ins have already been canceled for 2020, and now a third Pac-12 bowl is consdering calling off its game.
Suddenly Cal's postseason possibilities are disappearing.
The Holiday Bowl and the Redbox Bowl both have a Pac-12 team as one of its participants, and both announced earlier this month their games will not be played this season. And Brett McMurphy reported via Twitter this week that the L.A. Bowl, to be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood between a Pac-12 team and a Mountain West team, is considering calling off its game for 2020.
The L.A. Bowl's situation is signficant for Cal because last week a number of reputable websites predicted that Cal would play in the L.A. Bowl this season.
So far the Holiday, Redbox, Hawaii and the Bahamas bowls have announced their games won't be played this year, and McMurphy reported that the Fenway Bowl won't played this season either.
The Myrtle Beach Bowl as well as the L.A. Bowl are in jeopardy, and a source gave McMurphy this ominous warning: “Holiday’s decision not to play is 1st domino to fall, more will follow not playing.”
Here is the Pac-12's original bowl lineup:
One or two berths in New Year’s Six bowls: Rose (national semifinals); Sugar (national semifinals); Peach, Cotton, Fiesta; Orange.
Alamo Bowl vs. Big 12
Holiday Bowl vs. ACC
Las Vegas Bowl vs. SEC
Redbox Bowl vs. Big Ten
Sun Bowl vs. ACC
Independence Bowl vs. Army
LA Bowl vs. Mountain West
.
And here is the bowl selection order of Pac-12 schools if the L.A. Bowl is canceled this year:
--New Year's Six Bowl(s)
--Alamo Bowl
--Las Vegas Bowl
--Sun Bowl
--Independence Bowl
(The L.A. Bowl would have the selection after the Sun Bowl and before the Independence Bowl.)
Cal and the rest of the Pac-12 will not play their first games until Nov. 7, but that does not prevent websites from predicting where Pac-12 teams will be headed in the postseason.
The Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, was the predicted bowl destination for Cal by three of the eight website experts, and one guessed that Cal would play Boston College in that bowl. That would be particularly interesting because defensive lineman Luc Bequette, who was expected to be a starter for the Golden Bears this season, transferred to Boston College when it appeared the Pac-12 would not have a fall season in 2020 and is now a starting defensive tackle for the Eagles.
Two of the sites predicted Cal will wind up in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., and the Pac-12 opponent in that game has already been decided as Army accepted a berth to the Independence Bowl on Saturday.
Three of the eight college football experts we cited put a Pac-12 team (Oregon) in the four-team College Football Playoff, so the Pac-12 apparently are not being dismissed from the process.
Last week, most experts picked Cal to be in the L.A. Bowl, but this week only one of the experts puts the Bears in that Inglewood game, which may not be played.
Here are the bowl projections for Cal:
The Sporting News -- Cal vs. Boston College, Sun Bowl, Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas (Bowl Tue-Ins: ACC vs. Pac-12)
ESPN (Kyle Bonagura) -- Cal vs. Virginia Tech. Sun Bowl, Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas (Bowl Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Pac-12)
College Football News -- Cal vs. Pittsburgh, Sun Bowl, Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas (Bowl Tue-Ins: ACC vs. Pac-12)
CBS Sports -- Cal vs. Army, Independence Bowl, Independence Stadium Shreveport, La. (Bowl Tie-Ins: Pac-12 vs. Army in 2020)
USA Today -- Cal vs. Army, Independence Bowl, Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La. (Bowl Tie-Ins: Pac-12 vs. Army in 2020)
ESPN (Mark Schlabach) -- Cal vs. Missouri, Las Vegas Bowl, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas (Bowl Tie-Ins: Pac-12 vs. SEC)
Athlon -- Cal vs. Boise State, L.A. Bowl, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif. (Bowl Tie-Ins: Pac-12 vs. Mountain West)
247 Sports -- This site projected bowl pairings in only 20 bowls, and Cal was not included in any of them.
Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
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