Pac-12 bowl projections: Washington State just needs to protect its home turf

The Pac-12 dissolved in 2024, but one vestige of the former conference remains relevant to the college football season unfolding this fall: the bowl lineup. The legacy teams are locked into the postseason arrangement that existed prior to collapse.

College Football Playoff

Team: Oregon

Comment: The Ducks (7-1) are building a resume that resembles Indiana’s profile in 2024, when the Hoosiers finished with one loss but no wins over ranked teams. They were seeded 10th in the CFP and played a road game in the opening round.

Alamo Bowl

Team: Utah

Comment: With three games left against middle-of-the-pack Big 12 opponents, the Utes (7-2) are tracking for 10 wins and would be attractive to the Alamo, especially because they have not participated since 2019.

Las Vegas Bowl

Team: Arizona State

Comment: Even without Sam Leavitt, the Sun Devils (6-3) will be favored in their final three games. They have a narrow path into the Big 12 championship and a possible return to the CFP. If it widens Saturday – because of results elsewhere – we’ll delve into the scenarios next week.

Holiday Bowl

Team: USC

Comment: The range of landing spots for USC (6-2) is considerable given the difficult finishing schedule. It could propel them into the CFP or produce a steep fall down the bowl lineup. The Holiday feels like a reasonable compromise at this point.

Sun Bowl

Team: Washington

Comment: Our outlook for UW (6-2) hasn’t changed materially – the Hotline continues to project eight or nine wins. But the landscape has shifted following victories by Utah and Arizona State, which could easily finish with gaudier records than the Huskies and therefore be more attractive to the Alamo and Las Vegas Bowls.

LA Bowl

Team: Arizona

Comment: Thanks to the blowout win in Boulder, Arizona’s bowl math has turned exponentially easier as the Wildcats (5-3) enter a finishing stretch featuring a handful of toss-up games.

ESPN bowl

Team: Cal

Comment: Good chance the slumping Bears (5-4) will be dropped to the tier of non-qualifiers starting next week. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if Cal loses its last three and finishes below .500.

ESPN bowl

Team: Washington State

Comment: Yes, the offense was offensive in Corvallis. But the Cougars (4-5) built enough cushion to qualify for the postseason. Protect the home field against Louisiana Tech and Oregon State, and they will be bowling yet again.

Non-qualifiers

Teams: Colorado, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA