Pac-12 Conference Bowl Guide

The Pac-12 conference has six teams playing in bowl games this season, ranging from the Rose Bowl to lower-level games. Get a preview of who, when and where teams across the conference will be playing.

Andy Williams said it best: It's the most wonderful time of the year. 

Although college football's bowl season schedule wasn't as big in 1963 when the hit Christmas song was composed, Williams surely had to have been referencing the multitude of college bowl games with matchups we wouldn't likely see at any point in the regular season. 

Festivities will begin on Friday, Dec. 17 when Middle Tennessee takes on Toledo in the Bahamas Bowl at 10 AM Arizona time. 

For the Pac-12 conference, the College Football Playoffs once again slipped away from its grasp thanks to Oregon falling apart down the stretch, losing to eventual Pac-12 champion Utah twice just weeks apart. 

However, that hasn't kept the Pac-12 out of any prestigious bowl game, as the conference was still able to see one of their own (Utah) in the Rose Bowl. 

Six Pac-12 teams accepted bowl invites, and all six look to assist in raising the conference's profile over the course of the next few weeks. 

Pac-12 Conference Bowl Guide

Who: Utah State vs. Oregon State
What: LA Bowl
When: Saturday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 pm Arizona time
Network: ABC
Where: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, Calif.
Spread: Oregon State (-7)

After nearly pulling off the impossible and making the Pac-12 title game, the Beavers will have to settle for playing in the luxurious SoFi Stadium, home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. 

This will be Oregon State's first bowl appearance since winning the Hawaii Bowl in 2013 under head coach Mike Riley. The Beavers will take on a 10-3 Utah State squad that throttled No. 19 San Diego State to win the Mountain West. 

Who: UCLA vs. North Carolina State
What: Holiday Bowl
When: Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 6 pm Arizona time
Network: Fox
Where: Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Spread: North Carolina State (-1)

The Bruins take on North Carolina State at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. However, UCLA's season has been anything but a home run despite ending the year on a three-game winning streak. 

UCLA has made its first bowl game under head coach Chip Kelly. Now that Kelly is staying and not departing for Oregon, the Bruins will look to capture their first bowl victory since winning the Alamo Bowl in 2015 under head coach Jim Mora. The Bruins will take on a Wolfpack team that was a mere field goal away from representing the ACC Atlantic division in the conference title game rather than Wake Forest. 

Who: Oregon vs. Oklahoma
What: Alamo Bowl
When: Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 7:15 pm Arizona time
Network: ESPN
Where: Alamodome, San Antonio, Tex.
Spread: Oklahoma (-4.5)

With both head coaches for the program departing for other opportunities, there are many jokes that could be had here. Yet for the sake of time, we'll keep this brief. 

The Ducks, fresh off of a Pac-12 title game loss to Utah, hope to end their season on a high note. They've proven able to go into tough venues such as Ohio State and emerge victorious, but will they be able to do it again? 

The last time Oregon played in the Alamo Bowl, viewers were in for quite a treat. The Ducks took TCU to triple overtime in a game they ultimately lost, 47-41. Can Oregon claim its third bowl win in four trips? A Sooners team that didn't even make their conference title game will have something to prove, especially with all the headlines surrounding the program as of late. 

Who: Wisconsin vs. Arizona State 
What: Las Vegas Bowl
When: Thursday, Dec. 30 at 8:30 pm Arizona time
Network: ESPN
Where: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
Spread: Wisconsin (-7)

In the "some thought we were good enough to win the conference" bowl, the Sun Devils look to capture their second consecutive bowl victory under head coach Herm Edwards, who will indeed be sticking around for another season. 

Arizona State will be without key players such as running backs Rachaad White and DeaMonte Trayanum, cornerback Jack Jones and defensive end Tyler Johnson who are skipping the spaceship that is Allegiant Stadium. 

On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin hopes to end the season on a strong note after losing to Minnesota in the final week of the regular season, stopping a seven-game winning streak after starting 1-3 on the year. 

If this matchup is anything like the last time the two schools met at Sun Devil Stadium, we're in for a treat. 

Who: Washington State vs. Miami
What: Sun Bowl
When: Friday, Dec. 21 at Noon Arizona time
Network: CBS
Where: Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Tex.
Spread: Miami (-2)

After losing their head coach and three other assistants in the middle of the season, the Cougars responded quite well, winning their last three of four games and giving Oregon a tough out when the two teams met.

Now, Washington State has all eyes on the rematch of the 2015 Sun Bowl, where the Cougars defeated the Hurricanes under head coach Mike Leach. 

Now under the direction of new head coach Mario Cristobal, the Hurricanes will be sure to make a good first impression on their leader moving forward. 

If we see at least one turnover chain sighting, we'll call it a win. 

Who: Ohio State vs Utah
What: Rose Bowl
When: Saturday, Jan. 1 at 3 pm Arizona time
Network: ESPN
Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
Spread: Ohio State (-6.5)

The granddaddy of them all. 

The Utes look to again make history in their first Rose Bowl appearance after capturing their first Pac-12 championship game. Utah boasts a strong rushing attack and stout defense that could potentially give Heisman finalist C.J. Stroud trouble. 

As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes will appear in their 16th Rose Bowl after failing to win the Big Ten for the first time since 2016. 

This will be the second-ever meeting between the two schools, with a massive Ohio State victory over Utah in 1986 by a score of 64-6.