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

Three of the nine experts cited predict USC will be part of College Football Playoff

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

.

Follow Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport

.