UCLA Football Bowl Projections: Week 8

Taking a look around the internet to see where the experts are picking the Bruins to play come bowl season.

One win away from securing bowl eligibility, the Bruins could wind up in one of any number of stadiums across the country come this winter.

UCLA football (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12) has been slotted everywhere from a New Year’s Six Bowl to out of the postseason throughout the 2021 campaign. With their most recent win against Washington, the Bruins could now play anywhere from Texas to home in Los Angeles when Bowl season arrives.

Here is what the experts are predicting prior to Week 8:

ESPN: San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl vs No. 19 NC State
San Diego, CA
Dec. 28, 5 p.m.

The Holiday Bowl matches up a Pac-12 team and an ACC team. NC State is currently 5-1 on the campaign and is ranked No. 19 in the AP poll. The all-time record between UCLA and NC State is 2-0 in favor of the Bruins. Last facing off in 1960, the Bruins won the last meeting in a low-scoring 7-0 affair. The matchup will be televised on FOX.

CBS: San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl vs Virginia Tech
San Diego, CA
Dec. 28, 5 p.m.

The Holiday Bowl matches up a Pac-12 team and an ACC team. Virginia Tech has a 3-3 record on the season so far. In the history between UCLA and Virginia Tech, they have only played once. That one matchup was a Bruins victory in 2013 in the Sun Bowl. Quarterback Brett Hundley and linebacker Jordan Zumwalt shared the honor of co-MVP as the Bruins defeated the Hokies 42-12.

Sporting News: Valero Alamo Bowl vs No. 20 Baylor
San Antonio, TX
Dec. 29, 6:15 p.m.

The Alamo Bowl matches up the second choice Pac-12 team with the second choice Big-12 team. Baylor currently has a 6-1 record this season and is ranked No. 20 in the AP poll. Baylor and UCLA have only faced once before, and it was in the 2012 Holiday Bowl. Baylor won the game 49-26. The game started off 21-0 as quarterback Brett Hundley played from behind the entire night.

The Athletic: SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl vs Minnesota
Las Vegas, NV
Dec. 30, 7:30 p.m.

The Las Vegas Bowl matches up a Pac-12 team with a Big Ten team for the 2021 season. Minnesota is 4-2 on the season so far, with a win in non-conference play against UCLA’s Pac-12 South foe Colorado. Minnesota has the upper hand historically with a 2-1 record against UCLA. The last time the Bruins and Gophers played one another was in 1978, when the Bruins secured a 17-3 victory.

247Sports: SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl vs No. 25 Purdue
Las Vegas, NV
Dec. 30, 7:30 p.m.

The Las Vegas Bowl matches up a Pac-12 team with a Big Ten team for the 2021 season. Purdue has a 4-2 record on the season and recently became the No. 25 team in the AP poll. The all-time series between the two schools goes UCLA’s way with a 3-0-2 advantage. With two rare ties coming against Purdue in 1959 and 1960, the Boilermakers have never come away with a victory. The last time the two teams played one another was in 1980, when the Bruins came away with a 23-14 victory.

USA Today: Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl vs Nevada
Inglewood, CA
Dec. 18, 4:30 p.m.

The LA Bowl matches up the fifth-choice Pac-12 team with the Mountain West champions, and 2021 will be its inaugural year. Nevada currently has a 5-1 record, which is good enough for first place in their conference. UCLA has a 1-0 all-time record against Nevada, coming away with a 58-20 win at the Rose Bowl in 2013.

College Football News: Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl vs No. 22 San Diego State
Inglewood, CA
Dec. 18, 4:30 p.m.

The LA Bowl matches up the fifth-choice Pac-12 team with the Mountain West champions, and 2021 will be its inaugural year. San Diego State is undefeated at 6-0 so far this season and is ranked No. 22 in the AP poll. All-time against the Bruins, the Aztecs have only won once in 23 games. Though, that one victory comes against the Chip Kelly-led Bruins in 2019, when UCLA lost to San Diego State at the Rose Bowl by a score of 23-14. As one-sided as the series has been all-time, the regional matchup would put arguably the two best teams in Southern California up against each other on the biggest stage in the city – SoFi Stadium.

Follow Royer on Twitter at @thebenroyer
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube

Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated