In one respect, the Pac-12 is not splintered: All 12 schools remain tied to the bowls that have been associated with the conference in recent years. Exceptions apply to teams that qualify for the College Football Playoff as conference champions or overall participants. Otherwise, what is in the past applies to the 2024-25 season.
The hotline provides teams with weekly forecasts throughout the regular season.
Please note: We also reveal Our weekly CFP picks every Monday.
The final stretch of this unprecedented season has begun with a series of plot twists for the teams involved in Pac-12 bowl games.
Three teams expecting high-level success in their new conference: Utah, USC and Washington, are in danger of missing the postseason altogether.
Two teams that were just hoping to secure bowl bids, Colorado and Washington State, are alive in the race for the College Football Playoff.
Arizona State delivered a positive surprise.
Arizona is the epitome of a downward disappointment.
Oregon, Cal, Stanford, UCLA and Oregon State are exactly what we thought they would be, for better or worse.
Three of the 12 are bowl eligible.
So far, no one has been mathematically eliminated.
A week after the release of the first CFP rankings, here are Hotline’s latest Pac-12 bowl predictions…
College-Football-Playoffs
Team: Oregon (Big-Ten-Champion)
Comment: Next up for the Ducks (8-0/5-0 Big Ten) is the school’s first trip to the Big House since 2007. Despite their well-documented struggles, the unranked Wolverines still represent the toughest test Oregon has faced this season by a factor of five.
Alamo Bowl
Team: Washington State
Comment: The ceiling is high thanks to the expanded playoffs. So does the Cougars’ tolerance for error, thanks to mounting loss totals for teams that would otherwise be in danger of knocking WSU (7-1) from its natural spot in the Pac-12 bowl pecking order.
Holiday bowl
Team: Colorado
Comment: Our guess is that the Buffaloes (6-2/4-1 Big 12) will need to top the standings to qualify for the Big 12 Championship Game. Yes, they are just one game behind the leaders (Iowa State and BYU), but the head-to-head loss to Kansas State could complicate their tiebreaker status against other two-loss teams.
Las Vegas Bowl
Team: USC
Comment: The Trojans (4-4/2-4 Big Ten) could be a hot commodity for the Las Vegas Bowl if they finish well, or prime bad options if they stumble down the stretch. Or they could be home for the holidays, which would bring the heat on Lincoln Riley to supernova levels.
Sun bowl
Team: Arizona State
Comment: Bowl officials are excited by teams that exceed expectations because fans are motivated to buy plane tickets and book hotel rooms. The surprising Sun Devils (5-2/2-2 Big 12) would be a model and therefore relatively in demand.
LA Bowl
Team: Washington
Comment: The Huskies (4-4/2-3 Big Ten) need two wins in their final four games to secure a bowl bid. With USC and UCLA at home and Penn State and Oregon on the way, their math is so simple that academic skills are unnecessary.
Independence Bowl
Team: Oregon State
Comment: Another case of the November schedule that makes the math easy: The Beavers (4-4) must beat San Jose State at home and Air Force on the road. Otherwise, they would have to topple either Washington State or Boise State. Or both.
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College Football Playoff Predictions: Notre Dame plays a big role in the selection process
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Best of the West Power Rankings: Colorado rises and Cal rises, while Arizona and Utah continue to slide
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Saturday Night Five: Frustration is rampant among fans of three schools caught in the Nick Saban retirement chain reaction
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West Coast recruiting: USC’s big hit, Oregon State gets its quarterback and Boise State goes overseas
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Mailbag: Big 12 threat level (in the CFP), Wilcox’s future, Washington’s QB plans, Pac-12 expansion, my AP vote and more
ESPN dish
Team: Kal
Comment: We seriously considered relegating the Bears (4-4/0-4 ACC) to non-qualifier territory. It’s hard to imagine a team that can’t make field goals under pressure winning two more games in a four-game stretch that are essentially toss-ups.
Unqualified
Team: Arizona
Comment: As terrible as recent results have been, the Wildcats (3-5/1-4 Big 12) might have laid the foundation for a rebound with their inspired fourth-quarter play against West Virginia. Or it was a huge misdirection and means absolutely nothing.
Unqualified
Team: Stanford
Comment: Once the Cardinal (2-6/1-4 ACC) are mathematically eliminated from the postseason — chances are that moment will come Saturday morning at NC State — coach Troy Taylor should base every decision on what’s best for 2025 is. Because if next season is like this season, his job security is starting to become a thing.
Unqualified
Team: UCLA
Comment: The Bruins (2-5/1-4 Big Ten) showed enough competency in their breakout at Rutgers to make us believe two or three more wins are possible, especially given the manageable schedule. But the postseason hurdle (six wins) is extremely unlikely.
Unqualified
Team: Utah
Comment: The abhorrent loss in Houston turned the bowl math into advanced calculations: The Utes (4-4/1-4 Big 12) must beat UCF and either Brigham Young, Colorado or Iowa State, which have a combined record of 21-2.
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