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WSU bowl projections: Cougs aiming for a post-Christmas trip to San Diego or ... Pasadena?

Two straight weeks of dominating wins over former Pac-12 powers certainly helps what bowl prognosticators think of your postseason chances.

By Michael Preston
Washington State v Stanford Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Almost a month ago to the day, Washington State dropped their second game to start the season, losing 31-28 to the Boise State Broncos. Things looked, needless to say, bleak.

Thirty days later and things are decidedly better.

After two straight weeks of dominating former Pac-12 North powers to the tune of 93-49, WSU seems to be the team we thought they could be and they’re making appearances in bowl projections again to boot.

We’re just six weeks and five games into the season so these things will obviously change an awful lot and it’s pretty confusing to figure out who goes where. But hey, it’s fun to dream, especially if you’ve got your DVR tuned to a replay of Saturday’s game.

A reminder of which bowls the Pac-12 has tie-ins with and what order they pick in:

  1. Rose Bowl vs. Big Ten (Pasadena, CA)
  2. Alamo Bowl vs. Big 12 (San Antonio, TX)
  3. Holiday Bowl vs. Big Ten (San Diego, CA)
  4. Foster Farms Bowl vs. Big Ten (Santa Clara, CA)
  5. Sun Bowl vs. ACC (El Paso, TX)
  6. Las Vegas Bowl vs. MWC (Las Vegas, NV)
  7. Cactus Bowl vs. Big 12 (Phoenix, AZ)

So, who has WSU where? Boy, will you like the first one ...

ESPN: Rose Bowl or Holiday Bowl

Oh yes, you read that correctly. Brett McMurphy likes Washington State to make an appearance in the Rose Bowl against ... the Michigan Wolverines. The game, to my understanding, will be 60 minutes and 2 seconds long.

McMurhpy’s assumption is here is that not only does WSU’s rise through the conference schedule continue, but that Washington ends up in the College Football Playoff. Baring UW absolutely imploding, this is WSU’s only path to Pasadena. We would also need the Pac-12 South to eat itself alive which is a distinct possibility considering how much of the season is left.

So ... it COULD happen. It’s nice to think about on an early October weekend anyway.

Mark Schlabach takes a bit of a more pragmatic approach and slots the Cougs in the Holiday Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions. But that’s much less fun to write a few paragraphs about.

SB Nation: Holiday Bowl

Our bosses back in DC like the Cougs going to San Diego as well. They would head to the most southern part of SoCal to face off against an old friend in Mike Riley and his Nebraska Cornhuskers.

CBS Sports: Las Vegas Bowl

Jerry Palm likes the Cougs in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl to see former foe San Diego State.

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That’s all the projections we have now. We’ll keep adding to this as more become available this week.

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