WSU bowl projections: Hotel, motel, Holiday Bowl

Losing is an unfamiliar feeling for the Cougs this year and that’s an unfamiliar thing to say, too. For the first time since Sept. 10th, WSU lost on Saturday by a 38-24 score to the now No. 9 Colorado Buffaloes. Their bowl projections took a bit of a hit last week thanks to their cross mountain rivals but this week they have no one to blame for the drop but themselves.

There’s still plenty we don’t know about where everyone will end up and whether Colorado or the USC Trojans get an at-large bid to one of the other New Years Six games remains to be seen. The good news for the Cougs is their Rose Bowl destiny is completely in their own hands. Beat the Washington Huskies, win the Pac-12 Championship and you’re playing in Pasadena.

All things being what they are now though, lets take a look at there the Cougs are expected to land. First though, a reminder of the conference’s bowl tie-ins (all kickoff times are Pacific).

1. Rose Bowl vs. Big Ten (Pasadena, CA) Monday, Jan. 2, 2017, 2:00 p.m.
2. Alamo Bowl vs. Big 12 (San Antonio, TX) Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016, 6:00 p.m.
3. Holiday Bowl vs. Big Ten (San Diego, CA) Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, 4:00 p.m.
4. Foster Farms Bowl vs. Big Ten (Santa Clara, CA) Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
5. Sun Bowl vs. ACC (El Paso, TX) Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, 11:00 a.m.
6. Las Vegas Bowl vs. MWC (Las Vegas, NV) Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016, 12:30 p.m.
7. Cactus Bowl vs. Big 12 (Phoenix, AZ) Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, 7:15 p.m.

SB Nation: Holiday Bowl

Exact same prediction as they had a week ago, even down to the opponent, the Minnesota Golden Gophers. I’ll repeat my refrain from a week ago: if the reward for this season is to play the friggin’ Golden Gophers, I’d like to do a hard reset.

CBS: Holiday Bowl

Again, exactly the same as last week with the same opponent, Minnesota. Please stop repeating this otherwise it’ll feel like a prophecy bound to come true.

(Side note: this is a pretty good example of why the Pac-12 desperately needs to improve their bowl contracts. Minnesota is MAYBE the 6th best team in the Big Ten and the Holiday Bowl is contracted for the 3rd pick of Pac-12 teams. Gross.)

College Football News: Foster Farms Bowl

A big ol’ drop from the Alamo Bowl to here from last week. I’m not a huge fan of this bowl and I don’t have a decidedly good reason. It’s played in a sterile stadium that will hard to fill to half of capacity in Silicon Valley. Like I said, not a great reason but whatever.

NBC’s College Football Talk: Foster Farms Bowl

A repeat of where WSU appeared a week ago in these projections.

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We’ll add more as they become available this week.