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Well ... that bye week was fun!
College GameDay is, finally, on their way to Pullman for what may be their most raucous crowd in the show’s history. Despite starting in the pre-dawn hours (hell, pre-twilight hours), I would expect an amped up crowd ready to finally welcome the marquee college football show to the Palouse.
Without even hitting the field last week, WSU vaulted into the top-25 in the AP and Coaches poll thanks to an extremely chaotic weekend of football. We are still just half way through the season and with the Washington Huskies now firmly out of the College Football Playoff conversation, the winner of the conference will now certainly be headed to the Rose Bowl.
So, what did that all do for predictions of where the Cougs will end up in the postseason? It looks like you’ll be spending Christmas in the Golden State ... again!
Before we get to the projections, a reminder of the Pac-12’s bowl tie-ins.
- Rose Bowl: Jan. 1st, 2:00 p.m. on ESPN vs. Big Ten
- Alamo Bowl: Dec. 28th, 6:00 p.m. on ESPN vs. Big 12
- Holiday Bowl: Dec. 31st, 4:00 p.m. on FS1 vs. Big Ten
- Redbox Bowl: Dec. 31st, Noon on FOX vs. Big Ten
- Sun Bowl: Dec. 31st, 11:00am on CBS vs. ACC/Notre Dame
- Las Vegas Bowl: Dec. 15th, 12:30 p.m. on ABC vs. Mountain West
- Cheez-It Bowl: Dec. 26th, 6:00 p.m. on ESPN vs. Big 12
SB Nation: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Fresno State
Considering WSU’s schedule is much harder in the second half than the first, this is at least a possibility, especially since there will likely be a few other teams with similar records at the end of the year. It would be the Cougs’ first appearance in Vegas and facing a very good Jeff Tedford coached Bulldogs squad.
ESPN: Holiday Bowl vs. Wisconsin or Redbox Bowl vs. Michigan State
If the Cougs are good enough to be up for the Holiday Bowl spot, I really, really doubt the bowl would want to take them for a third straight year, especially after two pretty, not-very-good games. In this case, the Redbox Bowl seems a more likely possibility, especially since the Cougs have never played in the (relatively) young bowl.
CBS: Cheez-It Bowl vs. BYU
FOR THE RIGHT TO USE GO COUGS BUT NOT REALLY BECAUSE WE LENT YOU THAT TRADEMARK OR WHATEVER.
Sporting News: Redbox Bowl vs. Iowa
This would be a fun one! It’s also a team I’d love to have a home-and-home with at some point and, given Kirk Frentz’s inexplicably stupid buyout, he may still be the coach!
Sports Illustrated: Redbox Bowl vs. Minnesota
The story lines for this one would be interesting with WSU defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys facing off against his former, long time employer.