All signs point to Washington State heading to the Cheez-It Bowl

Thanks to the Oregon Ducks’ dusting of the Utah Utes in the Pac-12 Championship Game last night, it is almost certain that the Washington State Cougars are headed to the Cheez-It Bowl in Phoenix on Friday, Dec. 27.

Had the Utes won, there was a better chance WSU would be headed to the Las Vegas Bowl. That’s because the Utes could have easily been in the College Football Playoff, depending on what happened in the other conference championship games*. There is still a small chance Utah snags a Cotton Bowl berth, and that would keep WSU in Las Vegas. But I wouldn’t bet on it (hey-yo!).

*As an aside: How crazy is it that the Ducks could have gone to the Rose Bowl no matter what happened last night?

So, for those of you who already booked tickets to Vegas, you either get a Vegas trip sans bowl game, or you cancel. You could also keep the trip, spend a week in Vegas and drive to Phoenix in time for the Cheez-It Bowl. I’ll let your liver and wallet decide.

WSU is in this position because it’s seventh out of seven bowl eligible teams, as Michael illustrated last week. Jeff’s bowl selection and tie-ins post from 2015 is also very relevant and important.

This won’t all become official until Sunday, but the Cougs’ opponent—should they head to the Cheez-It Bowl—would typically be a Big 12 team. But if the Big 12 can’t fill that spot, the Mountain West slots in.

Phoenix isn’t Las Vegas, but it’s still nice this time of year. There’s a lot of fun to be had in the greater Phoenix area, and bowl games are fun in general. There’s a great group of Coug alums in Phoenix and the surrounding areas, so you’ll be among plenty of friends.

One last thing: Boy, did the Ducks really screw things up for the Pac-12 this season:

And they still get a Rose Bowl out of it. Go figure.

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