Washington State headed to the Sun Bowl in one person’s 2020 bowl projections

May is just about wrapped up, and with college football content scarce, it’s time to visit one of our favorite topics: bowl game projections!

But seriously, if the Washington State Cougars make a sixth consecutive bowl game this season, that would be quite the feat, given that they’ll be using a quarterback who hasn’t taken a college snap and is manning a new offense under a new coaching staff. Oh, and spring football got wiped out and offseason workouts happened on the honor system at home.

The Sporting News posted its initial projections this week, and author Bill Bender has the Cougs in the Sun Bowl—sorry, the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl—against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Should this play out—again, it’s only May—this would be WSU’s third Sun Bowl appearance. They won the previous two, of course.

Before anyone bemoans the Sun Bowl or El Paso, this is better than what College Football News projected back on March 31, when it didn’t include WSU in any of its bowl projections.

I am pro-bowl games and will never whine about WSU’s selection in any of them, and I won’t whine about added bowl games, either. The more the merrier. The Sun Bowl puts WSU down the pecking order, but not last, at least. And remember: The Rose Bowl is a College Football Playoff game this season, so the Pac-12 winner would go to the Fiesta Bowl. In The Sporting News’ projections, that’s the Oregon Ducks.

Stanford (LA Bowl), Utah (Las Vegas Bowl), Cal (Independence Bowl), Washington (Redbox Bowl), Arizona State (Holiday Bowl) and USC (Alamo Bowl) are the other Pac-12 teams in The Sporting New’s crystal ball.

Oh, and for those who care: Mississippi State is projected to play Baylor in the Texas Bowl.

Links

Ex-Washington State QB Gardner Minshew prepared for familiar & unfamiliar water in second NFL season | The Spokesman-Review
It’ll be both familiar and unfamiliar territory for Gardner Minshew as the Jacksonville Jaguars starter approaches his second season in the NFL, coming off an eye-opening rookie year that saw the former WSU QB throw 21 TDs and 6 int. while breaking a number of franchise rookie records.

College football predictions for 2020 bowl games, Playoff semifinals, national championship | Sporting News
Sporting News projects all 44 bowl games for the 2020 college football season.

Minshew Mania Year 2: Jaguars peg Gardner Minshew as No. 1 QB
Gardner Minshew is now the Jacksonville Jaguars' undisputed leader at quarterback and won't have to share first-team reps in Year 2 in the NFL.