College Football 2011: Power Ranking the Pac-12 Teams' Bowl Chances

Despite the opinions of many college football analysts, the Pac-12 is one of the strongest conferences in all of college football.

From top to bottom, not many other conferences offer as much depth as the Pac-12 does, with seven teams winning six games or more in 2010.

This year, the Pac-12 will hope to send more than the five teams from the current conference that participated in a bowl game last year to postseason play.

With so much competition within the conference, teams are likely to beat up on one another. However, there are still plenty of teams in the Pac-12 that will likely be competing in bowl games.

Here are the chances of every Pac-12 team making it to a bowl game. 

12. USC Trojans

Bowl Game Chances: 0 Percent

The USC Trojans' appeal of the NCAA sanctions was denied earlier this year, meaning the Trojans will not be able to play in a bowl game for the second straight season. 

USC will probably win nine to 10 games in 2011, and if not for the penalties inflicted on the program, the Trojans would have a great chance at competing for not just a bowl, but a BCS Bowl.

11. Washington State Cougars

Bowl Game Chances: 5 Percent

I want to say USC has a better chance of going to a bowl game than the Washington State Cougars, but I guess anything is possible.

Coming off a two-win season, to say the Cougars' chances are slim is a bit too flattering. 

Washington State will have potential victories against Idaho State, UNLV, San Diego State, Colorado and UCLA—mind you, those are potential victories. 

San Diego State was one of the best teams in the Mountain West and the game at Colorado will be tough, to say the least. 

The rest of the schedule looks pretty bleak for the Cougars with games against Stanford, Oregon State, Oregon, Cal, Arizona State, Utah and Washington.

The Cougars need a miracle if they want to play in a bowl game this season.

10. Colorado Buffaloes

Bowl Game Chances: 30 Percent

The Colorado Buffaloes will hope to make their first bowl game since 2007 this season. Unfortunately, the chances of that happening are not great.

Colorado's schedule kicks off with win-able games against Hawaii, Cal and Colorado State, and Washington State and UCLA are also potential victories on the schedule. 

Should the Buffaloes win against all of those teams, they would still need to win at least one more game to be eligible for bowl contention. That victory could come against Washington or Ohio State in Week 4 if the NCAA trouble causes the Buckeyes to implode.

Other conference foes like Oregon, Stanford, USC, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah will present really tough challenges for the Buffaloes, and finding another victory against those schools will be unlikely.  

T8. UCLA Bruins

Bowl Game Chances: 40 Percent

The UCLA Bruins are coming off a 4-8 season that landed them near the bottom of the Pac-10 Conference standings.

This year, the Bruins' schedule is bit easier, avoiding Oregon, Kansas State and Washington. However, UCLA will still face a revamped Texas, an overlooked Utah and an unpredictable Colorado in 2011.

UCLA will hope to find six victories against Houston, San Jose State, Washington State, Cal, Colorado and Oregon State. If they win against all of those teams they'll have a decent chance at making a bowl game, but should they get only five, at least one more victory will have to come in an upset.

I don't see UCLA making a bowl game this year, but it will definitely be in the running. 

T8. California Golden Bears

Bowl Game Chances: 40 Percent

The California Golden Bears are coming off a season that didn't end in a bowl game for the first time since 2002.

Cal lost several key players to graduation and the NFL, with Kevin Riley and Shane Vereen being the most significant.

The Bears need to tie a few loose ends if they want to be bowl contenders in 2011 and will need to beat Washington and Oregon State. In addition, they will likely need victories over Fresno State, Colorado, Presbyterian, Washington State and UCLA. 

7. Oregon State Beavers

Bowl Game Chances: 45 Percent

The Oregon State schedule is tougher than it has been in years past for the Beavers, but there's a decent chance they will still land themselves in a bowl game.

Games against Washington, Utah and the Arizona schools will be pivotal for the Beaver's chances—a familiar theme for Pac-12 teams because of the parity in the middle of the conference.

Oregon State usually pulls out at least one upset victory a year, making its chances a little bit better.

6. Washington Huskies

Bowl Game Chances: 50 Percent

The Washington Huskies are the first team on the list to have reached a bowl game last season. 

However, with the loss of Jake Locker at quarterback, the Huskies are anything but a lock to repeat their efforts this season.

Washington will need to rally behind first-year starter Keith Price in order to win the minimum six games.

I like the Huskies to go back to a bowl game this year, but there is an equal likelihood the Huskies don't make it back.

T4. Utah Utes

Bowl Game Chances: 80 Percent

With only three loses in 2010, the Utah Utes are entering this season as a team with hopes beyond making a bowl game.

The new challenges of a Pac-12 conference that will feature teams better than most from the Mountain West will certainly affect the Utes' bowl game chances, but not by much.

The new level of competition is the only unknown variable for Utah, and if it handle that well, it is a lock for a bowl game. 

T4. Arizona Wildcats

Bowl Game Chances: 80 Percent

Probably the most overlooked team in the Pac-12 this year is the Arizona Wildcats.

Arizona is coming off a seven-win season that finished with the Wildcats losing their final five games, including their bowl game defeat at the hands of Oklahoma State.

This year, the Wildcats can improve their results from last season with the return of star quarterback Nick Foles and receiver Juron Criner.

Arizona State and Utah will be teams the Wildcats will probably need to defeat in order to solidify their bowl game hopes with likely losses against USC, Oregon, Stanford and Oklahoma State.

3. Arizona State Sun Devils

Bowl Game Chances: 85 Percent

It sounds a little absurd to say a team that didn't play in a bowl game a year ago is almost a lock to play in one this year, but for Arizona State it seems to make sense.

The Sun Devils are returning almost all of their starters from a year ago and are being predicted to win the Pac-12 South and compete for a Pac-12 Championship. 

Arizona State doesn't play Stanford or Washington in the regular season, which will improve their chances of getting to a bowl game.

One thing is for sure, most Sun Devil fans are hoping for not just a bowl game, but a BCS Bowl game this season.

T1. Stanford Cardinal

Bowl Game Chances: 100 Percent

The Stanford Cardinal make up one of only two bowl game locks in the Pac-12.

Andrew Luck's return with the talent the Cardinal are reloading with on both sides of the ball makes Stanford a legitimate national championship threat in 2011.

Barring a serious upset, there are really only three potential losses for the Cardinal in the regular season: USC, Oregon and Notre Dame.

The chances of Stanford making a BCS bowl game are higher than many of the Pac-12 team's chances of making it to a non-BCS bowl game.

T1. Oregon Ducks

Bowl Game Chances: 100 Percent

The defending Pac-10 champion Oregon Ducks will definitely be in a bowl game in 2011 as long as they are allowed to play in one.

Oregon is currently in the midst of NCAA investigation for potential recruiting violations, which could take the opportunity to play in a bowl game away from the Ducks.

If that doesn't happen—which it probably won't—the Ducks could not only find themselves in a bowl game again, but in the BCS National Championship game for the second consecutive year.

LSU, Arizona State, Stanford and USC will be Oregon's biggest challenges, but I like Oregon to have at least 10 wins in 2011.