2011 Bowl Projections: Predicting Where the Pac-12 Teams Are Headed

Now that all of the Pac-12 games have been played and Oregon has beaten UCLA, we know with almost 100 percent certainty where each of the teams in the conference will end up for bowl games.

The conference has contracts with the Rose Bowl, Alamo Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Sun Bowl, MAACO Bowl, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and New Mexico Bowl, but with Stanford ranked so high and USC’s postseason ineligibility, the New Mexico Bowl will likely have to take a non-Pac-12 school.

Here is where you can expect each Pac-12 team to wind up for the bowl season.

Oregon: Rose Bowl

With its win over UCLA on Friday, Oregon won the inaugural Pac-12 Championship, which automatically puts it in the Rose Bowl to take on the winner of Michigan State-Wisconsin.

Regardless of which team wins, it should make for a fantastic matchup.

Stanford: Fiesta Bowl

Stanford is currently ranked fourth in the BCS standings, and it won’t drop any lower than sixth. If the Cardinal moves up to third or stays at fourth, it will automatically earn a berth to a BCS Bowl.

But even if Stanford falls, fans should book their tickets to the Fiesta Bowl, because there is no way it passes up on the opportunity to feature Andrew Luck. Plus, the committees have to be impressed with how well fans traveled to the Orange Bowl last year.

Washington: Alamo Bowl

Washington is tied with California and Utah with a 7-5 record, but the Huskies have a passionate fan base, and the bowls know that. They should get an invite to the Valero Alamo Bowl, but unfortunately the game will be against Kansas State or Oklahoma.

The odds of Washington beating either of those teams are slim, but the Huskies will be going to this bowl.

California: Holiday Bowl

Cal is the obvious choice for the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl because the game is played in California. The Golden Bears, like Washington, will face off against a Big 12 team, but their matchup will be considerably easier with either Texas or Baylor being the opponent.

Fans will pack the stadium, and it should be a great game. This is a win for everyone involved.

Utah: Sun Bowl

In Utah’s first season in the Pac-12, it will face off against an ACC opponent in the Hyundai Sun Bowl.

The Utes are 7-5 overall but 4-5 in conference, and their fans are not known for traveling well. But with the best record out of Arizona State and UCLA and the fact that both of those schools are getting new coaches, this is a no-brainer.

Arizona State: MAACO Bowl

The Sun Devils’ season has been incredibly disappointing due to injuries, but at least they will be going to the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl.

They’ll have the unfortunate task of playing Boise State or TCU, but a trip to Vegas would be great for fans.

UCLA: Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

The Bruins may be 6-7, but an NCAA waiver has gotten them into a bowl game. With the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl being played in California, they get a pretty good deal out of it.

With Army not bowl eligible, UCLA's opponent is unknown at this point.