The annual game of “if” and “but” has
begun again as the Pacific 10 Conference shapes up for postseason
bowl berths.
But with Washington’s upset over then-Pac-10 leader
Washington State on Saturday, the bowl picture has become a bit
murky.
WSU still has the opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl, assuming
USC plays for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl, because
the Rose Bowl has the ability to choose a Bowl Championship
Series-eligible team not from the Pac-10. However, that scenario
would be unlikely since the Cougars will likely drop out of the BCS
top 12, a requirement for BCS bowl teams.
The Cougars will likely slip to the second-place finish at the
Holiday Bowl.
Because the Pac-10 has contracts with six bowls which guarantees
the top six to postseason play, if WSU does go to the Rose Bowl,
all the teams in the league would move up one bowl and UCLA would
play. If not, there are six schools who will be displaced between
five bowl games and with several ties in the top echelon, each bowl
has the right to its choice, which means one will be left out.
UCLA is currently tied with Washington for sixth, but if Oregon
State loses to USC on Dec. 6, the Beavers would also fall into a
three-way tie for fifth with the Bruins and Huskies.
If OSU pulls off an upset over USC, they would be in a three-way
tie for third with Oregon and California.
Either way, UCLA is not guaranteed a bowl. The Bruins will
be in contention with Washington and possibly OSU for either the
Las Vegas Bowl (the fifth-place game) or the Silicon Valley Classic
(the sixth-place game).
The two bowls will look at several factors: how a team performs
on the road (UCLA is 1-5); the alumni base of the specific cities
which the bowls are held (for example, the Bay Area is well-stocked
with Bruin alumni, which is favorable to the Silicon Bowl held in
San Jose); current trends of a specific team (UCLA has lost its
past four games); and, its previous bowl games (UCLA played at the
Vegas Bowl last year.)
Here’s how the Bowl picture is shaping up, assuming the
Rose Bowl chooses a non-Pac-10 school and USC beats OSU:
First place ““Â Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.): Barring
some upset, USC will be sent to the Sugar Bowl, and another team
outside the Pac-10 will be chosen.
Second place ““ Holiday Bowl (San Diego, Calif.):
Washington State.
Third place ““ Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas): Oregon or
California, both of which are tied in the conference at 5-3. But
Oregon has a better record overall (9-3) than Cal (8-4), so the
Ducks have the inside edge.
Fourth place ““ Insight.com Bowl (Phoenix, Ariz.): The team
not chosen for the Sun Bowl.
Fifth place ““ Las Vegas Bowl: Oregon State (assuming a
loss to USC), Washington or UCLA. All teams would be tied at
4-4.
Sixth place ““ Silicon Valley Classic (San Jose, Calif.): A
choice between the last two teams left after the Las Vegas Bowl:
Oregon State, Washington or UCLA.