With only a few weeks to play, where might the Cougars, Utes, and Aggies go for bowl festivities?
BYU
Facing the then-No. 7 Texas Longhorns on the road, BYU was throttled last Saturday afternoon, falling to 5-3 overall.
While one more victory would secure a bowl invite for the Cougars, it is hard to know what version of the team will show up week in and week out.
Last week in Austin it was the offense that forgot a game was being played, and Kedon Slovis had perhaps his worst game in a BYU jersey.
No. 7 Texas secures victory over BYU: A roundup of reactions
Now the Cougars will have to try and recover from the 35-6 blowout loss with a trip to Morgantown to face West Virginia.
This game seemed like a winnable one before the start of the season, when the Mountaineers were picked to finish last in the Big 12. Now? 5-3 West Virginia will be looking to clinch its spot in a bowl game as one of the conference’s biggest surprises.
Projection: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Opponent: Washington State
Date: Saturday, December 16
Location: Independence Stadium – Shreveport, LA
Time and channel: 7:15 p.m. MT, ESPN
No. 18 Utah
In a game that had a lot of hype surrounding it following the Utes’ win over USC the week prior, Utah vs. Oregon was a dud to say the least.
Even with College GameDay in town, the Utes were soundly beaten by the Ducks at home, losing 35-6 in a game that ended an 18-game home winning streak for the Utes.
The performance was the worst of the season for both the offense and the defense, which in turn all but ended Utah’s hopes of returning to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Championship Game.
The Utes will look to rebound at home against Arizona State this week before a big road matchup with No. 5 Washington the game after.
With the Pac-12 title more than likely out of reach, Utah should turn its focus to winning its first bowl game since 2017.
Projection: SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Opponent: Wisconsin
Date: Saturday, December 23
Location: Allegiant Stadium – Paradise, NV
Time and channel: 5:30 p.m. MT, ABC
Utah State
At 3-5 (1-3 Mountain West), I don’t currently have the Aggies reaching a bowl game this season.
Utah State was on a much-needed bye last week, and they’ll return with a road game this Saturday looking to get back on track.
The Aggies will face another 3-5 team, matching up with the San Diego State Aztecs and one of the worst offenses in the country.
This game will likely be an ugly one, no matter who starts at quarterback – McCae Hillstead or Cooper Legas – for the Aggies.
Should USU win? Probably, but they also should have beaten a two-win San Jose State team two weeks ago. They’ll have to win this one to keep their bowl hopes alive.
