Utah is projected to reach the College Football Playoff while Arizona is slated for the Las Vegas Bowl, according to a October 14 report by Jon Wilner. The projections for the 2026 season distinguish between legacy Pac-12 schools and new Pac-12 teams regarding postseason arrangements.
Regarding legacy Pac-12 bowl projections, Utah is projected for the College Football Playoff. The 5-0 Utes face a difficult November stretch including home games against BYU and road games against Arizona.
Other legacy projections include UCLA for the Alamo Bowl, Arizona for the Las Vegas Bowl, and Oregon for the Holiday Bowl. Oregon State is projected for the Sun Bowl, while Arizona State is the most likely pick for the Independence Bowl. In the at-large/ESPN bowl pools, Cal and Washington are mentioned as potential options.
For the new Pac-12 teams, Boise State is projected for the College Football Playoff, while Fresno State is projected for the Poinsettia Bowl and Texas State for the Hawaii Bowl.
In the legacy conference, non-qualifiers include Colorado, Stanford, and Washington State. Among the new Pac-12 teams, Colorado State, San Diego State, and Utah State are listed as non-qualifiers.
The report also addressed upcoming College Football Playoff ranking issues. The first reveal of the rankings is scheduled for Nov. 3, with final rankings expected on Dec. 6. Key factors to track include the Big 12's ability to send an at-large team to the CFP and the impact of the SEC's nine-game league schedule on the number of undefeated or one-loss teams.
The report notes that the Pac-12 bowl selection process for 2026 treats legacy schools as a single group, while new Pac-12 teams have separate postseason arrangements.
