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We're a mere eight hours away from the top four being announced, but that won't stop us from making one final projection of the bowls. Call us frisky, but we're not only going to project the bowls for each and every Pac-12 team, but also project who their likely opponent is.
Will every single projection be 100% accurate?
Uh, hell yeah! (And if you believe that, we also have a nice bridge between Oakland and San Francisco that we'd like to sell you...)
Ready? Here we go!
New Year's Six Bowls
Peach Bowl (Semifinals): #1 Alabama vs. #4 Washington
Some in the media are speculating that Washington will be left out of the top four, but this is largely just noise. Odds are very slim that either an 11-win Penn State or 10-win Michigan can leapfrog the 12-win Pac-12 Champion.
There's little question that Washington will be anything other than the #4 seed, and will draw #1 Alabama in the semifinals. The Peach Bowl will be the destination as it's geographically closest to Alabama.
Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State
Had Colorado at least kept it close in the Pac-12 Championship, they might have had a shot at the Rose Bowl. Since they didn't, my best guess is that the committee puts them behind USC (and just barely out of a New Year's Six Bowl).
As for the opponent, Penn State is the B1G Champion and (unless they somehow find a way into the semifinals) they are Rose Bowl bound.
Pac-12 Bowls
Alamo Bowl: Colorado vs. Oklahoma State
If the Rose Bowl does indeed pass on Colorado, Colorado will find a home in the Alamo Bowl instead. But who's their opponent? Well, it's not Oklahoma since Oklahoma is the Big 12 Champion and will fulfill the contractual obligation with the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma State should be next in line and fill the slot in the Alamo Bowl.
Holiday Bowl: WSU vs. Iowa
Earlier this week, I speculated that if Stanford were selected for the Holiday Bowl, they'd get a rematch of last year's Rose Bowl against Iowa. For the same reasons I speculated earlier this week, I still believe that Iowa is Holiday Bowl-bound but, unfortunately, it appears that Stanford will not be joining them. Many reports have come out that the Holiday Bowl is leaning toward a WSU team that decisively defeated Stanford earlier this season.
Foster Farms Bowl: Utah vs. Indiana
I also speculated earlier this week that Stanford could face Indiana in the Foster Farms Bowl. Again, I still believe Indiana to be the likely opponent for all the same reasons I went over earlier this week. Unfortunately, it once again looks like Stanford won't be joining the Foster Farms Bowl either. I was at Levi's Stadium for the Pac-12 Championship on Friday night and got to talk with a source close to the Foster Farms Bowl. He told me rather unequivocally that Utah is their preferred team since the Foster Farms Bowl just hosted Stanford two years ago.
Sun Bowl: Stanford vs. Georgia Tech
After the others have been assigned, there's only one bowl eligible team left from the Pac-12, Stanford, so they'll take the next (and final) slot in the Sun Bowl.
As for the opponent, this was the trickiest for me, but either Georgia Tech or Pitt seems most likely to me.
Clemson is off to the semifinals and Florida State will get the Orange Bowl tie-in. After that, VT and Louisville are off to the Citrus Bowl and the Russell Athletic Bowl.