Nine Pac-12 Football teams headed to the postseason

SAN FRANCISCO –– Pac-12 Champion No. 8 USC (11-2) earned its first Pac-12 Football Championship Game victory with a 31-28 win over Stanford Friday night, and with it a spot in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic to face Big Ten champion No. 5 Ohio State (11-2) on Fri., Dec. 29.

The Pac-12 and Big Ten champions would normally play in the Rose Bowl Game. However, this year’s Rose Bowl Game will be home to one of the College Football Playoff’s semifinal games. The displaced champions are guaranteed a spot in one of the CFP’s New Year’s bowl games.

This will be the second time the Trojans have played in the Cotton Bowl (defeated Texas Tech, 55-14, in 1995), and their eighth postseason meeting with Ohio State, the first since the 1985 Rose Bowl Game.

No. 11 WASHINGTON (10-2), by virtue of its CFP ranking, assured itself an at-large spot in a CFP New Year’s bowl game and will meet No. 9 Penn State (10-2) of the Big Ten in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl on Sat., Dec. 30. This will be the first Fiesta Bowl appearance for the Huskies.

No. 13 STANFORD (9-4) is tabbed for the Valero Alamo Bowl where the Cardinal will face No. 15 TCU (10-3) of the Big 12 on Thurs., Dec. 28. The Cardinal will be making its first-ever appearance in the Alamo Bowl.

The San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl will pit No. 18 WASHINGTON STATE (9-3) against No. 16 Michigan State (9-3) of the Big Ten on Thurs., Dec. 28. It’s a repeat trip for the Cougars as they fell last year to Minnesota, 17-12, and their fourth appearance overall.

ARIZONA (7-5) has been selected by the Foster Farms Bowl to meet Purdue (6-6) of the Big Ten on Wed., Dec. 27. The Wildcats will be making their first appearance in the Foster Farms Bowl.

The Three remaining Pac-12 contracted bowls chose their participants based on order of final Conference standings. The Hyundai Sun Bowl selected ARIZONA STATE (7-5) to face No. 24 North Carolina State (8-4) of the ACC on Fri., Dec. 29. The Las Vegas Bowl will match OREGON (7-5) with Mountain West champion No. 25 Boise State (10-3) on Sat., Dec. 16. The Cactus Bowl slots UCLA (6-6) against Big 12 opponent Kansas State (7-5) on Tues., Dec. 26.

The Pac-12 had an additional bowl eligible team and an agreement was made with the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl where UTAH (6-6) will face West Virginia (7-5) of the Big 12 Conference.

In all, the Pac-12 will face four teams from the Big Ten, three teams from the Big 12, one from the ACC and one from the Mountain West Conference. Six of the nine opponents were ranked in the final CFP Top 25.

2017-18 Pac-12 Bowl Schedule: