Pac-12 champions, No. 2 Washington, headed to the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff
No. 2 WASHINGTON (13-0) will be making their second trip to the College Football Playoff and first ever appearance in the Allstate Sugar Bowl after they defeated Oregon 34-31 in the 2023 Pac-12 Football Championship Game, presented by 76®. The Huskies will face No. 3 Texas (12-1) in a CFP semifinal on Monday, January 1 on ESPN.
Washington becomes the third Pac-12 team to qualify for the College Football Playoff, following the 2014 Oregon and 2016 Washington squads. This will be the second straight year that the Huskies will face Texas in a bowl game, defeating the Longhorns 27-20 in last year’s Valero Alamo Bowl. Washington is 2-1 all-time in bowl games against Texas, also defeating them in the 1979 Sun Bowl.
No. 8 OREGON (11-2) will be looking for their first 12-win season since 2019 when they face No. 23 Liberty (13-0) in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl on Monday, January 1 on ESPN. The Ducks are 2-1 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl with wins in the 2001 and 2012 seasons and will be facing the Conference USA champion Flames for the first time in school history. This is Oregon’s 14th ever appearance in a New Year’s Six Bowl.
No. 14 ARIZONA (9-3) is going bowling for the first time since 2017 and will be facing No. 12 Oklahoma (10-2) in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Thursday, December 28 on ESPN. This will be Arizona’s second appearance in the Alamo Bowl after facing Oklahoma State in the 2010 season. This will be the first time the Wildcats and Sooners will meet in a bowl game and just the third time overall including a win over No. 6 Oklahoma in Tucson in 1989.
UTAH (8-4) will be making their sixth appearance in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl when they take on Northwestern (7-5) on Saturday, December 23 on ABC. The Utes are 4-1 all-time in the Las Vegas Bowl including a 2015 win over BYU in their last appearance. Utah and Northwestern have only faced each other once all-time, in the 2018 Holiday Bowl.
USC (7-5) matches up with No. 15 Louisville (10-3) in the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl on Wednesday, December 27 on FOX. This will be the Trojans fourth appearance in the Holiday Bowl and first since 2019. USC beat Nebraska 45-42 in the 2014 Holiday Bowl. The Trojans will face the Cardinals, who reached the ACC Championship Game, for the first time in program history.
No. 19 OREGON STATE (8-4) gets a Top 20 matchup as they face No. 16 Notre Dame (9-3) in Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Friday, December 29 on CBS. The Beavers have won both of their previous bowl games against the Fighting Irish, beating them 41-9 in the Fiesta Bowl following the 2000 season and again 38-21 in the Insight Bowl in 2004. Oregon State is 2-0 all-time in the Sun Bowl with wins over Missouri in 2006 and Pittsburgh in 2008
UCLA (7-5) will not have to travel far for their first ever appearance in the Starco Brands LA Bowl hosted by Gronk on Saturday, December 16 on ABC. The Bruins will battle Mountain West Champion Boise State (8-5) for just the second time ever, having previously beat the Broncos during the 1999 regular season.
CALIFORNIA (6-6) is headed to a bowl game for the first time since 2019 as they will take on Texas Tech (6-6) in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Saturday, December 16 on ESPN. This is the Bears first appearance in the Independence Bowl and the first Pac-12 team to play in this game since Arizona beat Boston College in 2013. California has previously faced Texas Tech once, in the 2004 Holiday Bowl.
2023-24 Pac-12 Bowl Schedule
Sat., Dec. 16 – Starco Brands LA Bowl hosted by Gronk
Sat., Dec. 16 – Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Sat., Dec. 23 – SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Wed., Dec. 27 – DIRECTV Holiday Bowl
Thurs., Dec. 28 – Valero Alamo Bowl
Fri., Dec. 29 – Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Mon., Jan. 1 – VRBO Fiesta Bowl
Mon., Jan. 1 – College Football Playoff Semifinal at Allstate Sugar Bowl
– Pac-12.com –
