2021 Pac-12 Bowl Projections
It’s almost football season, which means it’s time to start projecting bowl game matchups. CBS Sports bowl expert Jerry Palm released his 2021 bowl projections for the Pac-12. Which teams does he believe will get there? Find out below.
The College Football Playoff Contenders
Oregon: Rose Bowl vs Wisconsin. Palm predicts the reigning Pac-12 champions will win the Pac-12 once again and face Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl for the second time in three years but of course, falling short of the College Football Playoffs again. The Ducks’ defense should be one of the top units in the country with star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, second-year linebackers Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe, and a defensive back group led by third-year safety Verone McKinley III. Offensively, the Ducks return a lot of receiver production in Johnny Johnson III, Jaylon Redd, Devon Williams and Mycah Pittman. The question will be if quarterback Anthony Brown will be the man under center, or if one of Robby Ashford, Jay Butterfield or Ty Thompson emerges.
Utah: Sun Bowl vs Virginia Tech. Utah’s coming off a 3-2 2020 season but look to get back to the positive momentum they had built in the seasons prior, yet fall short of the College Football Playoff. The Utes are projected to play Virginia Tech in the Sun Bowl. Quarterback Charlie Brewer, who transferred in from Baylor, is expected to lead the offense. Defensively, nickel cornerback Clark Phillips III will look to make a second-year jump and show why he was such a highly-coveted recruit coming out of high school.
USC: Alamo Bowl vs Texas. After finishing second in the Pac-12 in 2020, the Trojans are projected to travel down to the Alamo Bowl to take on former USC head coach Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns in 2021. This matchup could be a “revenge game” for a number of Trojan staffers and players. USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, safeties coach Craig Naivar and offensive quality control analyst Bryan Carrington were all members of former head coach Tom Herman’s staff at Texas at one point or another. On the USC roster, projected starting running back Keontay Ingram, wide receiver Jake Smith, safety Xavion Alford and tight end Malcolm Epps all transferred in from Texas this offseason. Obviously, a revenge game isn’t a College Football Playoff bid but it may be a distant yet solid consolation prize.
The Rest of the Pac-12
Arizona State: Las Vegas Bowl vs Indiana. The Sun Devils are dealing with recruiting violations off the field and the biggest question heading into 2021 is if Herm Edwards and the staff will still be in Tempe by the end of the season. Regardless, the on-field product should be talented enough to reach a bowl game in 2021, projects Palm. The Sun Devils are projected to play Indiana in the Las Vegas Bowl. The key will be third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels, who looks to improve his draft stock after a 2020 season that saw him slip under the radar a bit. Names to watch will be underclassmen wide receivers LV Bunkley-Shelton, Johnny Wilson, Elijah Badger and Chad Johnson Jr.
Washington: Holiday Bowl vs Boston College. Washington is projected to make the Holiday bowl, taking on the Jeff Hadley-led Boston College Eagles. The Huskies will be led by Dylan Morris, who threw for 897 yards with six total touchdowns and three interceptions in four starts last fall. Defensively, Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon are two of the best cornerbacks in the Pac-12 and potentially the nation. Paired with second-year linebacker Sav’ell Smalls and Oklahoma transfer nickel Brendan Radley-Hiles, the Huskies could have one of the best defenses in the country, even after losing defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski to Texas.