FILE - Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) throws a go in opposition to Southern California throughout the second half of an NCAA faculty soccer sport Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, in Salt Lake Metropolis. The Utes and Trojans will play within the Pac-12 championship sport on Friday. Rick Bowmer, Related Press
Within the penultimate School Soccer Playoff rankings launched Tuesday evening, Utah leapfrogged Washington — with the Utes coming in at No. 11 and the Huskies at No. 12.
That makes Utah the second-highest ranked crew from the Pac-12, behind solely No. 4 USC, who the Utes will play within the Pac-12 championship sport this Friday (6 p.m. MST, Fox).
The ultimate CFP rankings come out Sunday, deciding the matchups for not solely the playoff however all of the New Yr’s Six bowls.
Does this imply Utah may earn a Rose Bowl invitation even when the Utes lose to USC within the convention title sport?
Not so quick, my good friend.
The Rose Bowl web site outlines the choice procedures for “The Granddaddy of Them All,” which has convention tie-ins with the Huge Ten and the Pac-12.
If a crew from both the Huge Ten or Pac-12 is chosen to go to the CFP, the Match of Roses will choose the “next-highest CFP-ranked crew from that convention.”
Presently, the Huge Ten’s Michigan is No. 2 within the CFP rankings and in line for a playoff berth, making No. 5 Ohio State the potential Rose Bowl participant from that league, or maybe No. 8 Penn State if the Buckeyes sneak again into the CFP image if an upset or two occurs throughout championship weekend.
Within the Pac-12, if Utah wins the Pac-12 championship, it is going to be headed to the Rose Bowl for a second straight season as league champions.
If USC wins this weekend, although, and makes the playoff, who could be the Pac-12’s consultant within the Rose Bowl?
The bowl’s web site additional explains a caveat about choosing the next-highest CFP-ranked crew from both the Pac-12 or Huge Ten for its sport.
“If the next-highest ranked crew is in a ‘cluster’ of groups, which means there's one other crew or groups from the identical convention ranked inside a number of spots of one another, the Match of Roses will choose the crew from that cluster that can end in the absolute best matchup for the Rose Bowl Sport,” Rose Bowl Administration Committee Chair Scott Jenkins mentioned in an announcement.
The positioning reads: “In a cluster scenario, the Match of Roses will take note of elements, in no specific order, akin to: the final time a crew performed within the Rose Bowl Sport, head-to-head outcomes, common season schedule, total document, opponents performed, previous playoff or bowl appearances and efficiency, and historic matchups.”
What does the nationwide media suppose will occur for Utah?
Bowl projections for Utah soccer after Week 13
A survey of the most recent bowl projections from a number of main publications this week was clear: they predict USC will win the Pac-12 championship and Utah might be headed to a secondary bowl choice.
Eight of these 10 projections — lots of which launched earlier than the CFP rankings got here out, whereas a couple of had been up to date since then — have Utah enjoying within the Alamo Bowl in opposition to Texas. The opposite two predict for the Utes to finish up in both the Las Vegas Bowl or Vacation Bowl.
All 10 projected the Trojans to make the CFP and play Georgia within the semifinals, and 9 of the ten predicted Washington will face Ohio State within the Rose Bowl. The opposite, Motion Community, has the Huskies enjoying Penn State within the Rose Bowl.
- Kyle Bonagura, ESPN: Alamo Bowl, vs. Texas
- Mark Schlabach, ESPN: Alamo Bowl, vs. Texas
- Brett McMurphy, Motion Community: Alamo Bowl, vs. Texas
- Jerry Palm, CBS Sports activities: Alamo Bowl, vs. Texas
- Erick Smith, USA As we speak: Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Kentucky
- School Soccer Information: Alamo Bowl, vs. Texas
- Steven Lassan, Athlon Sports activities: Alamo Bowl, vs. Texas
- Brad Crawford, 247 Sports activities: Alamo Bowl, vs. Texas
- Scott Dochterman and Stewart Mandel, The Athletic: Vacation Bowl, vs. North Carolina*
- Invoice Bender, Sporting Information: Alamo Bowl, vs. Texas
What's the Pac-12 bowl choice order in 2022?
Listed here are the Pac-12’s bowl tie-ins for 2022 and the order wherein the bowls will choose their members.
- CFP/Rose Bowl
- Alamo Bowl
- Vacation Bowl
- Las Vegas Bowl
- Solar Bowl
- LA Bowl
- One spot in these ESPN-run bowls (Armed Forces, Gasparilla, First Responders)
Within the choice course of, bowls shouldn't have to pick their participant so as by the place they completed within the convention standings. They'll bypass the subsequent out there crew (or groups) within the standings for another person, so long as there's solely a one-game distinction between faculties in convention document.
That makes it possible that if Utah misses out on the Rose Bowl, it wouldn’t fall any additional than the Las Vegas Bowl — this yr, the Pac-12 had six groups with a 6-3 or higher document in convention play.
What are Utah’s most definitely bowl situations?
If Utah wins
That is easy: the Utes go to the Rose Bowl with a victory.
It’s possible they may face No. 8 Penn State, for a pair causes.
First, a USC loss may knock it out of CFP competition and elevate No. 5 Ohio State into the CFP to switch the Trojans within the playoff discipline.
If that occurs, Penn State is the next-highest ranked Huge Ten crew within the CFP rankings.
Second, even when USC wasn’t knocked out of the playoff with a second loss to Utah, it’s unlikely that the Rose Bowl would like a rematch of Utah and Ohio State this yr.
The Buckeyes beat the Utes 48-45 in final yr’s Rose Bowl, and the Rose Bowl may want to pick Penn State as an alternate choice to symbolize the Huge Ten to face Utah.
There’s additionally the chance that Purdue, which faces Michigan within the Huge Ten championship this weekend, may upset the Wolverines and symbolize the Huge Ten within the Rose Bowl.
The Wolverines, in fact, are anticipated to be playoff sure regardless of this weekend’s end result after convincingly beating Ohio State final week.
If Utah loses
The Utes are a robust candidate to play within the Alamo Bowl, which they final performed in again in 2019.
Utah’s opponent within the Alamo Bowl would possible be Texas, which is third within the Huge 12 standings.
Undefeated and No. 3 TCU is predicted to remain within the playoff discipline even when it loses within the Huge 12 championship sport to No. 10 Kansas State, whereas the Wildcats are a lock for the Huge 12’s tie-in with the Sugar Bowl — barring the Horned Frogs falling out of the playoff image.
That will make the Longhorns essentially the most logical option to symbolize the Huge 12 within the Alamo Bowl.
Texas and Utah met within the 2019 Alamo Bowl, with the Longhorns successful 38-10.