Oregon defensive lineman Casey Rogers (98) pressures Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon defensive lineman Casey Rogers (98) pressures Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. Andy Nelson, Associated Press
Brandon Judd

By Brandon Judd

For the first time all year, all three Utah FBS teams are bowl eligible, after BYU and Utah State joined Utah with victories last week.

The bowl picture isn’t likely to change a whole lot for the Cougars or Aggies heading into their regular-season finales this week.

For the Utes, there’s still hope — and more importantly, a plausible scenario — where they can return to the Pac-12 championship game and have the chance to defend their conference title in Las Vegas.

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Here’s a look at where several national publications predict Utah, BYU and Utah State will play in the postseason following the season’s Week 12.

*-indicates same projection as last week.

Bowl projections for Utah football after Week 12

There’s still some things to be decided in the Pac-12 this week — who will join USC in the Pac-12 championship game among them — but for now most predictors are projecting a Holiday Bowl appearance for Utah.

The Utes (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12) finish the regular season at Colorado on Saturday.

Here’s how Utah can earn a spot in the Pac-12 championship game: the Utes beat Colorado, Oregon State beats Oregon, Washington beats Washington State and UCLA beats California.

If that happens, Utah heads to Vegas and could return to the Rose Bowl for a second straight year with a win in the Pac-12 title game. 

Bowl projections for BYU football after Week 12

The Cougars’ game at Stanford this Saturday won’t really impact the team’s bowl picture.

It is, however, a chance for BYU (6-5) to win a third straight game and maintain momentum heading into the postseason.

Once again, a popular projection is for the Cougars to face former Mountain West Conference foe Air Force.

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One super interesting matchup could be the one projected by College Football News: facing future Big 12 compatriot Kansas in the Armed Forces Bowl. While the Jayhawks are on a slide after a hot start, it would provide BYU a chance to make a statement as they prepare to join the Big 12 next year.

Bowl projections for Utah State football after Week 12

At midseason, it didn’t seem likely that Utah State (6-5, 5-2 Mountain West) would get to bowl eligibility.

Now, after beating San Jose State for their fifth win in six games, the Aggies don’t have to worry about the postseason going into their regular-season finale at Boise State on Friday.

There are varying predictions on where Utah State will go bowling, but an interesting one is against Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl. While the Tigers are 6-5, that includes four close losses in a row, most against the top-level teams in the American Athletic Conference this season.

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