With UCLA out of contention for a spot in the College Football Playoffs, there is still a slight chance they can make it to one of the four major non-playoff bowls, specifically the Fiesta Bowl. The Bruins are currently #15 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings and could look to make a move up the polls if certain opportunities go their way on Championship Saturday.
Dec 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; The Oregon Ducks players celebrate after their Pac-12 Championship game against the Arizona Wildcats at Levi
Last night, the first domino fell for UCLA as the #2 Oregon Ducks destroyed the #7 Arizona Wildcats 51-13 to win the Pac-12 Championship Game. It looks like Oregon will retain a spot in the College Football Playoff, but as for Arizona, this big loss will no doubt send them down the rankings. The question is, will the Wildcats have a lower positioning than the Bruins? Head-to-head, UCLA beat Arizona 17-7 back on November 1, so the Bruins have an edge there.
But there are also several key games that could also help UCLA climb the ranks and sneak into a major bowl. Here is what Bruin fans should be hoping for today:
What To Look For On Championship Saturday
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#1 Alabama to beat #16 Missouri
#6 Baylor to beat #9 Kansas State
#4Â Florida State to beat #11 Georgia Tech
#5 Ohio State to beat #13 Wisconsin
Obviously, if any of the former teams win, that would give them a chance to move up and clog the rankings, which would be bad for the Bruins who do not play today. If they lose, that would open up a few spots which hopefully the Bruins can slip into to.
There is a lot of football to be played and a lot of potential calamity, so let us hope that the ball bounces UCLA’s way.
Go Bruins!