October 27, 2022 2: 32 pm PT
USC’s bowl image is cloudy however appealing. What clearly matters is that the Trojans take care of service, however one information of their circumstance provides cause for some issue.
Before the season, the concept that USC might get a New Year’s Six bowl with a 10-2 record appeared really sensible, offered that Utah was expected to be a College Football Playoff competitor and Notre Dame was expected to be a really excellent group. However, with Utah having no shot at the playoff, and with Notre Dame havingahardtime, USC won’t get a big increase from either its one-point loss at Utah or from a win over Notre Dame.
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The idea procedure going into 2022 was that a narrow loss at Utah may really enhance USC’s resume, and that a loss to Notre Dame wouldn’t detract from it. Those situations aren’t in play.
The Trojans will have to go 11-1 to make a New Year’s Six bowl.
Jon Wilner of The Mercury News describes:
WILNER’S ANALYSIS BEGINS HERE
All of the keepsinmind listedbelow are from Wilner:
The Fiesta and Peach are hosting semifinals for the College Football Playoff.
— The Rose is under agreement to set the Pac-12 versus the Big Ten.
— The Sugar will match the SEC versus the Big 12.
— The Orange is obligated to welcome an ACC group for one slot and either the SEC, Big Ten or Notre Dame for the other
COTTON BOWL CENTRALITY
That leaves the Cotton Bowl as the just videogame without a conference or semifinal match. But since the highest-ranked group from the Group of Five is ensured a berth in the New Year’s Six, there is just one area readilyavailable in the Cotton for an at-large group.
THIS IS VERY UNLIKELY
If the Pac-12 sendsout its champ to the playoff, the next-highest-ranked group would dive into the Rose Bowl.
PAC-12 TITLE GAME STAKES
If the Pac-12 champ ends up in the Rose, the conference might fill the at-large area in the Cotton.
USC NEEDS TO BEAT UCLA TO MOVE INTO TOP 8 IN LATE NOVEMBER
It all depends on the last CFP rankings, however a two-loss group in the leading 12 following the conference champion videogames would have an outstanding possibility for the Cotton. (The veryfirst CFP rankings will be launched Nov. 1.)
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The Pac-12 hasactually produced 2 New Year’s Six at-large groups in 8 years, both playing in the Fiesta Bowl: Arizona in 2014; and Washington in 2017.
MONEY
A berth in the semifinals is worth $6 million to the individual’s conference, with an at-large slot in the New Year’s Six producing a $4 million income.
In each case, the group’s expenditures are managed independently, and the income is split equally amongst the 12 schools, per the Pac-12’s profits sharing policy.
The at-large quotes bring both money and status to the conference. And it’s all within reach this season, so long as parity is kept at bay.
ROSE BOWL / WILNER’S NOTE ON OREGON
Team: Oregon (6-1/4-0)
Home videogames staying (two): Washington, Utah
Road videogames staying (three): Cal, Colorado, Oregon State
Comment: No modification here — the Hotline hasactually been slotting the Ducks into the Rose for 3 weeks. Whether their ceiling is greater than the Granddaddy (i.e., the CFP) depends on 1) w