clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Worst 2015-16 Pac-12 bowl games: these bowl games leave a little to be desired

Avinash Kunnath & Jack Follman chose this year's lesser Pac-12 bowl games.

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

We ranked this year's Pac-12 bowl games based on watchability and are splitting into two categories - the best and the worst.

Let's start with the worst, Pac-12 bowl games 10-7. We will reveal the best (1-6) tomorrow.

10. Heart of Dallas Bowl - Washington vs. Southern Mississippi - Saturday, December 26 11:20 AM - Dallas, Texas

AK: The Huskies should feel pretty confident in one of the least exciting matchups of the bowl season. Their defense has been playing elite football and their offense is starting to come around. Southern Miss is a fine Conference USA team that should be overmatched against a rising UW team.

JF: The Huskies closed the season by beating two teams I think would beat Southern Miss by a combined total of 80 points so I don't imagine this one being very close. That doesn't mean Pac-12 fans shouldn't watch though. The Huskies were one of the youngest teams in the country this year and seemed to really improve as the season went on. It will be interesting to see if they continue on this curve with another month of practicing together.

9. New Mexico Bowl - Arizona vs. New Mexico - Saturday, December 19 11 AM - Albuquerque, New Mexico

AK: New Mexico is such an odd football team. They aren't ranked well by any metrics, yet they're 7-5 and in a bowl game. I guess technically Arizona is in a similar situation. But the Wildcats do have the offensive weapons to break this one open early.

JF: A weird bowl that is basically just an extra road game for Arizona a month after the regular season. With 10 bowls, a couple of Pac-12 teams are bound to simply not show up in their bowl and this one seems like the most-likely culprit. I am interested in seeing this one though because after a month of seeming like he was leaving Tucson, Rich Rodriguez appears to be sticking around. How the Wildcats come out could say a lot about the direction of the program under him moving forward.

8. Foster Farms Bowl - UCLA vs. Nebraska - Saturday, December 26 6:15 PM - Santa Clara, California

AK: Poor Bruins. One win away from Pac-12 South champions, now have to go out and beat a 5-7 Nebraska team. They'll get little credit for the victory and plenty of shame for the loss. Only a decisive rout of the Huskers will give the Bruins any real happiness to end the season.

JF: Weird, weird, weird. The Pac-12's number four bowl selection will play a 5-7 team? I honestly don't know how this will play out. Obviously I think UCLA is a lot better than Nebraska, but how up will they be for a game against a losing team, in a weird stadium when they had a path to the Rose Bowl going into their final game. This one could be closer than anticipated, especially because Mike Riley and the gang have a lot to prove.

7. Armed Forces Bowl - Cal vs. Air Force - Tuesday, December 29 11 AM - Fort Worth, Texas

AK: Pass vs. run. More pass vs. more run. Neither team has a good defense, so it could be one of those football games where team that has the ball last wins. Also it's early in the afternoon, so expect the defense to be a little nappy in a game with low stakes.

JF: This one has the potential to be a shootout. Both teams can move the ball and might not be that interested in defense in a low-key bowl game. Cal is in a very similar situation to Arizona/RichRod, so I am really interested in to see how Cal comes out as well and how it might relate to where the program goes with a coach who doesn't really seem that committed to the school and vice versa. Also, probably your last chance to see Jared Goff.