Las Vegas Bowl projections remain wide open after Week 5

Week 5 is done, which means several teams are heading into their bye weeks. While this week’s Las Vegas Bowl projection is the same as it was after Week 4, two big games in the Pac-12 and Big Ten may shake things up very quickly.

Projection: No. 18 Utah vs. Iowa

Utah dropped its first game of the season, losing 21-7 to No. 15 Oregon State in Week 5. The offense desperately misses quarterback Cameron Rising, who tore his ACL in the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2022 season, and the Utes (4-1) are at risk of dropping further in a crowded Pac-12 as they enter their bye week.

In particular, No. 13 Washington State continues to build an impressive resume. It heads to UCLA this week to play a Bruins team which was briefly ranked this season, offering the Cougars (5-0) a chance to add another quality win to a collection which already features victories against Wisconsin and Oregon State.

Iowa remains the pick for the Big Ten. It bounced back from its 31-0 loss against No. 6 Penn State in Week 4 with a 26-16 win against Michigan State in Week 5.

The Hawkeyes (4-1) still control their destiny in the Big Ten West, but a Big Ten East team has the game to watch entering Week 6. Maryland remains undefeated, most recently storming to a 44-17 win against Indiana in Week 5. It gets a major test on the road against No. 4 Ohio State this week. The Terrapins (5-0) may become an option for the Las Vegas Bowl, though they still have No. 2 Michigan and Penn State on their schedule.

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on X.