Pac-12 has several Las Vegas Bowl candidates

Week 4 of college football was full of drama and excitement.

The Pac-12’s first week of conference play saw Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes lose big against No. 9 Oregon. They are now unranked, but the Pac-12 has four teams — No. 7 Washington, No. 8 USC, Oregon and No. 10 Utah — in the top 10.

The Big Ten also had big wins highlighted by No. 4 Ohio State’s walk-off victory against No. 11 Notre Dame.

Here’s this week’s Las Vegas Bowl projection. The game is scheduled for December 23rd at Allegiant Stadium.

Projection: No. 10 Utah vs. Iowa

The Pac-12 is top heavy. But as the conference season rolls on, it’s unlikely it will continue to have four top-10 ranked schools.

The Utes (4-0) are ranked the lowest among the top four schools, placing it in the Las Vegas Bowl’s window. Utah remains unbeaten after taking down ranked UCLA 14-7 in Week 4 and has wins against Florida and Baylor in nonconference play.

However, Utah faces a tough matchup Friday on the road against No. 19 Oregon State, itself looking for a bounce-back win. The Utes will also face all the other ranked teams in the Pac-12 except Washington State this season, including USC and Oregon on consecutive weeks.

Iowa remains the likeliest pick for the Las Vegas Bowl from the Big Ten. It took a 31-0 beating from No. 6 Penn State in Week 4, but avoids Ohio State and Michigan this season. The Hawkeyes (3-1) still have a clear shot at the Big Ten West crown.

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