Which teams are in Las Vegas Bowl mix after Week 4?
The college football season is heading into Week 5, which means it’s time to start projecting what teams will land in the Las Vegas Bowl.
This year’s game takes place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 27 at Allegiant Stadium and will feature a team from the current/former Pac-12 Conference against a representative from the SEC, which has five teams in the top six of the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll and nine ranked teams overall.
Projection: South Carolina vs. Washington State
The Gamecocks (3-1) are the choice out of the SEC by ESPN.com after they drubbed Akron 50-7 on Saturday. Auburn transfer Robby Ashford started at quarterback in place of LaNorris Sellers (sprained ankle) and completed 15 of his 21 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns. He added 133 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
South Carolina’s only loss came to No. 14 LSU. The Gamecocks face a tough test this weekend when they host No. 6 Ole Miss.
Other SEC teams in consideration include Auburn (2-2), No. 21 Oklahoma (3-1) and No. 24 Texas A&M (3-1).
Washington State is one of two holdovers from the Pac-12 after realignment and the near consensus choice from CBS Sportsline, Action Network and ESPN.com. The Cougars outlasted San Jose State 54-52 in double overtime Saturday to improve to 4-0. That undefeated record includes a win over rival Washington on Sept. 14.
The Cougars finished just outside the top 25 in this week’s AP poll.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback John Mateer leads Washington State in rushing with 425 yards and five touchdowns on 57 carries. He has thrown for 11 touchdowns as well.
Also in the mix for selection are Cal (3-1) and Washington (3-1).
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.