Bowl game projections for ASU, Arizona ahead of opening games

As the Arizona State and Arizona football teams get ready to kick off their 2026 seasons this week, both teams face difficult roads as they look to contend in the Big 12 title race.

Arizona is coming off an impressive 9-4 season, going 6-3 in the Big 12, including a win over rival ASU in the Territorial Cup. It was a bounce-back season for head coach Brent Brennan after the Wildcats went 4-8 in 2024.

Arizona’s offense sees the return of senior quarterback Noah Fifita, poised for a potential run at the Heisman Trophy. Wide receiver Tre Spivey and running backs Quincy Craig and Ismail Mahdi are also back this season, although Mahdi’s status is in limbo due to a federal appeals court halting a court order on Aug. 21 that would have granted him and thousands of athletes another year of eligibility.

Arizona, which will kick off its season at home against Northern Arizona on Saturday, will be tested early in the season with a Week 2 road matchup against Big 12 title contender BYU. The Wildcats’ schedule following their bye week in Week 7 presents some difficulty with matchups that include Iowa State, Big 12 favorite Texas Tech, Utah and ASU.

Meanwhile, ASU is coming off an 8-5 season, going 6-3 in the Big 12. The Sun Devils dealt with several key injuries on offense last year, including quarterback Sam Leavitt going down with a season-ending foot injury and star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson missing several games due to a hamstring issue. ASU did enter the Territorial Cup still having a chance to clinch a spot in the Big 12 title game before falling to the Wildcats.

ASU and head coach Kenny Dillingham saw some notable roster turnover during the offseason with Leavitt transferring to LSU and running back Raleek Brown transferring to Texas, while Tyson declared for the NFL draft. The Sun Devils were very active in the transfer portal, adding quarterbacks Cutter Boley and Mikey Keene and wide receivers Omarion Miller, Reed Harris and Raiden Vines-Bright.

Wideouts Jalen Moss, Derek Eusebio, Jaren Hamilton and Cory Butler Jr., along with running back Kyson Brown, are among some of the notable Sun Devils returning this season.

ASU, which named Boley as the team’s starting quarterback, kicks off its season at home against Morgan State on Saturday. The Sun Devils will face a tough start in Week 2 with a road matchup against Texas A&M before heading to London to face Kansas. ASU’s schedule also has some difficulty later in the season with road matchups against Texas Tech, BYU, UCF and Arizona on the slate.

Here’s a look at where experts are projecting both teams to play in the postseason.

Bowl projections for ASU

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura: First Responder Bowl vs. James Madison

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: First Responder Bowl vs. Minnesota

The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman: Poinsettia Bowl vs. Fresno State

CBS Sports: Cactus Bowl vs. Wisconsin

Sports Illustrated’s Bryan Fischer: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Oklahoma

Bowl projections for Arizona

ESPN’s Bonagura: Sun Bowl vs. Virginia Tech

ESPN’s Schlabach: Sun Bowl vs. Pittsburgh

The Athletic’s Dotchterman: Sun Bowl vs. Florida State

CBS Sports: Sun Bowl vs. NC State

Sports Illustrated’s Fischer: Sun Bowl vs. Virginia

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