Nov. 9, 1997
The Pac-10 Bowl Picture
1997 Pac-10 Standings
Conference Overall Washington State 5-1 8-1 ASU 5-1 7-2 Washington 5-1 7-2 UCLA 5-1 7-2 USC 3-3 5-4 Oregon 2-4 5-4 Arizona 2-4 4-5 Stanford 2-4 4-5 California 1-5 3-6 Oregon State 0-6 3-6
November 8, 1997
Oregon 31, Washington 28
ASU 28, California 21
USC 45, Stanford 21
Arizona 27, Oregon State 7
WSU 77, Southwestern Louisiana 7
UCLA, idle
Pac-10 Rose Bowl Tie-Breaker Formula
The following is the Rose Bowl Tie Breaker formula for two- and multiple-team ties. If criteria 1 results in a tie, then criteria 2 is used. If criteria 2 still results in a tie, then criteria 3 is used and so on.
Two-Team Tie
If there is a tie for the conference championship, the Rose Bowl representative will be the:
1. Winner of head-to-head game
2. Team ranked first or second in the nation in the AP or Coaches poll.
3. Team with better overall record (so long as all opponents are Division I-A)
4. Team that has not played in the Rose Bowl for longest period of time
Multiple Ties
If there are three or more teams tied for the conference championship, the Rose Bowl representative will be the:
1. Team that has defeated all the others
2. Team ranked first or second in the AP or Coaches poll
3. Eliminate team defeated by all others and go to two-team tie formula
4. Eliminate team with worst overall record and go to two-team tie formula
5. Eliminate team with worst overall record and, if tied for worst overall record, most recently went to Rose Bowl and go to two-team tie formula.
Pac-10 Bowl Arrangements
The Pac-10 has guaranteed that four of its teams will appear in bowl games this postseason. The Rose Bowl gets the champion or winner of a tiebreaker if there are co-champions. If the Bowl Alliance does not invite a Pac-10 team, the second choice goes to the Cotton Bowl. If the Cotton Bowl chooses the WAC champion instead of a Pac-10 team, the Holiday Bowl will get the second choice of Pac-10 teams. The third choice of Pac-10 teams belongs to the Sun Bowl and the fourth choice goes to the Aloha Bowl. Furthermore, there are four bowl games with "open" slots, meaning it is possible for a fifth Pac-10 team with six Division I wins to be chosen. Bowl games with open slots are the Las Vegas Bowl, Motor City Bowl, Independence Bowl and Humanitarian Bowl.
Pac-10 Order of Choice
1. Rose Bowl
2. Bowl Alliance*
3. Cotton Bowl or Holiday Bowl^
4. Sun Bowl
5. Aloha Bowl
*The Bowl Alliance can, but is not obligated to, select a Pac-10 team
^If the Cotton Bowl selects the WAC champion instead of a Pac-10 team, the Holiday Bowl gets the choice