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Mountain West & Pac-12 Bowl Projections Week 5:

The 2026 college football bowl season is already taking shape, with early projections from Mountain West Connection offering a first look at potential matchups for both conferences. In the Mountain West, the Potato Bowl is being designated as the de facto championship game, though the actual champion could still end up in any of six different bowl games.

The projections place North Dakota State as the top seed in the Mountain West, with UNLV, San Jose State, and Air Force also locked into specific bowls. Meanwhile, the Pac-12’s bowl landscape remains fluid, with legacy teams still tied to traditional tie-ins, including Oregon State in the Poinsettia Bowl.

The Sun Bowl is noted as the last option for legacy Pac-12 teams, while other bowls like the Hawaii Bowl and ESPN Bowl could host a mix of current Pac-12 and former Mountain West programs. Confusion lingers over potential ESPN-affiliated bowl placements, though those scenarios are being set aside for now.

Boise State stands out as the highest-ranked Group of Five team with a shot at the College Football Playoff, according to these initial projections.

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