Bowl scenarios: BYU vs. Arizona?

While it’s expected that BYU will go back to the Las Vegas Bowl, the opponent is expected to be either Cal or Arizona. The Las Vegas Bowl has the No. 4 choice of Pac-10 teams. Cal is in fourth place in the standings, ahead of No. 5 Arizona.

According to reports today, the San Francisco-based Emerald Bowl, which has the No. 5 choice of Pac-10 teams, is lobbying to invite a team from the Bay Area (that would be Cal). If the Golden Bears wind up in the Emerald Bowl, that would most likely send Arizona to Vegas. Arizona might sell more Las Vegas Bowl tickets than Cal since it hasn’t been to a bowl game in a decade.

Most people are assuming that BYU would go to Vegas again in droves and sell-out Sam Boyd Stadium for the fourth straight time. But how many Cougar fans would make another trip to Las Vegas? Certainly, the novelty has worn off. Given the high (BCS) expectations before the season, how many fans will spend the money to see BYU play a mid-level Pac-10 foe in a venue they’ve been to so many times before?

If BYU plays Cal, it will be second meeting between the two teams in the Las Vegas Bowl since 2005. If BYU plays Arizona, it will mark the third consecutive season these two teams have met. The Cougars lost at Arizona in the 2006 season-opener and beat the Wildcats in the 2007 season-opener in Provo.

Both Cal and Arizona still have one more regular season game. This weekend, Cal faces winless Washington while Arizona takes on arch-rival Arizona State.

Or are you holding out hope that BYU goes to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, possibly against unbeaten Boise State (or maybe against Louisiana Tech)?