The UCLA Bruins are in the fork in the road this college football season, straddling the line between controlling their own destiny in the Pac-12 South Division and total irrelevance should they happen to lose their final two games. In the latest 2011-2012 bowl projections at SB Nation, the Bruins are projected to play in the Alamo Bowl on December 29, in a rematch with the Texas Longhorns.
The Bruins lost to Texas 49-20 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on September 17. The Alamo Bowl is played in San Antonio, and has the second selection of Pac-12 teams after the Rose Bowl. Though both the Oregon Ducks (Rose Bowl vs. Wisconsin) and the Stanford Cardinal (Sugar Bowl vs. Alabama) are projected to go to BCS bowls, which trump the selection of other bowls.
UCLA needs one more win, either at home against the Colorado Buffaloes next week or at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in two weeks against the USC Trojans, to become bowl eligible for the second time in four seasons under head coach Rick Neuheisel. The Bruins' last bowl game was the EagleBank Bowl on December 29, 2009, a 30-21 victory over the Temple Owls.
Should UCLA win twice, they will be in the inaugural Pac-12 Football Championship Game, to be played on Friday, December 2 at the site of the Pac-12 North winner, which almost certainly will be Oregon. Of course anything can happen in one game, but the Ducks would be a heavy favorite over the Bruins if that matchup should occur.
For for UCLA football news and analysis, be sure to read Bruins Nation.