Is the Rose Bowl a lock without winning the Pac-12 ttile?

[Alan]

I believe it is if one the PAC 12 or Big 10 is in the playoffs the rose bowl committee has the freedom to pick from any conference. Meaning if tOSU makes the playoffs, the Ducks win the conference but do not make the playoffs, the rose bowl committee must take the Ducks but can pick any other power 5 team eligible from any conference, it does not have to be the runner up of the Big 10.

I don't think that's true.

Okay, I spent the 30 seconds required to google it, I stand corrected, again,lol.

“The Rose Bowl typically features the champions of the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences. ... In years when the Rose Bowl is not a College Football Playoff semifinal game and the Big Ten or Pac-12 champion is selected to play in the College Football Playoff, the Rose Bowl Game selects the next best team in the conference.“

There was that brief era in the BCS where if the Pac-12 or Big Ten champions were in the BCS national championship game, the Rose Bowl would pick a non-major conference team if they were ranked at a certain level, can't remember what it was. That's why the 2011 Rose Bowl was between Wisconsin and TCU. Was that the rule you were originally thinking of?

I sure that was what I was thinking about, thank you! I do remember TCU going to the Rose Bowl..

[Phenom]

Since the CFP era, the Rose Bowl has to be Pac-12 best vs. Big-10 best. Best not in the CFP.

[pezsez1]

If the rule really is the next-best team in the conference, then I can't imagine picking anyone other than Oregon (with just one conference loss coming in the title game).

Of course, all of this is null/void if both Oregon and Utah don't win out.

[Merganzer]

One plan that I have discerned from searches is that the top 14 teams are eligible for the NY6 Bowls. The top 4 of those are designated to the two Playoff Bowls, which rotate. This leaves 10 teams for the remaining 4 of the Bowl games to select, which they do, again on a rotating basis. This takes care of 7 of the ten, because the highest ranked G of 5 team plays in one of the Bowls, this time it's the Cotton, The three remaining of the original 14 go back to their conference and play in the bowl designated by that conferences tie ins.

[UOducksTK1]

If the rule really is the next-best team in the conference, then I can't imagine picking anyone other than Oregon (with just one conference loss coming in the title game).

Of course, all of this is null/void if both Oregon and Utah don't win out.

Not to mention Oregon's only loss was to Auburn, in the opening game. And a game where Oregon was leading 99% of the game.

I think that's a close to undefeated (if Oregon ends up winning out) as you can be.