Just weeks from the official start to the 2017 Arizona Football season, we preview the Wildcats’ Bowl hopes, and what games they need to win to go bowling.
Finally, football season is getting closer, and we couldn’t be more excited. The 2016 season was a tough year for the Arizona Football team, but hopefully, that is behind them, and big things are to come.
Heading into 2017, there are mixed feelings about the program. Just reading numerous articles, tweets, etc., expectations are rather low, and probably for a good reason.
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The Wildcats were an abysmal 3-9 last year. Injuries, attrition, etc., everything that could go wrong in 2016, did go wrong. However, will 2017 be much better?
One can certainly hope. Arizona returns some starters at key positions, but perhaps the biggest questions remain at quarterback (do we have an efficient passer able to get the ball to our receivers?) And how is our defense? Will they be an improved unit this season?
The talent to me is there, well, at least to be able to compete and have a chance for a bowl game. After all, this is a program that is nearly three years removed from a Pac-12 South Championship and BCS Bowl Game appearance.
If Arizona hopes to put 2016 behind them and return to their winning ways, they will need to win these games to be bowl eligible. (Technically every game should be on this list, but these are most winnable to us).
NAU- Seems obvious. Arizona will be heavily favored in this one, and the last time these teams met, the Wildcats won handily 77-13.
This is the first game of the season. Get out the jitters, works out some of the kinks, and just get to 1-0.
The game against the Lumberjacks should be a great opportunity for some young guys to play and get ready for week two versus a talented Houston team.
Houston- One of the biggest questions heading into the 2017 season. They are no doubt a talented program, and the past two seasons are indicative of that.
The Cougars are 22-5. However, their coach Tom Herman was a big part of that, but now he is in Texas.
How will they respond in 2017? Greg Ward Jr. was their playmaking, dual-threat quarterback, but now he is gone. Kyle Allen steps in with big shoes to fill, but with plenty of talent around him.
This will be the Cougars first road game and could be a very tough test for them. Rich Rodriguez’s teams play fairly well in bigger games, so expect the Wildcats to be up for this one, and who knows, perhaps we could be in for a surprise!
Either way, this game is very important for Arizona to win if they want to become bowl eligible.
UTEP- Another one of the more winnable games for the Wildcats in 2017, but nothing is a given in college football. This will be the Wildcats’ first road game, and there will certainly be jitters to be had.
However, the Miners were 4-8 last season. They have questions just like Arizona heading into 2017, but the Wildcats should be favored in this one. Should they be 2-0, we would expect the confidence to be there, and the Wildcats to win this one.
On the flip side, if they do lose to Houston at home, Arizona cannot fall to 1-2 and still hope to make a bowl game. This game is very winnable, and the Wildcats need to take care of business.
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Utah- Another big home game for the Wildcats. Arizona played pretty well in Salt Lake City last year but ultimately came up short in the second half. While Utah does have a pretty talented squad in 2017, we still feel this game is a winnable one for the Cats.
Rodriguez is still 4-1 versus the Utes since coming to Tucson, and we expect a good game in this one. After all, the last time Utah came to Arizona, this happened.
Should Arizona be 3-0 coming into this one, we would expect the confidence to be riding high, and that also likely means Arizona has a pretty solid group.
The Utes return the talented Troy Williams, but lose Joe Williams and Tim Patrick, their leading rusher and pass catcher in 2016. Their defensive unit also loses a couple of key players, so it will be interesting to see how they are in 2017, regardless we like Arizona’s chances in this one to be competitive.
Cal- New year, new coach for the Golden Bears. Following back-to-back games against Colorado and UCLA, the Wildcats will travel to Berkley, CA to take on Cal.
There will be a lot of questions going into this one for both teams. Like Arizona, Cal struggled a bit last year, just missing a bowl game, and being that this will be the seventh game of the season. It will also be a crucial point in the season for Arizona. Victory could be essential to keep their season going, or it could be a chance for the Wildcats to add to their resume.
New head coach Justin Wilcox could have his hands full in a talented Pac-12 North division his first year, and just what type of season the Bears will have is unknown at this point.
To me, this one is at least one of the more winnable games for Arizona in 2017.
Oregon State- This game last year was U-G-L-Y! The Beavers do have some talent coming back in 2017, back like Arizona last year, Oregon State struggled at times and did miss a bowl game.
The Beavers come to Tucson for this one, and it could be a must-win situation for Arizona to remain bowl eligible, or it could be a chance to improve their record. Certainly a lot of unknowns at this point, but we also feel this will likely not be another blowout, especially in front of the Tucson faithful.
With that said, this is why we feel this game is definitely one of the more winnable games for Arizona in 2017.
ASU- The rivalry game! This game should always be on the list. You never know what can and will happen, and 2016 should be a good indication of that.
Both teams didn’t have ideal seasons last year, but for Arizona, it was a good way to end a rough season on a positive note, and hopefully, build momentum for 2017.
The Wildcats and Sun Devils certainly have some things to prove this year, but who knows how this will shake out.
Arizona absolutely demolished the Devils in Tucson, without completing a single pass in the second half. This game will be in Tempe and potentially could have big implications for both teams.
To us, this one is definitely winnable!
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At Zona Zealots, we can’t wait for the 2017 season to start, and hope 2016 is far behind us! Agree with our picks? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook! Bear Down, Arizona!