Can Arizona make the Pac-12 Championship? Looking at Wildcats' playoff chances in 2023

The 2023 Pac-12 championship game is now expected to involve Washington and either Oregon or Arizona. The conference title game this year holds a great place in the pages of history as it could be the last ever played since the Pac-12 faces an uncertain future ahead of 2024.

Washington secured the first spot in Week 12 after defeating Oregon State on the road, ensuring its unbeaten run remains intact. The Huskies will wait for the final rounds of the regular season to know their opponents and remain hopeful for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Can Arizona make the Pac-12 Championship?

Arizona still has a chance of playing against Washington in the Pac-12 Championship this year. However, the Wildcats do not have their fate in their own hands and will hope some scenario plays out for them to be able to secure qualification. Nonetheless, the program remains hopeful.

For the Wildcats to be in the conference title game, Oregon must lose their last game of the season against in-state rival Oregon State. The Beavers are a team that can obviously pull an upset but the game will be played at the Autzen Stadium in Eugene, where it favors the Ducks.

Aside from Oregon losing its game against Oregon State, Arizona also has to win against its own in-state rival Arizona State in Week 13. This should be an easy game for the Wildcats as the Sun Devils have struggled significantly this season, recording just three wins so far.

The tiebreaker for the title game spot

Should Oregon lose and Arizona win, both teams will be on the same record. The last spot for the title game would then be determined through a tiebreaker. Since the Ducks and the Wildcats didn't play against each other this season, another criteria will be employed by the Pac-12.

In this case, the result against Oregon State, which is the highest team both programs have played this season, will be used as a tiebreaker. This means Arizona is holding the tiebreaker as it defeated Oregon State 27-24 in October and Oregon needs a win over its rival to avoid this.

Without a doubt, all eyes will be on both teams as they seek a spot in the championship game before making a move to other Power Five conferences ahead of 2024. Notably, The Ducks play on Friday and it could have sealed a spot in the Pac-12 Championship game before the Wildcats get onto the field on Saturday.