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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) A blowout loss in the Pac-12 Championship game appeared to kill Arizona's chance at playing in one of the four New Year's bowls.
The Wildcats' resume from the rest of the season was just good enough to sneak them in, setting up one of the most intriguing of the four New Year's bowls.
Arizona will play Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl after being ranked No. 11 in the final College Football Playoff rankings on Sunday.
Arizona (10-3) won the Pac-12 South by beating rival Arizona State to end the regular season, but fell flat in the Pac-12 title game on Friday, losing 51-13 to second-ranked Oregon.
Despite the loss, the Wildcats earned one of the final spots for a New Year's bowl and will face the Broncos (11-2) at University of Phoenix Stadium in what figures to be a fast-paced, offensive show.
Boise State won the Mountain West Conference championship and ended its season with a 28-14 win over Fresno State.
The Broncos qualified for a major bowl as the top-ranked champion from a group of five conferences without New Year's bowl contracts.
Boise State is plenty familiar with playing in the desert, making its third trip to the Fiesta Bowl. The Broncos played in one of the most memorable Fiesta Bowls - any bowl, really - by pulling off a series of trick plays to beat Oklahoma 43-42 in the 2007 game.
