This year’s Fiesta Bowl pits the 25th ranked team versus the 10th ranked team. The Oregon Ducks who are the 25th ranked team enter the game as the Pac 12 Champions but only because they got to replace Washington in the game due to a Covid breakout among Washington’s players. Oregon made the most of their unexpected chance and defeated USC 31 to 24, thus taking the conference title and in turn earning a place in today's game via the PAC 12’s automatic berth into a New Years' top Six Bowl game.
The Iowa State Cyclones arrive at the game ranked 10 and see the game more as a consolation prize.