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Unable to fill its slot in the Las Vegas Bowl, the Pac-12 will open the bowl season Tuesday with the first of six appearances by conference members. Washington State vs. Minnesota, Holiday Bowl, 5 p.m. MST, ESPN Some mystery accompanies this matchup. Minnesota's players recently threatened to boycott the game in protest of the way 10 suspended teammates were treated during a sexual assault investigation. The question remains how the missing players will affect the Gophers and how the rest of the team will perform. The Cougars, meanwhile, are regrouping after losses to Colorado and Washington ruined their November. WSU coach Mike Leach said this week that quarterback Luke Falk of Logan will return for his senior season in 2017, when he presumably will make his only appearance against Utah in Salt Lake City. Bowl games are difficult enough to predict, without variables such as Minnesota's altered roster and questionable mind-set for this contest. The safe pick is WSU, convincingly: Washington State 42, Minnesota 21. — Kurt Kragthorpe