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The Final Countdown

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:44:53 GMT

By Scott Haynes, Senior College Football Editor Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - All the preparations have been made, the coaches have broken down every conceivable scenario and the final walk- throughs will take place in the next 24-to-48 hours. So the one question remains after nearly a month of anticipation -- how can the BCS Title Game ever live up to the hype? Forget the side stories about what teams got the short end of the stick. Utah finished the year as the only undefeated team in the country, but few people outside of the Beehive State actually believe that running the table in the Mountain West Conference and topping a good Alabama team in the Sugar Bowl warrants consideration for a national title.

A stronger debate can be made for the Texas Longhorns and the USC Trojans. The Longhorns knocked off Oklahoma (45-35) in a memorable mid-season affair, but could not maintain their lofty perch throughout a murderous Big 12 slate, falling to Texas Tech (39-33) in th

Ball State and Tulsa square off in GMAC Bowl

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:23:48 GMT

Mobile, AL (Sports Network) - The Ball State Cardinals seek their first-ever postseason victory when they take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the 10th annual GMAC Bowl at the Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

This will be the seventh bowl matchup for the Cardinals, who have an 0-5-1 ledger in the previous six appearances. Last year the Cardinals stumbled against Rutgers in the International Bowl, falling to the Scarlet Knights, 52-30. The Cardinals are coming off the best season in school history, as the team posted an outstanding 12-0 ledger during the regular season. It was the third undefeated campaign for Ball State in 84 years. Due to the tremendous success BSU was ranked as high as 12th in the BCS Standings, marking the first time in school history the Cardinals were in the national rankings. Ball State did not have an overpowering schedule with the toughest non-conference opponent being Indiana, and the Cardinals defeated the Hoosiers, 42-20. This team was nev

McCoy's late heroics lead Texas past Ohio State in Fiesta Bowl

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:14:44 GMT

10 Ohio State, as the Buckeyes were dealt another crushing defeat in a BCS postseason contest.

McCoy, named the game's MVP, finished 41-of-58 for 414 yards through the air, while Cosby had a spectacular performance in his last collegiate game, making 14 catches for 171 yards and a pair of scores for the Longhorns (12-1). Texas' only blemish on the season was a last-second 39-33 loss at Texas Tech on November 1.

Ohio State's Lane carted off field

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:27:15 GMT

Lane tackled Texas' Jordan Shipley on a kickoff return with 5:34 remaining in the first half. Lane then remained on the ground before medical personnel were brought in to carefully lift the senior onto the board and the cart. While being wheeled off, Lane waived his left hand, and he was taken to a local hospital for observation.

Chavis named LSU's defensive coordinator

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:57:54 GMT

A 31-year coaching veteran, Chavis began his career on the sidelines as a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 1979. After a year he moved to Alabama A&M to serve as the defensive line coach from 1980-1983. Chavis then jumped to Alabama State for two years, serving as the defensive coordinator before going back to Alabama A&M from 1986-1988.

Chavis then returned to Tennessee in 1989 and served as the defensive line and linebackers coach.

South Carolina LB Norwood to return for senior season

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:12:37 GMT

After the Gamecocks lost, 31-10, to Iowa in the Outback Bowl, Norwood declared he would enter the 2009 NFL draft, according to numerous media reports. But he has reconsidered and will return for his senior year.

"I've been thinking it over and, after sitting down with my family, I have decided it would be best for me to return to South Carolina for another year," said Norwood.

UNC's Nicks declares for NFL Draft

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:57:30 GMT

The junior is coming off an outstanding performance in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, hauling in eight passes for a school-bowl record 217 yards with touchdown receptions of 73, 66 and 25 yards.

Nicks also set single-season Tar Heel records this season with 1,222 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Nicks said in a release issued by the school that he met with head coach Butch Davis after the bowl game regarding the draft.

Fiesta Bowl pits Buckeyes against Longhorns

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:35:26 GMT

Ohio State comes into the contest sporting a 10-2 record and coach Jim Tressel's club recently won its fourth straight Big Ten title, this time sharing it with the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Buckeyes are making their fourth straight BCS bowl appearance, and have reached a BCS bowl game for the sixth time under Tressel and the seventh time in the 11-year history of the system. Ohio State is 4-2 in BCS bowl matchups.

OSU is making its 40th bowl appearance overall, the most of any Big Ten school, and the team is 18-21 all-time in the postseason. The Buckeyes are 4-1 in the Fiesta Bowl.

UConn rallies past Buffalo to capture International Bowl

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:06:44 GMT

The Huskies (8-5) won for only the third time in their last eight games after opening the campaign with five wins.

Buffalo (8-6) was appearing in its first bowl game after capturing the Mid- American Conference title with a 42-24 victory over previously-unbeaten Ball State.

Buffalo and UConn head north of the border for International Bowl

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:22:03 GMT

Once upon a time the Bulls were a laughing stock in the Mid-American Conference, but now the team is playing in its first postseason matchup and most of the credit should go to head coach Turner Gill. Gill came to Buffalo in 2006 and since then the team has made drastic improvements, which led to Gill's recent contract extension.

"On the day I came here to be the head coach I told my team that one day we would be successful here at the University at Buffalo," said Gill. "Now, more than ever, I have never been more proud to be the head coach of this program at this great academic institution. This program has proven it can win now and it is built to continue to win in the future." After claiming a share of the MAC East title in 2007,

Utah completes perfect season with win over Tide in Sugar Bowl

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:22:45 GMT

Johnson completed 27-of-41 passes for the Utes (13-0), who notched their eighth consecutive bowl win. In that streak is another BCS bowl victory, a 35-7 pounding of Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.

Freddie Brown recorded 12 catches for 125 yards for Utah, which stormed Alabama with a 21-point first quarter and held on for the win to complete its third undefeated season -- one in which the Utes won the Mountain West Conference title and rose to sixth in the BCS standings.

Kentucky rallies late to top East Carolina, capture Liberty Bowl

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:01:55 GMT

Mike Hartline threw a touchdown pass and David Jones registered a Liberty Bowl-record 99-yard kickoff return for the Wildcats (7-6), who notched a school-best third consecutive postseason win. The program won the Music City Bowl the last two years, defeating Clemson and Florida State, respectively.

Darryl Freeney hauled in an 80-yard touchdown and Brandon Simmons added a 28- yard TD run for the Pirates (9-5), who topped Tulsa on December 6th to capture the Conference USA title.

Snead, Ole Miss beat Texas Tech in final game at the Cotton Bowl

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:33:45 GMT

Brandon Bolden and Dexter McCluster each ran for a TD while Gerald Harris caught a pair of scores. Mike Wallace also caught a TD for Ole Miss (9-4), which closed out the regular season with five consecutive victories, including a 45-0 romp over rival Mississippi State in the finale.

Head coach Huston Nutt garnered SEC Coach of the Year honors in his first year at the helm and led the Rebels to a 5-3 league mark and a signature win against Florida, dealing the national-champion hopeful Gators their lone loss this season. All four of the program's losses came by seven or fewer points.

Utah challenges Alabama in Sugar Bowl

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:28:03 GMT

The Utes, under the direction of Kyle Whittingham, who on Monday was signed to a five-year contract extension, are just the second team to enter the postseason with an unblemished record this year, the other being Boise State which bowed to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl.

While it doesn't seem like such a big deal now, the Utes kicked off 2008 with a road win against Michigan in Ann Arbor and ran the table from there. There were a couple of close calls along the way, like a 31-28 victory over Oregon State in early October and a 13-10 triumph versus TCU in Mountain West Conference action the following month, but for the most part Utah handled all of the attention well. In fact the Utes,

Liberty Bowl pits Kentucky against East Carolina

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:27:39 GMT

Kentucky was fortunate to earn a postseason berth after splitting its 12 games during the regular season. The Wildcats are aiming for what would be a school- record third consecutive bowl victory. The program has won the Music City Bowl the last two years, defeating Clemson and Florida State. This will be the 13th bowl appearance for the Wildcats, who are 7-5 all-time in the postseason. They have won at least six games in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1954-56. Rich Brooks, the head coach of Kentucky, has turned the program around, although he can't be happy about the fact that his squad lost its final three games of the regular season and finished 2-6 against SEC competition.

As for East Carolina, it earned national recognition and a spot in the Top-25 after beating Virginia Tech and West Virginia to open

Rebels and Red Raiders lock horns in Cotton Bowl

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:27:28 GMT

These teams have split their previous four meetings overall and have met twice in bowl games. Ole Miss beat Texas Tech in both the 1986 and 1998 Independence Bowls. Speaking of the Rebels, they have exceeded expectations in the first season of the Houston Nutt era. Coach Nutt, who was recently named the SEC Coach of the Year, has led his squad to an 8-4 overall record and Ole Miss is the only team that has beaten the mighty Florida Gators this season. Three of the four losses by Ole Miss have come by seven or fewer points, and the team closed out the regular season with five consecutive victories, including a 45-0 romp over rival Mississippi State in the finale.

The Rebels are 19-12 all-time in bowl games, and they are making their fourth Cotton Bowl appearance. They beat Oklaho

Evans and Virginia Tech down Cincinnati to capture Orange Bowl

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:04:20 GMT

21 Virginia Tech crushed 12th-ranked Cincinnati, 20-7, in the 75th edition of the Orange Bowl.

Virginia Tech, which is 8-14 in postseason play, was making its second straight appearance in the Orange Bowl, as Tech dropped a 24-21 decision to Kansas in last year's memorable event. The Hokies repeated as ACC Champion this season thanks to a 5-3 ledger in conference play.

Sanchez, USC stop to smell the roses in rout of Penn State

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:06:42 GMT

Sanchez did most of his damage in the first half, when USC (12-1) posted 31 points against an overmatched Penn State secondary. He also ran for a score, while Damian Williams had one receiving TD and Ronald Johnson had two for the Trojans, who have won nine consecutive games against Big Ten competition.

USC made its final appearance under offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who will take over the head coaching position at Washington.

Pelini caps first year at Nebraska with Gator Bowl win over Clemson

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:35:50 GMT

Ganz completed 19-of-36 passes and also threw one interception, while Quentin Castille ran 18 times for 125 yards for the Cornhuskers (9-4), who scored 20 points in the third quarter.

Todd Peterson had four catches for 96 yards, as Nebraska also got its first bowl win under first-year head coach Bo Pelini, and ended the season on a four-game winning streak.

Stafford helps Georgia top Michigan State in Capital One Bowl

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:05:22 GMT

Stafford completed 20-of-31 passes for 250 yards and threw an interception for Georgia (10-3), which came into the season as the top-ranked team in the country and dropped a heartbreaking 45-42 decision to rival Georgia Tech in the regular-season finale.

Junior running back Knowshon Moreno logged 125 total yards to go with a receiving touchdown in possibly his last game as a Bulldog, while Michael Moore caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in the hard-fought win.

Doak Walker winner Greene to turn pro

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:58:23 GMT

The consensus All-American running back amassed 121 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries in Iowa's 31-10 rout of South Carolina, as the Hawkeyes (9-4) recorded their first nine-win season since a 10-win campaign in 2004.

The 23-year-old, who missed the 2007 campaign due to academic issues, set numerous single-season Iowa records this year, including rushing yards (1,850) and touchdowns (20). The latter is the 12th-most in Big Ten history.

Greene, Iowa run over Gamecocks in Outback Bowl

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:36:56 GMT

Greene, who had 29 carries and was awarded the game's MVP, announced after his heroics that he was forgoing his senior season and entering the NFL Draft.

Iowa's defense caused five turnovers and held the Gamecocks to 43 yards rushing, while Ricky Stanzi threw for 147 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions on 13-of-19 passing for the Hawkeyes (9-4), whose four losses this season came by a combined 12 points.

Cal's Tedford signs two-year extension

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:38:34 GMT

In seven years at Cal, Tedford's Bears have posted a 59-30 record with the last six seasons ending in bowl appearances.

Cal's 24-17 victory over Miami in the Emerald Bowl last Saturday completed a 9-4 campaign and moved Tedford's postseason record to 5-1.

Walker named New Mexico State football coach

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:34:20 GMT

Walker spent the past three seasons as UCLA's defensive coordinator and also served as defensive backs coach for Southern California 2001. He was also the secondary coach for the NFL's New England Patriots, New York Giants and Washington Redskins.

"This is a great opportunity for myself and my family," Walker said. "As long as I have coached you always want to see your vision and formula put to work and I'm thankful and grateful to New Mexico State University for giving me this opportunity to put together a good staff and begin to flip this program around." The 48-year-old Walker replaces Hal Mumme, who posted a record of just 11-38 in four years with the Aggies.

Tulsa, Graham agree to new 10-year contract

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:09:15 GMT

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Graham has led the Golden Hurricane to a 20-7 record the past two seasons with back-to-back appearances at the GMAC Bowl, where they will meet 23rd-ranked Ball State on January 6.