Oklahoma State (6-6) lost its final two games of the season as injuries contributed to a disappointing finish. But at least the Cowboys didn’t lose their head coach like Purdue (6-6), which fired Danny Hope the day after the Boilers clinched bowl eligibility. Both have spread offenses that like to get out in space. So it should be a high-scoring

It’s a tremendous matchup of 2011 conference champions when Clemson (10-2) and LSU (10-2), which both had national title hopes this year, face off in the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A-Bowl in Atlanta. The game will feature one of the top offenses in the nation against one of the top defenses. Clemson ranks sixth in the nation in scoring (42.33), ninth in

The ACC Coastal Division champs needed a waiver from the NCAA to become bowl eligible. The Jackets (6-7) are trying to win their first bowl game under coach Paul Johnson (0-4). It is the first meeting between Georgia Tech and USC (7-5) since 1973, when Tech lost 23-6 to the then-No. 1-ranked Trojans. The Jackets are 1-2 against USC. Tech

Despite losing five of its past seven games and finishing next to last in the Big 12 Conference, Iowa State (6-6) got the nod over Louisiana Tech and will take on Conference USA champion Tulsa (10-3), which defeated UCF 33-27 in overtime to win its first Conference USA title since 2005. This game is Dec. 31 in Memphis. ISU has

Stanford rolls into the Rose Bowl with an impressive November that included five consecutive wins over ranked teams, including then-No. 2 Oregon. Wisconsin, playing in its third consecutive Rose Bowl, arrives as the first five-loss team to play in the Granddaddy, one that actually finished third in the Big Ten Leaders Division. The Badgers are only here because Ohio State

Michigan star Denard Robinson will return to his home state for his final game to take on South Carolina in a defensive battle. The Gamecocks’ battle-tested defense ranked 12th in the nation. Under coordinator Greg Mattison, Michigan’s D took another step forward, finishing second in the Big Ten. The Jan. 1 game is in Tampa. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier

Both teams head to Orlando with varied degrees of disappointment after league title game losses. Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray takes aim against a Blackshirts defense that leads the nation against the pass (148.2 ypg). Senior Rex Burkhead leads a talented group of Huskers running backs against star linebacker Jarvis Jones and the Bulldogs’ defense. The game is Jan. 1 in

Rutgers of the Big East faces off against Virginia Tech of the ACC in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 28 in Orlando. Virginia Tech is bowl-eligible for an impressive 20th-straight season and makes its first appearance in an Orlando bowl game. Head coach Frank Beamer is the winningest-active and longest-tenured coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision. QB Logan Thomas

The Big Ten and Big 12 face off in Houston on Dec. 28 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl between Minnesota and Texas Tech, with the Red Raiders still reeling from the shocking news that coach Tommy Tuberville left the program to take a job at Cincinnati. The Red Raiders (7-5) feature a dynamic offensive attack directed by the passing

It’s the first bowl game ever for Louisiana-Monroe as the Warhawks of the Sun Belt Conference face off against MAC team Ohio University on Dec. 28 in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport. The Warhawks, coached by Todd Berry, finished the season 8-4 and are going to their first bowl game since becoming a member of the FBS in 1994. They