Miami: 2026 Fiesta Bowl Champions

 

The No. 10-seed Miami football is just a win away from becoming the last team standing in the College Football Playoff.

Oregon: 2024 Fiesta Bowl Champions

 

Oregon QB Bo Nix set the single-season completion percentage record in the No. 8 Ducks’ overwhelming 45-6 win over No. 23 Liberty on Monday.

Nix entered the game less than two-tenths of a percentage point behind Alabama QB Mac Jones for the best completion percentage in a college football season. Jones finished the 2020 season 311-of-402 passing for 4,500 yards and 41 TDs to just four interceptions and broke former Texas QB Colt McCoy’s 2008 record of 76.7% with a completion percentage of 77.36%.

Monday, the Heisman finalist from Oregon was 28-of-35 passing for 363 yards and five touchdowns before leaving the game just after the start of the fourth quarter. The six incompletions mean Nix finishes the 2023 season 364-of-470 passing for 4,504 yards with 45 touchdowns, three interceptions and a completion percentage of 77.44%.

Four of Nix’s five TD throws came in the second quarter after Liberty had a moment of hope to start the game. The Flames opened the game with the ball and promptly went 75 yards on a possession capped off by a 17-yard TD pass from Kaidon Salter to Bentley Hanshaw. Oregon (11-2) responded with a field goal and Liberty led 6-3 after the first quarter.

It got ugly from there.

Nix found four different receivers for those TD throws in the second period as Oregon made it a laugher by halftime. Liberty’s defense was no match for the Ducks’ offense and Oregon’s defense quickly shut down Liberty’s offense. The Flames punted on each of their next four drives after their opening TD and ran just 18 plays on those possessions. Their sixth possession ended in an interception that was turned into an Oregon touchdown with 3 seconds to go before halftime and a 31-6 lead for the Ducks.

Bo Nix's career renaissance

Nix came to Oregon ahead of the 2022 season after spending the first three seasons of his career at Auburn. He was the Tigers’ starting quarterback in all three of his seasons there, but had thrown just 23 TDs over the last two seasons of his career and averaged less than seven yards an attempt with the Tigers.

He arrived in Eugene with head coach Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham (now the head coach at Arizona State) and immediately had the best season of his career. A season ago, Nix completed nearly 72% of his passes for almost 3,600 yards and threw 29 TDs and seven interceptions.

He was even better in 2023 as Oregon made a run at the Pac-12 title. Undefeated Washington was the only team to beat Oregon over the course of the season as the Ducks outscored their opponents by over 27 points per game.

Nix’s stellar years at Oregon could make him a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Liberty's first New Year's Six game

The previously undefeated Flames (13-1) snuck into their first New Year’s Six bowl game thanks to SMU’s win over Tulane in the AAC title game.

The Green Wave were ahead of the Flames entering conference championship weekend but lost at home to the two-loss Mustangs. The win without starting QB Preston Stone wasn’t good enough for SMU to jump ahead of undefeated Liberty, and the Flames ended the season as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

There were reasons to be suspicious of Liberty’s chances against the Ducks, however. The Flames had the weakest schedule in the country and didn’t play a single Power Five team. Liberty allowed nearly 23 points per game during the regular season and gave up at least 25 points in seven of its 13 wins.

But Monday’s blowout also doesn’t diminish the growth of the football program. Liberty joined the top level of college football in 2018 and has posted a winning season in all six of its years at the FBS level. The school’s ability to spend money on its football program was a big reason why it lured former Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell to Lynchburg to replace Hugh Freeze after the 2022 season.

With those vast resources and a relatively weak Conference USA around it, Liberty has a real chance to be a part of the 12-team playoff in 2024 with another undefeated season.

TCU: 2022 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- In the biggest upset since the advent of the College Football Playoff, third-seeded TCU rode its underdog status to a 51-45 win over undefeated and No. 2 Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday. The win continued TCU's storybook season and made the Frogs the first Big 12 team to reach the title game in the CFP era.

Highlighted by a 44-point third quarter between the two teams, the semifinal matchup was a back-and-forth affair that saw TCU nearly lose an early 18-point lead, a pair of pick-sixes, two fumbles, a 76-yard touchdown pass, eight scores in just about eight minutes, a record-setting 59-yard field goal and the highest combined score in Fiesta Bowl history.

The signs of an explosive game were there early. Starting in place of injured star running back Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards ripped off a 54-yard run on the first play of the game, yet the Wolverines walked away with zero points after a fourth-down try near the red zone was stopped.

On the next Michigan offensive drive, quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw a telegraphed pass to the outside that was picked off by sophomore safety Bud Clark and returned for a touchdown. It was the Frogs' third pick-six of the season and put them up 7-0.

The Frogs' defense was the star of the first half, as Michigan entered the TCU red zone three times and came away with only nine points by way of three field goals thanks to two huge stops and a fumble at the 1-yard line by Edwards.

TCU's offense, meanwhile, used the advantage of the Air Raid's pace and speed to get out in front. A 12-play, 76-yard drive culminated with quarterback Max Duggan rushing into the end zone from the 1-yard line to put the Frogs up 14-0 in the first quarter. Under coach Jim Harbaugh, Michigan had allowed more than 14 points in the first quarter and gone on to win just once, in 2016 against Colorado, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

While Michigan struggled to capitalize, on the other side of the ball, Duggan -- the Heisman runner-up -- was pulling out all the stops. Duggan wasn't particularly accurate through the air in the first half, but with his legs, he danced his way to first downs and kept pushing TCU downfield as the Wolverines struggled to mitigate his mobility.

No play was more indicative of that problem than when Duggan rolled out of the pocket with 4:56 left in the second quarter and avoided the Michigan blitz to find Taye Barber for 6 yards and six more points. The touchdown culminated a 10-play, 83-yard drive that gave the Frogs a commanding 21-6 halftime lead and put the Wolverines in their biggest deficit of the season.

Both teams came out of the tunnels after halftime like they were shot out of a cannon, combining for a 44-point third quarter that featured a flea-flicker touchdown from McCarthy, the second pick-six of the game from the Michigan quarterback, another pick from Duggan and three touchdown drives of under three minutes.

McCarthy and Michigan, who had two of those drives, were not going away. But just as the Wolverines were attempting to claw back, TCU kept responding. This time, it was running back Emari Demercado who broke loose for a 69-yard run that Duggan finished off with another 1-yard touchdown sneak. The Frogs finished with 41 points through three quarters. All season, the most points Michigan had given up in an entire game was 27, and going back to last season, the most the Wolverines had surrendered in a game was 37.

After Michigan cut the TCU lead to three points early in the fourth quarter, Duggan, as he has done all season, responded by making the throw of the game. While facing a blitzing defender in his face and a long third down, Duggan found a crossing Quentin Johnston in stride. Johnston sped his way to the sideline and took it 76 yards to the end zone to put the Frogs back up 10. A field goal extended that lead to 13 early in the fourth quarter.

Another methodical Michigan touchdown drive by McCarthy cut the lead once again, this time to six points with 3:18 left, setting the stage for TCU and Duggan. The Frogs needed two first downs to finish the game with the ball in their hands. They could get only one, and the Wolverines had 52 seconds to go 75 yards and make a miracle happen.

On fourth-and-10 with 35 seconds left at its own 25, Michigan fumbled the ball and recovered, but the ball did not make it past the first-down marker. As TCU assistant coaches in the upstairs box yelled and screamed, "We're going to the Natty!" all Duggan had to do was take a knee. The upset of the season -- and of the era -- was complete.

Oklahoma State: 2022 Fiesta Bowl Champions

After Oklahoma State completed the largest comeback in team history, coach Mike Gundy put his own label on a 37-35 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame.

"This is clearly the biggest win in the history of the school," Gundy said. "You're in a New Year's Day bowl. You're playing Notre Dame. Biggest comeback in the school history. ... The biggest win in the history of the school."

Oklahoma State rallied from a 28-7 deficit in the second quarter to score 30 straight points. The team's previous biggest comeback was 20 points down against Colorado in 1979.

The Cowboys won 12 games for the first time under Gundy, a former Oklahoma State quarterback in his 17th season as head coach.

Oklahoma State also won the Fiesta Bowl after the 2011 season to finish No. 3 nationally. This season, Oklahoma State ended a six-game losing streak to rival Oklahoma, and it made its first Big 12 championship game appearance but fell to Baylor as running Dezmon Jackson was stopped inches short of a potential winning touchdown.

"We feel like if we didn't win this game, this would be kind of a season of just forgotten greatness," defensive end Brock Martin said after the Fiesta Bowl. "We lost the Big 12 championship, and then you lose the Fiesta Bowl, all that greatness and the great things you did as a unit, the D-line and linebackers and DBs, we kind of felt like it would be forgotten over time."

Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders finished with 371 passing yards and four touchdowns to go with 125 rushing yards on 17 carries. He joined former Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd as the only FBS players to record 350 pass yards, 100 rush yards and four touchdowns in a bowl game.

Gundy said the Cowboys' maturity and experience kept him optimistic when the team fell behind by three touchdowns.

"They're veterans," Gundy said of his players. "They've been in this program, most of them -- particularly on defense -- been in the program four, five, six years. For that reason, I didn't have any concerns. I was just hoping that we could hold up with the length they had on both sides of the ball up front."

Notre Dame's loss spoiled the head-coaching debut for Marcus Freeman, promoted Dec. 3 from his defensive coordinator spot to succeed Brian Kelly. The Irish fell to 0-8 in BCS or New Year's Six bowls, the most losses by any team without a win. Their most recent win in a bowl that is now part of the New Year's Six was the 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic.

"For me, as the leader of this program, it's a pit in your stomach ... that you want to bottle it up, and you want to remember how this feels," Freeman said. "The honeymoon stage is over, right? The whole new head coach, it's a great story. No, it's about having a great product, and it's about having a great team. So we have to make sure that it's about developing this team for next year. This year's over. So everything we do from now moving forward is going to be development and making sure we're prepared to have success."

Freeman added: "We're going to use this game as motivation. We're going to use this game to look back and say, 'Remember that first one? Look where we've come from there.'"

Quarterback Jack Coan, playing his final game for Notre Dame, passed for 509 yards, the second-highest single-game passing total in team history, and five touchdowns.

After Oklahoma State scored to cut its deficit to 28-14, Notre Dame took over at its own 25-yard line with 37 seconds left in the first half and all three timeouts. But the Irish elected to run out the clock, not wanting to risk a potential turnover, Freeman said.

"I wouldn't change that," he said. "We all can learn from it and look at every situation."

Iowa State: 2021 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The weight of disappointment and failure has gotten heavier just about every year for the better part of a century. Yes, there were moments of success and glimmers of hope, but, for the most part, year after cursed year, the Iowa State football program added to its collection of miseries.

Given 100 years to accumulate, the heap of losses and humiliations buries a program in rubble that blots out the light toward a path out and starves the oxygen needed to endeavor toward an escape, if one could even be seen.

Iowa State football spent something close to 100 years as an unsolvable problem, its own history weighing it down from finding a new future. Even if someone could start to maneuver a way out, to clear a path, how long would it take to unburden all of failure?

It took Matt Campbell five years.

Twelfth-ranked Iowa State defeated Oregon 34-17 on Saturday to win the Fiesta Bowl, cement the 2020 season as the best in program history and deliver on Campbell’s promise to change the culture of Cyclone football from laughingstock to national relevance.

“We're always going to have to go up the rough side of the mountain at Iowa State, just because that's who we are. That's how the program is,” Campbell said. “And yet, when you have elite character, elite leadership, great things can happen. And that's really what we've been able to develop now in our fifth year.”

The team’s 9-3 record matches the most wins in a season in program history, while the victory over the Ducks represents the program’s first win in its first appearance in a New Year’s Six bowl game. All while managing the COVID-19 pandemic that has cost and upended lives across the globe and turned college sports into even messier beast to tame than it typically is.

“As coach (Matt) Campbell said, we were the laughingstock of the Big 12 at one point,” All-American running back Breece Hall said. “Just envisioning what coach Campbell thought that we could do here. That's the reason why I came here. To see what we accomplished today, it's Iowa State history.”

"History" is a tortured word at Iowa State, where a first bowl appearance didn’t happen until 1971 and the trophy case remains without a conference championship since 1912. Recent history was just as troublesome as the ancient, when Campbell took over a program in 2015 that had won eight games combined the previous three seasons. It didn’t get better when Campbell hit the recruiting trail after his first Cyclone team went 3-9.

Then, though, they began to break through.

This year’s senior class beat top-five teams and won the Liberty Bowl in 2017. The Cyclones went to bowl games and flirted with contending atop the conference in 2018 and 2019. Then, in 2020, it all came together in a way never before seen at Iowa State.

“We recruit all these guys with a hope and a dream,” Campbell said. “And then all of a sudden, we're 3-9 (in) Year 1. And I think it's so fitting that, as we leave here, and this senior class leaves here now 9-3, they really flipped the script the entire way. 

“Maybe for some programs, that's easy to do; but (people) know the history of this program for the last 100-plus years. It's not real easy to do here. And this group did it. This group literally rewrote the history books.”

Although Campbell sold players on a “home and a dream,” it was a well-articulated one.

“When he called me and said hey, ‘We're playing Big 12 football, we've got tools,’” quarterback Brock Purdy, an Arizona native, said. “It's not already made, but I wanted to help that out and get it to where it needed to be. And so that was really our conversations when he was recruiting me. 

“So here we are back at home in the Fiesta Bowl, and I think we're able to take the next step as a program. And we did that today.”

Five years in the making. No skipped steps. No instant success. Just consistent improvement with one historic reward at the end.

“This team literally became the best version of itself it could be,” Campbell said. “This 2020 Iowa State football team reached its full potential. There's not one regret. There's not one, man, woulda, coulda, shoulda. 

“This group's literally reached its full potential and become the best version of itself it can be.”

After a century, Iowa State has emerged from the debris of defeats and the wreckage of wretchedness. And they are standing not hobbled by the challenge, but strengthened by it. 

Clemson: 2019 Fiesta Bowl Champions

A season seemingly destined to place Ryan Day's first year as Ohio State head coach atop all the other seasons of distinction in OSU history instead ending suddenly and stunningly in a 29-23 loss to No. 3 Clemson in the College Football Playoff on Saturday at the Fiesta Bowl.

Justin Fields, who threw only one interception all season, threw two against the defending national champion Tigers, including the clincher with 37 seconds left.

Fields was looking for Chris Olave from the Clemson 30, but Olave broke left and Fields threw to the middle of the field, where the Tigers intercepted.

The 30th consecutive victory for coach Dabo Swinney's team moves them into the national championship game Jan. 13 against LSU, which hammered Oklahoma in the other Playoff semifinal.

Fields finished 30-of-46 for 320 yards, with one TD.

J.K. Dobbins gained 174 yards on 18 carries, but had only 30 yards after injuring his ankle in the third quarter.

Clemson's Trevor Lawrence led his team 94 yards to take the lead in the final two minutes.

He finished 18-of-33 for 259 yards and rushed 16 times for 107 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown.

OSU embarked on its potential game-winning drive from its 25 with 1:49 left, trying to overcome a 29-23 deficit that resulted from Travis Etienne's 34-yard touchdown catch with 1:49 left.

That culminated a four-play drive by the Tigers, but Ohio State started just as promptly in response.

Fields found Dobbins with three swing passes and hit K.J. Hill for 13 yards to move quickly inside the Clemson 30 with 43 seconds left.

That's where Fields and Olave miscommunicated and Clemson free safety Nolan Turner intercepted in the end zone, ending the Buckeyes' hopes for a thrilling comeback.

Clemson gained the chance to take the lead by holding on third-and-five with 3:53 left, denying Austin Mack the three additional yards he needed to sustain the drive after a catch at the Tigers' 39.

OSU elected to punt, giving the Tigers the ball at the 6-yard line with two timeouts and 3:07 left to drive for a go-ahead field goal.

Instead, the Tigers used just four plays to go 94 yards for a touchdown.

Lawrence passed for 11 yards to Justyn Ross, ran for 11 himself to go over 100 yards for the game, then found Amari Rodgers over the middle.

He slipped a tackle from Jeff Okudah at midfield and gained 38 yards to the 34-yard line with 2:06 left.

Etienne covered the distance that remained on the next snap, taking a short pass behind the OSU defensive line and speeding through the secondary to get in the end zone for the third time.

The Tigers tried to pad their resulting 27-23 lead to six points, and got that when Tee Higgins got away from Okudah to catch the two-point pass from a scrambling Lawrence.

OSU shook off a streak of 21 straight Clemson points that erased a 16-0 second-quarter deficit to re-take the lead with 11:46 left on Fields' 23-yard touchdown pass to Olave.

Olave got free over the middle with Clemson's defense crowding the line on fourth-and-one, anticipating a Dobbins' or Fields run.

Ohio State will forever lament its missed opportunities that undermined its chance of getting to the national championship game.

The Buckeyes' early 16-0 lead could have been much larger had they not settled for three Blake Haubeil field goals inside 35 yards.

Two of those came after near Fields touchdowns to Dobbins, who earlier scored on a 68 yard run and broke off another 64-yarder inside the 10.

Replay overruled a Dobbins 5-yard TD catch because the football hit the ground and slid down his leg in the end zone.

Shortly after that, Dobbins dropped a screen floated to him in the left flat with three blockers to clear the one Clemson defender in the 20 yards separating him from the goal line.

Those mistakes weren't the extent of the Buckeyes' self-inflicted damage.

Midway through the third quarter, with Clemson punting from its 15, Cameron Brown roughed Will Spiers to sustain a drive that two plays later resulted in Travis Etienne scoring on a 53-yard screen pass.

As much as that hurt, it wasn't the last debilitating mental blow to the Buckeyes.

Replay overturned Fuller's scoop-and-score touchdown the next time Clemson had the ball, denying OSU what appeared a touchdown when Okudah stripped possession from Ross at the Clemson 25.

The Buckeyes' 16-0 second-quarter lead evaporated in a flurry of two Clemson touchdowns in a span of just 1:35.

OSU gave the Tigers a second chance to score its first touchdown, converting a third-down incompletion into a first down when cornerback Shaun Wade slammed into Lawrence and drew a targeting call.

That continued the possession and Clemson pounced.

Amir Riep replaced Wade and, on second down, Lawrence returned from a brief medical check on the sideline and went deep. That drew pass interference and a provided a Clemson first down at the OSU 16.

Etienne took it from there, avoiding Fuller and Malik Harrison on third-and-2 from the 7-yard line to knife into the end zone and get Clemson within 16-7 with 2:45 left in the half.

Ohio State tried to run out the clock, but Dobbins came up short on third down and Clemson took over with 1:55 left.

It took the Tigers less than a minute to get within 16-14.

Lawrence converted third-and-10 with a throw to Ross, then broke OSU's heart with a 67-yard run on a quarterback draw.

He broke free up the middle, juked safety Josh Proctor and Fuller, then outran Barron Browning to the end zone.

The Tigers made it 21 straight points right after that, cashing in another second chance off the personal foul of their punter and Etienne's 53-yard catch and run with a screen pass.

LSU: 2019 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Joe Burrow watched the ball land in an opposing player's hands and immediately gave chase. Locked in on preventing a pick six, LSU's quarterback didn't see Joey Connors, Central Florida's 313-pound defensive lineman, bearing down on him.

With a thunderous, blindside collision , Burrow found himself flat on his back, woozy and wondering what happened.

Minutes later, after being helped to his feet, Burrow was back on the field, hitting receivers all over the field.

The nation's longest winning streak was over. So was a second self-proclaimed national championship.

The LSU Tigers were Fiesta Bowl champions, thanks to their gritty junior quarterback.

Burrow shook off the big early hit to throw for 394 yards and four touchdowns, helping No. 11 LSU end No. 7 UCF's 25-game winning streak with a 40-32 victory in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday.

"I didn't really think about the hit too much after it happened," said Burrow, who had a cut on his neck from the hit. "It hurt for a second, I got right up and went on to the next play."

LSU (10-3, No. 11 CFP) started its first Fiesta Bowl without several key players on defense and fell into an early 11-point hole against the high-scoring Knights (12-1, No. 8 CFP).

The Tigers clawed back behind Burrow and a defensive front that made life difficult for UCF quarterback Darriel Mack Jr.

Burrow returned from the early blindside hit to pick apart UCF's secondary, hitting 21 of 34 of passes, including two touchdowns to Justin Jefferson.

"It looked like the passing game we wanted," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. "Joe was on the money."

LSU sacked Mack five times and made him rush numerous throws, holding the nation's third-best offense to 250 total yards -- 295 below its average -- while spoiling the Knights' bid for a second straight self-proclaimed national title.

Taj McGowan scored on a 2-yard run and the Knights converted a 2-point conversion to pull UCF to within 40-32. After LSU recovered the onside kick, the Knights' last-ditch attempt finished with a tipped interception, ending a run that started after a loss in the 2016 Cure Bowl.

"Obviously, everyone in the locker room is really upset," UCF defensive lineman Mason Colubiale. "We haven't lost a game since 2016."

UCF declared itself national champions after finishing as the only undefeated FBS team a year ago. The Knights earned another shot at an undefeated season by staging a massive rally to beat Memphis in the American Athletic Conference title game.

But just like last year, UCF was on the outside looking in when the College Football Playoff final four was announced, adding to the boulder-sized chip on its shoulder and only a self-awarded national title in its reach.

The Speedy Knights got the Fiesta Bowl off to a fast start, going up 14-3 on Greg McCrae's 25-yard TD run and Brandon Moore's 93-yard interception return.

The Tigers roared back behind Burrow and their disruptive defensive front.

Burrow shook off the big hit on the pick six, finding Jefferson on a pair of scoring passes and a 49-yard TD to Derrick Dillon.

UCF sputtered offensively after its opening drive, but Mack hit Gabriel Davis on a 32-yard pass in the closing seconds to pull UCF to within 24-21 at halftime.

Burrow opened the second half with a 32-yard TD pass to Ja'Marr Chase, and Cole Tracy hit three field goals to put LSU up 40-24. Tracy's final kick, the 97th of his career, broke the NCAA all-division record and ended the nation's fourth-longest winning streak since 2000.

"Love the way they competed for four quarters, continued to fight with everything that they had. Believed. Played as a group," UCF first-year coach Josh Huepel said. "Just weren't good enough at the end."

THE TAKEAWAY

Even depleted, LSU's defense proved to still be formidable and Burrow showed his grit after the big hit, giving LSU its first 10-win season since 2013.

UCF missed injured two-time AAC player of the year McKenzie Milton and had no answer for LSU's passing game to lose for the first time in two years.

SO MANY PENALTIES

The first meeting between UCF and LSU was chippy from the start, including three first-half ejections. LSU consensus All-America safety Grant Delpit was among those ejected after being called for targeting in the second quarter.

UCF had a key penalty in the second quarter, when Randy Charlton was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the Knights stopped LSU on a third-and-6. That kept the Tigers' drive alive and Burrow hit Justice for a TD that pulled LSU to within 14-10.

LSU had 14 penalties for 145 yards, LSU had 12 for 104 yards.

UP NEXT

LSU: RB Nick Brossette is a senior, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is just a sophomore and Burrow will be back. Delpit also is a sophomore and most of the defense should be back. LSU opens the 2019 season against Georgia Southern on Aug. 31.

UCF: Most of the Knights' offense skill players should be back, but they have four seniors on the two-deep offensive line roster. UCF also will have new pieces on defense next season, with nine seniors on the two-deep. UCF opens the 2019 season against Florida A&M on Aug. 31.

Penn State: 2017 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Converting on third downs had been a sore spot at Penn State, so coach James Franklin made it a point of emphasis in spring ball and fall camp.

The Nittany Lions kept working at it during the season and kept getting better, peaking at the perfect time.

Trace McSorley threw for 342 yards and had both of his touchdown passes to DaeSean Hamilton on third-down plays, helping No. 9 Penn State outlast No. 12 Washington 35-28 in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday.

"Our coaches did a fantastic job and the O line protected and the receivers made plays," Franklin said. "We were very efficient. We executed."

Penn State (11-2), No. 9 in the final College Football Rankings, had its way with Washington's vaunted defense early, building a 28-7 lead by the second quarter. Washington (10-3) woke up from an offensive slumber with two touchdowns and pulled to 35-28 on Myles Gaskins' 69-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

The Huskies' inability to stop Penn State on third down kept them from getting any closer.

The Nittany Lions converted three third-down attempts on a final clock-winding drive and were 13 for 17 overall. Washington had a final shot with a desperation play of multiple laterals and passes, but Dante Pettis' final lateral was intercepted after he passed up a chance to step out of bounds to set up one more play.

"I think a lot of it was McSorley," Washington coach Chris Petersen said. "He's buying time, getting out of there. And when we did get a little pressure on him, he stepped up nicely and took off and ran or bought time."

Washington had the nation's top run defense during the regular season, allowing 92 yards per game, but Saquon Barkley matched that on one run in the second quarter. Barkley had 137 of the Nittany Lions' 203 yards rushing and two touchdowns in what could be his final game if he decides to turn pro.

The Huskies, No. 11 CFP, gave up a season-high 545 total yards.

"They had us on our heels most of the night," Petersen said.

The Nittany Lions lost a chance at the CFP with consecutive losses to Ohio State and No. 24 Michigan State, but ended up in a familiar place: The Fiesta Bowl, where they had not lost in six previous trips.

Penn State raced toward No. 7 by going to the air early against the run-stingy Huskies.

McSorley picked Washington's secondary apart, hitting nine receivers for 219 yards in the first half. He connected with DaeSean Hamilton on a 48-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive, and set up scoring runs of 2 yards by Barkley and 1 yard by Miles Sanders.

Barkley then did it all himself, bursting through the left side for a 92-yard touchdown run to put Penn State up 28-7.

The Nittany Lions had 367 yards by halftime against a defense that allowed 277.4 yards per game during the regular season.

"We came out flat in the first half," Washington linebacker Tevis Bartlett said.

Washington was in the Fiesta Bowl for the first time, but Petersen had made a name for himself by trick-playing Boise State to a pair of Fiesta victories

Petersen reached into his trick-play bag to spark Washington from an early funk, calling a double pass that led to 52-yard gain to tight end Drew Sample. That set up Jake Browning's 1-yard TD dive.

The Huskies turned a recovered fumble into a much-needed touchdown just before halftime, cutting Penn State's lead to 28-14 on Gaskin's 13-yard run.

Another big score came right after halftime: Browning 28 yards to Aaron Fuller.

But Penn State answered on another third down, when McSorley hit Hamilton on a 24-yard TD pass to put Penn State up 35-21.

"(Hamilton's TD) was really, really important, because momentum was starting to swing there," Franklin said.

BROWNING'S QUIET DAY

Browning has been one of the nation's most prolific passers during his career, but found little room to operate against Penn State's secondary. He missed on several throws and finished with 175 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-28 passing.

BIG PICTURE


Penn State could wonder what might have been in the CFP, but a Fiesta Bowl is a nice way to close out the season.

Washington's defense had its worst outing of the season at the worst possible time.

UP NEXT

Barkley is a junior, but could decide to leave for the NFL. So is McSorley and the Nittany Lions should have most of their offensive line back.

Washington will lose two offensive line starters and receiver/punt returner Pettis to graduation, but gets back most of its defense. Browning, Gaskin and DL Vita Vea also are juniors, if they decide to stay in school.

Clemson: 2016 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Deshaun Watson ran for two touchdowns and threw for another and No. 3 Clemson crushed No. 2 Ohio State 31-0 Saturday night in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl to set up a rematch with Alabama for the College Football Playoff national championship.

Tigers coach Dabo Swinney had sold his team on making this a redemptive trip to the desert by winning at the site where they lost to Alabama in the national title game last season. With that taken care of, Clemson (13-1) now gets another crack at the top-ranked Crimson Tide in Tampa, Florida, on Jan. 9. The teams that started the season ranked Nos. 1 and 2 will most certainly end it that way, too.

In what figures to be Watson's final college game, he will try to lead Clemson to its first national title since 1981. The junior and Heisman Trophy runner-up passed for 259 yards and ran for 57 against the Buckeyes (11-2), who could not keep Clemson's big and quick defensive line out of their backfield.

Freshman Clelin Ferrell had a sack among his three tackles for loss and Clemson allowed only 215 yards and nine first downs. The Buckeyes were shut out for the first time since 1993 against Michigan, and Urban Meyer had one of his teams held scoreless for the first time in 194 games as a head coach.

Watson made it 24-0 with 2:06 left in the third quarter when he faked a pitch, cut through a hole and into the end zone from 7 yards out. He hopped through the back of the end zone and did a little dance in front of the Ohio State section.

The rest was a formality.

Much the way Alabama's defense suffocated Washington in the day's first semifinal, Clemson gave Ohio State no options. The Buckeyes came in averaging 258 yards rushing per game and finished with 88. J.T. Barrett threw for 127 yards and was intercepted twice.

The sellout crowd at University of Phoenix Stadium of 71,279 had far more Ohio State scarlet than Clemson orange at kickoff, but by the halfway point in the fourth quarter Tigers fans mostly had the place to themselves.

THE TAKEAWAY

Ohio State: In a rebuilding year with only six returning starters, the Buckeyes reached the playoff. Hard to call that a disappointment, but Ohio State's issues on the offensive line and limitations in the passing game were badly exposed by a Clemson defensive line that features a bunch of future NFL players. Expect some Penn State fans to again start asking why their team was picked for the playoff instead of the Big Ten champion Nittany Lions, who beat the Buckeyes in October.

Clemson: The Tigers seemed to spend much of the season trying to explain why they were not running roughshod over opponents. Expectations were so high after last season ended with a stinging 45-40 loss in a classic national championship game against Alabama.


There were close calls for Clemson early in the season against Auburn and Troy, and the Tigers needed some luck to beat North Carolina State in overtime. Watson was throwing more picks and an offense that welcomed back star receiver Mike Williams was not quite the unstoppable juggernaut so many expected.

But the best Clemson was the Clemson that showed up in the desert. And that Clemson has always been the team best equipped to beat Alabama.

UP NEXT

Ohio State: The immediate concern for the Buckeyes is figuring out which underclassmen will jump to the NFL. The most notable players who have decisions to make in the next two weeks include Barrett, who will be a fifth-year senior next season; H-back Curtis Samuel; linebacker Raekwon McMillan and defensive backs Malik Hooker and Gareon Conley.

Clemson: Watson put on an all-time performance with 478 total yards against Alabama last season. This Tide defense is even better, but Clemson brings something new to the fight in Williams, who missed most of last season because of an injury. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior had six catches for 96 yards against Ohio State.

Ohio State Buckeyes: 2016 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz.—Ezekiel Elliott ran for 149 yards and matched a Fiesta Bowl record with four touchdowns, sparking Ohio State’s prolific offense ast he No. 7 Buckeyes downed eighth-ranked Notre Dame 44–28 in the BCS bowl game Friday afternoon.

The Buckeyes (12–1) were left out of the College Football Playoff thanks to an inopportune loss. They may leave the desert wondering what could have been after blowing past another playoff contender.

Ohio State rolled past the Fighting Irish (10-3), quick-hitting its way to one scoring drive after another and 496 total yards.

Elliott was Ohio State’s drive capper in the first half, scoring on three short runs. He turned into the show stopper in the second, leaving Notre Dame defenders flailing as he raced for a 47-yard score.

The Fighting Irish had some good offensive moments behind DeShone Kizer, but couldn’t keep up with the Buckeyes. Kizer threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-37 passing, but had an interception and lost a fumble.

Ohio State star defensive end Joey Bosa was ejected for targeting in the first quarter.

Notre Dame top linebacker Jaylon Smith, the Butkus Award winner as the nation’s best linebacker, had to be helped off four minutes in after suffering an apparent leg injury and did not return.

Will Fuller caught an 81-yard touchdown reception for the Fighting Irish.

Boise State: 2014 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Boise State Broncos are no longer just trick-play ponies.

They did score a touchdown on a Statue of Liberty play. This was the VIZIO Fiesta Bowl, so of course they did.

But once the tricks were used up and the offensive fireworks dulled, Boise State had to grind out this VIZIO Fiesta Bowl victory with its defense.

The Fiesta Bowl has brought out the best from the Boise State Broncos over the last decade, and Wednesday's game was no different. Story

Donte Deayon returned an interception for a touchdown in third quarter and sack specialist Kamalei Correa had his biggest takedown of the season on the game's final play, lifting No. 20 Boise State to a 38-30 victory over No. 10 Arizona in the VIZIO Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday.

"They hit us, we stiffened up and came up a winner," Boise State linebacker Tanner Vallejo said.

Boise State (12-2, No. 21 AP) lived up to its unpredictable reputation in the first quarter, pulling off the Statue of Liberty play while racing to a 21-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes.

Jay Ajayi scored two of his three touchdowns in the first quarter -- one on the trick play -- and finished with 134 yards rushing. Grant Hedrick was perfect through his first 14 passes and threw for 304 yards and a touchdown. Thomas Sperbeck had 12 catches for 199 yards.

The bulk of those numbers came in the first half, though. Once the second rolled around, the Broncos bogged down, allowing Arizona to cut the lead to eight in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats had a final chance, using their quick-strike offense to march down the field, but Correa sacked Anu Solomon at Boise State's 10-yard on the game's last play.

The Broncos charged onto the field after Correa's sack, celebrating a successful first season under coach Bryan Harsin with their third VIZIO Fiesta Bowl victory.

Not bad for a team supposedly in transition.

"People think Boise State isn't a powerhouse program," said Broncos receiver Chaz Anderson, who had a 57-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. "It feels good to be back to where we were in the past."

Arizona (10-4, No. 12 AP) was overrun by Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship and seemed to still have a hangover against the Broncos.

Once the Wildcats shook out of their daze, they shut down Boise State's high-powered offense and began chipping away at the lead.

The problem was that they needed to take bigger chunks.

Instead of scoring touchdowns, Arizona mostly dinked its way back, settling for three field goals after driving deep into Boise State's end.

Turnovers also hurt. Solomon threw for 335 yards and a touchdown, but had two interceptions that led to touchdowns for Boise State, including Deayon's pick six late in the third quarter.

"Everything wasn't going our way," the redshirt freshman said. "I was overthinking things and I just can't do that. I played like a freshman today."

With Wednesday's win over Arizona, Boise State is 3-0 in the VIZIO Fiesta Bowl despite entering each game as the underdog.

Of all the non-playoff bowls, the Fiesta had one of the most intriguing matchups: Two prolific offenses, two programs trying to make a statement with a big-bowl win.

It certainly lived up to the billing at the start.

The big-play Broncos burst out of the gate with long touchdowns on their first two drives: a 56-yard touchdown run by Ajayi and a 57-yard TD hookup between Hedrick and Anderson.

No VIZIO Fiesta Bowl with Boise State would be complete without a Statue of Liberty play, so the Broncos did that, too. Ajayi scored on it, taking a behind-the-back handoff from Hedrick, then stiff-arming Arizona cornerback Cam Denson to the ground on the 16-yard run.

"It was fun to have that play in this game as well," Harsin said.

Arizona was finally able catch its breath and marched in for a 1-yard touchdown dive by Solomon.

But just when the Wildcats looked like they were back in it, Solomon threw an interception, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Ajayi that made it 28-7.

Nick Wilson scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter, but Boise State still led 31-17 at halftime after Hedrick completed 17 of 18 passes for 272 yards.

Boise State had 2 yards on 14 plays in the third quarter, but took an 18-point lead Deayon's interception return.

Solomon made up for it right after that, scrambling to the right before finding Samjie Grant for a 51-yard touchdown strike that made it 38-27 heading into the fourth quarter.

Arizona cut it to eight on Casey Skowron's third field goal, from 32 yards, but failed to score on its final two drives.

"Our guys (have) come back from big deficits before," Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez said. "(We've) just got to play better. We did at times, but not good enough to win it."

Central Florida: 2014 Fiesta Bowl Champions

Central Florida, making its first appearance in a BCS bowl, posted a massive 52-42 upset victory over Big 12 champs Baylor in Wednesday night's Fiesta Bowl. The Knights (12-1), who were 17-point underdogs at kickoff (the largest margin ever overcome in a BCS bowl), posted 558 yards of total offense and overcame three first-half turnovers with a balanced attack.

UCF running back Storm Johnson ran for 124 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Blake Bortles contributed four scores of his own. Meanwhile, Baylor (11-2) looked sloppy throughout. The Bears were flagged 17 times for 135 yards, including a number of crucial penalties in pass coverage that kept UCF drives alive.

The Knights jumped on Baylor early, posting two quick Storm Johnson touchdowns to take an early 14-0 lead. Baylor got a touchdown late in the first quarter on a plunge by quarterback Bryce Petty, but Central Florida held a 14-7 lead after the first 15 minutes.

The second quarter was a mess of turnovers, blown coverages, and sloppy offense. After the teams exchanged punts, Baylor was stopped on fourth down at the UCF 33 yard line when Petty fumbled the snap.

 

Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles responded by throwing an interception three plays later, but Baylor could not capitalize. Bortles threw his second interception on the next play, and this time the Bears were not so magnanimous. Petty connected with Levi Norwood on a 30-yard touchdown, though the point after attempt failed. Storm Johnson fumbled the ball back to Baylor on the next play, the third consecutive UCF snap to end in a turnover. This time, however, the Bears were in the giving spirit: Petty threw an interception into the UCF end zone, and Bortles turned it into a 50-yard touchdown pass five plays later.

Baylor took over at its own 22, and embarked on an eight-play, 78-yard touchdown drive capped when Petty scrambled right, dove for the end zone, and took a hit from a UCF defender.

The score cut the UCF lead to one point with less than three minutes to go, but neither team was done. Two minutes later, Bortles hit Rannell Hall on a swing pass that the receiver took 34 yards for a touchdown, capping a nine-play, 83-yard drive. Baylor took the ball to the UCF 28 before time ran out, but a 45-yard field goal attempt missed. Despite three turnovers, Central Florida was up 28-20 at the half.

The teams exchanged punts to start the second half, but Baylor struck first. Petty ran in his third touchdown of the night from the goal line, then ran in the two-point conversion, to finish a 68-yard series and tie the game at 28. Bortles and the Knights responded with a touchdown drive of their own, with Bortles throwing to Breshad Perriman to restore the UCF lead. Six minutes later, Bortles ran for another score, extending the Knights' advantage to two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter.

Baylor was not going quietly, though. It took the Bears just four plays and 81 seconds to score again, highlighted by Petty's 28-yard completion to Clay Fuller to set up a Glasco Martin 9-yard touchdown run. But when Storm Johnson broke a 40-yard touchdown run just minutes later to restore UCF's two-possession lead, what little momentum Baylor held evaporated. Two penalties short circuited Baylor's next drive, the Bears were forced to punt, and Central Florida bled the clock below the 5:00 mark before kicking a field goal to go up 52-35. Baylor put together a late scoring drive to narrow the UCF margin, but it was too little, too late. Central Florida fielded the onside kick, and the upset was complete.

Box Score Hero: The Player of the Game has to be Bortles, who completed 20/31 attempts for 301 yards and three touchdowns. Bortles also ran eight times for 93 yards and a score. Johnson's 124 rushing yards cannot be ignored, though, nor can Rannell Hall'sfour catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

Rankings Ramifications: Baylor, which entered the game ranked No. 6, will plummet with the loss, while Central Florida could well move into the finakl Top 10. It's an incredible accomplishment for a program that only moved into FBS football in 1996 and did not join a BCS automatic qualifier conference until this season.

But Did They Cover? Baylor was a massive 17-point favorite. Sometimes, even Vegas gets it wrong.

BoBA 2007 Bowl Preview: Week 4

BoBA 2007 Bowl Preview: Week 4

As the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl gets ready to begin at the time this post goes to blog, I am going to go ahead and take a preview of the five big-money games that make up the Bowl Championship Series. All of the games save one will be on FOX. The main exception is the 2008 Rose Bowl, which will be covered by ABC (via ESPN).

And speaking of which, that is where I will start the final part of this 2007 Bowl Preview

ROSE
Presented by Citi

USC vs. Illinois
Pasadena, California
Tuesday, January 1, 4:30 PM EST (ABC)

In a season where USC turned into a national title also-ran, the Trojans salvaged their campaign by winning the Pac-10 title with a victory over UCLA in the Coliseum. Meanwhile, thanks to the BCS Selection Committee picking Big Ten Champion Ohio State to go to New Orleans to battle for the crystal football of legend, Illinois got the nod to represent the Big Ten in the Granddaddy Of Them All.

This might not be as sexy as the USC-Georgia matchup many hoped would occur, but don't sleep on this traditional Big Ten/Pac-10 matchup. I really like the twist we get with this Rose Bowl. This time, the Big Ten brings in the more exciting and explosive offense. Illinois' spread offense, led by QB Juice Williams, will be a great matchup with USC's great defense. The Trojans have the best set of linebackers in college football (Brian Cushing, Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga), and they're all finally healthy for the first time this season. The last time USC faced a spread offense like this was against Oregon (with a healthy QB Dennis Dixon), and the Trojans lost 24-17 to the Ducks. I can't wait to see this defense against Illinois' top-ranked Big Ten rushing attack and the Big Ten's second-leading rusher, RB Rashard Mendenhall. In addition, WR Arrelious Benn gives the Illini balance in the passing game.
Illinois will have its hands full with the USC offense. The offensive line is finally healthy and the Illini haven't faced a tight end as big and as fast as Fred Davis (6-foot-4, 250 pounds). With the Trojans having just average wide receivers, Davis is the offensive MVP of USC (55 catches, 7 TDs) because he bails out QB John David Booty. Freshman RB Joe McKnight has come on lately and gives USC the fast, big-play guy it has lacked most of the season. The key to handling the Trojans is stopping Davis and McKnight -- not an easy thing to do. But the Illini already have pulled off one big upset this year (Ohio State). -- Rod Gilmore

The Tournament of Roses chose tradition (sorry, Georgia) over a better matchup. The Trojans won their third consecutive Jan. 1 trip up the 110 Freeway by getting healthy, especially thanks to quarterback John David Booty. USC should have the speed to contain Illinois junior quarterback Juice Williams, whose elusiveness confounded Ohio State.
-- Ivan Maisel

BoBA call for those darn Men of Troy taking care of something that is familiar to them.

BoBA predicts: USC 49, Illinois 28

ALLSTATE SUGAR

Hawaii vs. Georgia
New Orleans, Louisiana
Tuesday, January 1, 8:30 PM EST (FOX)

For Colt Brennan, June Jones, and Hawaii, this is a great opportunity for the Warriors to show that Boise State's breakthrough victory in last year's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl wasn't a fluke. Georgia will feel that they were shafted by the system, but this will be a great chance to show the committee why they deserved to be in the big show.

Hawaii should feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment: The Warriors completed their first 12-0 season, won the WAC championship and finished the season ranked No. 10 in the BCS standings. That said, Hawaii can't just be glad to make it to the Sugar Bowl. The Warriors are going to need to do some serious prep work to stop Georgia. The Dawgs aren't afraid of teams from the non-automatic BCS conferences; they ran up the score on Boise State 48-13 in their 2005 opener. That said, I think every team learned an important lesson from the Broncos' stunning win over Oklahoma last season.

Hawaii's best bet against Georgia will be to keep the Dawgs' offense off the field. Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno will give Hawaii's defense fits. The Warriors haven't faced as physically dominant an opponent all season. Hawaii's prolific quarterback, Colt Brennan, will be able to take advantage of Georgia's struggling pass defense. These teams match up really well, and this game should be a lot of fun to watch. There is certainly a David vs. Goliath aspect to this game, and it would be the perfect ending to an already perfect season if Hawaii pulled off the upset.

One thing all coaches worry about in bowl games is attention to detail, particularly on special teams. When Hawaii and Georgia meet, neither will have played a game in weeks. Watch to see whether the teams are rusty making open-field tackles and making mistakes in the kicking game.

-- Jim Donnan

There's no truth to the rumor that Georgia's players and coaches voted to play this game in Honolulu. The Bulldogs are one of the hottest teams in the country. They're also probably pretty hot under the collar that LSU passed them in the final BCS standings. The unbeaten Warriors and Colt Brennan get a chance to prove they're for real in only their second postseason game ever on the mainland.
-- Chris Low

I think Hawaii is going to fling the pigskin and brandish the Run-&-Shoot to near-perfection, while the defense give Knowshon Moreno no chance, and Matthew Stafford hosts an unexpected pick party. Warriors finish the season right.

BoBA predicts: Hawaii 38, Georgia 28

FedEX ORANGE

Kansas vs. Virginia Tech
Miami, Florida
Thursday, January 3, 8:00 PM EST (FOX)

Can it be sweet redemption for Todd Reesing? No matter what happens, for Kansas, this is the breakthrough season that has placed the Rock Chalk Jayhawks back on the college footbal map. Meanwhile, Senan Glennon, Tyrod Taylor, and the Virginia Tech Hokies are looking to put closure to a season that went off on the wrong foot long before it even started with the massacre of many a month ago.

This certainly isn't one of the strongest matchups of the BCS bowls -- in fact, there are non-BCS games that are more compelling than this game (the Holiday Bowl's Arizona State-Texas matchup comes to mind). Kansas will struggle to score against the fastest defense the Jayhawks will face this season. Virginia Tech's starting cornerbacks, Victor "Macho" Harris and Brandon Flowers, are arguably the best set of corners in the country and have the ability to control Kansas wide receivers Dexton Fields and Marcus Henry. I can't see how Kansas will run the ball against Virginia Tech.

Hokies LB Xavier Adibi has the speed to shadow QB Todd Reesing and keep him in the pocket, but he won't be safe there against the Virginia Tech pass rush. Kansas' best bet is to get stud cornerback/wide receiver Aqib Talib more offensive touches to create matchup problems for Virginia Tech. Otherwise, I don't see the Jayhawks moving the football consistently.

Offensively, the Hokies are playing much better now that they've settled into a comfortable two-quarterback system with Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor.

The bottom line is that Virginia Tech is too fast on both sides of the ball for Kansas.

-- Rod Gilmore

It might take more than two quarterbacks to match the balanced offense of this speedy Kansas team, which leads the Big 12 in scoring offense at 44.3 points per game. After an embarrassing loss to LSU in the second game of the season, this is a chance for the ACC champs to redeem themselves on the national stage.
-- Heather Dinich

I look for Mark Mangino and Todd Reesing to send the Jayhakws out with a win.

BoBA predicts: Kansas 42, Virginia Tech 31

TOSTITOS FIESTA

West Virginia vs. Oklahoma
Glendale, Arizona
Wednesday, January 2, 8:00 PM EST (FOX)

Well, the Sooners can take solace that they won't be facing Hawaii or Boise State. This will be a great chance to redeem themselves for their futility last year on the Statue of Liberty handoff play of death. Meanwhile, West Virginia is in a state of flux, with Patrick White injured, and Rich Rodriguez vamoosing off to Ann Arbor to take over for Lloyd Carr.

Now, Oklahoma can exhale. You just know the Sooners and their fans were praying, "Please, any team other than Hawaii." After playing the wicked stepsisters in last year's Cinderella Fiesta Bowl story with Boise State, Oklahoma didn't need to face another WAC team. Instead, the Sooners draw a West Virginia team that is reeling from blowing a chance to play in the BCS Championship Game.

This is a good matchup for Oklahoma. Although the Sooners have given up big plays in the passing game (ranked No. 68 in pass defense), they are very strong against the run (No. 8, 92 yards per game). Oklahoma isn't afraid to commit eight men to stop the run and has the speed to match West Virginia's triplets (QB Pat White, RB Steve Slaton and WR Darius Reynaud). West Virginia will have to make big plays in the passing game to beat Oklahoma.

Offensively, Oklahoma's offensive line will have a size and strength advantage over West Virginia's smaller 3-3-5 stack defense. The Mountaineers have played solid run defense (108 yds/game), but they haven't faced a rushing attack like Oklahoma's that is complemented by a solid passing attack. WVU handled a good Rutgers team by keying on Ray Rice, but Oklahoma has many more weapons: tailback Allen Patrick, QB Sam Bradford, RB Chris Brown, and receivers Juaquin Iglesias and Malcolm Kelly.

The wild card in this deal is West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. He has pulled off big upsets before (including beating Georgia in the 2005 Sugar Bowl) and usually comes up with a tweak to his run-oriented spread option that throws the opposition for a loop. Maybe he'll open the game with a trick play a la Boise State just to give Oklahoma a flashback to last year.
-- Rod Gilmore

The Sooners are coming off a 38-17 rout of then-No. 1 Missouri and are playing as well as any team in the country. The Mountaineers must recover from a 13-9 loss to unranked Pittsburgh that knocked West Virginia out of the BCS Championship Game. The Mountaineers will have to slow down tailbacks Allen Patrick and Chris Brown, and must get more from tailback Steve Slaton on offense.
-- Mark Schlabach

The Sooners will finish off the Moutaineers in convincing fashion.

BoBA predicts: Oklahoma 40, West Virginia 14

BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

#1 Ohio State vs. #2 LSU
New Orleans, Louisiana
Tuesday, January 7, 8:00 PM EST (FOX)

For both the Buckeyes and the Tigers, it's been there, won that. Enough said. Set your VCRs, bring your friends, and have plenty of food to go around, this will be a classic to remember.

The BCS Championship Game is as close to a home game for LSU as it gets. The crowd definitely will be an advantage for the Tigers, but Ohio State is no stranger to big games. The Buckeyes will need a quick start to take the crowd out of the game. Ohio State's is extremely physical up front and should test the Tigers. Look for running back Chris "Beanie" Wells to establish his power game early and open up the passing game for quarterback Todd Boeckman.

As LSU proved in the SEC championship game, the Tigers have two talented quarterbacks to choose from. Senior Matt Flynn, who was held out of the game with an injury, gives LSU more of a traditional passing attack and a veteran leader under center. Sophomore Ryan Perrilloux is more of a scrambling quarterback. Although Flynn most likely will start, the Buckeyes' defense will have to prepare for both.

For Ohio State, this is a chance to avenge its title game rout by Florida in 2006. Getting back to the game so quickly is really a credit to Jim Tressel and his team. There is no doubt the Buckeyes will be ready to go on Jan. 7. For Les Miles, nothing less than a trip to the championship game will do for hungry Tigers fans, and to accomplish that lofty goal in just his third year is impressive.

-- Jim Donnan

If you like defense, you like Ohio State, which allowed only two rushing touchdowns all season. The Tigers' quarterbacks -- Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux -- can move around, the kind of a player that has been a problem for the Buckeyes. Both teams have a penchant for winning close games, which bodes well for a game that might have trouble generating excitement over the next month.
-- Ivan Maisel

Most people are looking for LSU to take this one. Poppycock. The Ohio State Buckeyes can play Carmen loud and proud, for Jim Tressel will be adding another crystal football of legend to his collection down in Columbus.

BoBA Predicts: Ohio State 42, LSU 35