Unless the BCS bowls pull a surprise and do not take a second team from the Big 12 Conference, look for Colorado to play in the Dec. 30 PetroSun Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
The official announcement of bowl pairings will be made today.
“Things can happen, but that’s the way it looks,” Independence Bowl chairman Joe Darwin said Saturday. “We think Colorado is an exciting team. We’ve had good conversations with them. They’re obviously excited to go to a bowl.
“Being in the Big 12 and playing the schedule they did, winning six games is a statement of the kind of season they had. They had a good season. They’ve been on our radar since the beginning of the year. We’ll be excited to have them.”
Colorado (6-6, 4-4 Big 12) will play a representative of the Southeastern Conference: Alabama (6-6, 4-4 SEC), South Carolina (6-6, 3-5) or Arkansas (8-4, 4-4).
“I think Colorado matches up with any of those SEC teams,” Darwin said.
Colorado is likely headed to the Independence Bowl because the Tempe, Ariz.,-based Insight Bowl will take Oklahoma State, Darwin said. Oklahoma State never has played in the Insight Bowl, and Colorado would be making its first appearance in the Independence Bowl.
Colorado is known to people in Louisiana, Darwin said. The Buffaloes have played against LSU, and former CU coach Bill McCartney recruited out of Louisiana, getting quarterback Kordell Stewart from the New Orleans area.
“Yeah, Kordell is one that got away,” Darwin said with a chuckle. “Colorado might be able to use our game to get back in here and expand their recruiting territory.”
If the BCS does not take a second Big 12 team (in addition to Saturday night’s winner of the conference championship game, which qualifies automatically), the Independence Bowl probably would choose between CU and Texas A&M. That could bump the Buffaloes to the Dec. 28 Texas Bowl in Houston.
“But conventional wisdom is the Big 12 will get two teams in the BCS,” Darwin said.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
