Line: Iowa by 4.
Series Record: First meeting.
What’s At Stake
South Carolina, which lost its last two games of the regular season, is looking for its fifth win in the past six bowl appearances. The Gamecocks, 2-0 in previous trips to the Outback Bowl, lost the program’s first eight postseason games from 1946-1988. Iowa, playing in its 23rd bowl game, rebounded from a three-game losing streak to win five of six down the stretch and finish with at least eight wins for the first time since 2004. The Hawkeyes are 1-1 in Outback appearances.
Key Matchup
Iowa RB Shonn Greene is the Big Ten’s offensive player of the year and set the Hawkeyes’ single-season rushing record with 1,729 yards. He also scored 17 touchdowns, reaching the end zone in 11 of 12 games. South Carolina ranked 11th in the nation in total defense, allowing 129 yards per game on the ground and 289 overall.
Players to Watch
South Carolina: QB Stephen Garcia returns to his hometown and makes his third career start, which the Gamecocks hope is the beginning of a promising future for the redshirt freshman. WR Kenny McKinley is the school’s career receiving leader and has caught a pass in 42 consecutive games, the fifth-longest current streak in the nation.
Iowa: QB Ricky Stanzi shared time with Jake Christensen early in the season, eventually emerging as the starter. The offense is at its best when he turns and hands off to a productive Greene. However, Stanzi has been an effective passer, too, throwing for 1,809 yards, 13 TDs and seven interceptions. DL Mitch King and Matt Kroul anchor a defense that yielded 98.2 yards per game rushing, second-best in the Big Ten.
Facts & Figures
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is 7-7 in bowl games, 1-1 with South Carolina. … A victory would enable the Gamecocks to finish with at least eight wins for just the 10th time in the program’s 115-season history. They’ve done it three times since 2000. … Iowa’s 23 bowl appearances rank third among Big Ten teams behind Ohio State’s 40 and Michigan’s 39. … Coach Kirk Ferentz has guided the Hawkeyes to a bowl in seven of his 10 seasons. They were 3-3 while making six consecutive appearances from 2001 to 2006.
———
Capital One Bowl
At Orlando, Fla.
No. 16 Georgia (9-3) vs. No. 19 Michigan State (9-3), 1 p.m. (ABC)
Line: Georgia State by 7 1/2
Series Record: Georgia, 1-0.
Last Meeting: 1989, Georgia 34-27.
What’s At Stake:
Georgia was ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll but lost to Alabama, Florida and Georgia Tech. … The Bulldogs have allowed only seven sacks in their last seven games despite starting three different left tackles this season. … Spartans Coach Mark Dantonio has 16 wins in his first two seasons—more than any of his predecessors. … MSU has won six of its last eight bowl games. … The Spartans average only 262 pounds across the defensive front, 30 pounds less than Georgia’s offensive line.
Key Matchup
Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno against Michigan State RB Javon Ringer. It doesn’t get much more basic than this, featuring two of the top running backs in the nation trying to control the game. Georgia gives up an average of 130 yards a game; MSU 148.
Players to Watch
Michigan State: Fifth-year senior QB Brian Hoyer keeps defenses honest and needs only 10 yards to become the third Spartans QB to pass for at least 6,000 career yards, but he’ll need much more to keep place with Moreno and Bulldogs QB Matt Stafford.
Georgia: Senior WR Mohammed Massaquoi leads the Southeastern Conference in yards per game and TDs. With MSU’s defense forced to concentrate on shutting down Moreno, Massaquoi can make an immediate impact on the edge and open the running lanes.
Facts and Figures
Georgia is playing in its 18th different bowl game, more than any other program. … Georgia’s senior class is trying to become the sixth straight senior class to win at least 40 games in their careers. … Georgia had 19 players receive season-ending injuries this season. … MSU is 1-7 in Florida. … A win would give the Spartans their third 10-win season and first since 1999.
———
Gator Bowl
At Jacksonville, Fla.
Gator Bowl
Nebraska (8-4) vs. Clemson (7-5), 1 p.m. EST (CBS)
Line: Clemson by 2 1/2.
Series Record: Clemson leads 1-0.
Last Meeting: 1982, Clemson 22-15.
What’s at Stake
Both programs are trying to maintain momentum heading into the offseason with relatively new coaches. Under first-year coach Bo Pelini, Nebraska won five of its final six games, including a win against rival Colorado, and made the program’s fourth January bowl in the last 11 seasons. Dabo Swinney was made Clemson’s interim head coach Oct. 13 when Tommy Bowden stepped down in his 10th season. The Tigers won four of their final five, including a win against in-state rival South Carolina, and are playing on New Year’s Day for the first time in five years. Swinney got the job full-time on Dec. 1.
Key Matchup
The Cornhuskers averaged 458 yards and 36 points this season, showing one of the most balanced attacks in the Big 12 and ranking 12th in the country in total offense. The Tigers allowed 295 yards and 17 points in the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranked 17th in the nation in total defense and 10th in scoring defense.
Players to watch
Nebraska: Roy Helu Jr. has 510 yards rushing and five touchdowns the last four games, averaging more than 7 yards a carry and emerging from a three-man rotation to be the go-to guy.
Clemson: S Michael Hamlin does it all for the Tigers. He has played a team-high 757 snaps, leads the team with six interceptions and ranks second with 102 tackles.
Facts & Figures
The teams last played 27 years ago in the Orange Bowl, when QB Homer Jordan and a stifling defense led the Tigers to their only national championship. … Nebraska is 4-11 in bowl games against teams currently in the ACC. The Cornhuskers also lost their only game against the ACC this season, falling 35-30 against Virginia Tech in late September. … Clemson is making its record ninth appearance in the Gator Bowl. … RBs James Davis and C.J. Spiller are playing their final college game together. The duo has rushed for 6,173 yards and 67 touchdowns in their careers. Davis is a senior, and Spiller is a junior who is considering turning pro.
———
Rose Bowl
At Pasadena, Calif.
No. 6 Penn State (11-1) vs. No. 5 USC (11-1), 5:10 p.m. (ABC)
Line: USC by 9 1/2.
Series record: 4-4.
Last Meeting: 2000, USC 29-5.
What’s at Stake
For USC, a record 24th Rose Bowl victory in 33 tries, a sixth BCS bowl win under coach Pete Carroll in the last seven years, and perhaps a seventh consecutive AP top 4 finish in the country. For Penn State, a record 24th bowl victory for 82-year-old coach Joe Paterno, who has coached the Nittany Lions to 383 wins since becoming their coach in 1966—one ahead of Florida State’s Bobby Bowden’s total.
Key Matchup
Penn State’s high-powered offense against USC’s dominating defense. The Nittany Lions averaged 452.2 yards to rank 15th in the country and 40.2 points to rank 11th during the regular season. The Trojans led the nation in total defense (206.1 yards) and scoring defense (7.8 points). Penn State used a balanced offense, averaging 211.6 yards rushing and 240.6 yards passing. USC was No. 1 nationally against the pass, giving up 122.8 yards per game, and No. 5 against the run, allowing an average of 83.3 yards.
Players to Watch
Penn State: QB Daryll Clark completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,319 yards and 17 touchdowns with only four interceptions. TB Evan Royster rushed for 1,202 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. LB Navorro Bowman was involved in a team-leading 98 tackles and DE Aaron Maybin had 12 of his team’s 32 sacks.
USC: QB Mark Sanchez has completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,794 yards and 30 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. TBs Joe McKnight, Stafon Johnson and C.J. Gable combined to rush for 1,892 yards and 19 touchdowns and WRs Damian Williams and Patrick Turner combined to catch 93 passes for 1,374 yards and 18 TDs. LBs Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and Kaluka Maiava were the Trojans’ top three tacklers, with Cushing making 10 stops for losses.
Facts & Figures
USC is shooting for its 82nd win against just nine losses in the past seven seasons under Carroll. … A Big Ten team hasn’t won the Rose Bowl since Wisconsin topped Stanford 17-9 nine years ago for the Badgers’ second straight Rose Bowl victory and the Big Ten’s fourth in a row. … The Trojans are playing in a record seventh straight BCS bowl and a record-tying fourth consecutive Rose Bowl. USC also played in four straight Rose Bowls from 1967-70, and Ohio State did it from 1973-76. … USC has a 30-16 overall record in bowl games. Alabama holds the record with 31 bowl victories. … Penn State is 23-10-1 under Paterno in bowl games and 26-12-2 overall. Their 26 wins are third. … USC and Penn State faced two common opponents this season: The Nittany Lions beat Oregon State 45-14 at home and Ohio State 13-6 on the road, while the Trojans beat Ohio State 35-3 at home and lost at Oregon State 27-21.
———
Orange Bowl
At Miami
Cincinnati (11-2) vs. Virginia Tech (9-4), 8 p.m. (FOX)
Line: Cincinnati by 2 1/2.
Series Record: Tied, 4-4.
Last Meeting: Sept. 23, 2006, Virginia Tech 29-13.
What’s at Stake
Virginia Tech is aiming to join USC and Texas as the only schools to win 10 games in each of the last five years, plus snap a two-game bowl losing streak and eight-game slide for Atlantic Coast Conference teams in Bowl Championship Series games. … Cincinnati could finish the year in the Top 10 with a win, plus add to what’s already a school-record win total this season.
Key Matchup
Special teams vs. Special teams. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer is a whiz at making things happen on special teams, so much so that “Beamerball” is now synonymous with blocking kicks. But Cincinnati has one of the nation’s best punters in Kevin Huber.
Players to watch
Cincinnati: QB Tony Pike is playing with screws and a plate holding his left (non-throwing) arm together, KR/WR Mardy Gilyard is always a threat and DE Connor Barwin—a tight end until this season—emerged as maybe the most surprising defensive standout in the Big East, with 11 sacks.
Virginia Tech: CB Victor “Macho” Harris said one of the reasons why he turned down a chance at the NFL draft last year was because he didn’t want to end his college career with a bowl loss. QB Tyrod Taylor, when on his game, befuddles defenses with his ability to run the ball and make something out of nothing, and DL Orion Martin will likely command plenty of attention.
Facts & Figures
These schools played their first bowl game against each other, six decades ago. … Since losing at Virginia Tech 2 1/2 years ago, Cincinnati has won 28 of its last 35 games, putting the Bearcats among the nation’s 10 winningest programs during that stretch. … Virginia Tech is only 7-14 in bowl games, with just one postseason win in the last six years. … FedEx is the Orange Bowl sponsor, and a Cincinnati student helped design the logo that the shipping company uses today.
