Friday's Bowl Preview Capsules: Texas Tech, Ole Miss meet in Cotton Bowl farewell

DALLAS - When J. Curtis Sanford sat in the stands of the Rose Bowl in 1936, the Dallas oilman thought his city should also have a New Year's Day game.

So the following year he got Sammy Baugh and TCU to play Marquette in the stadium called the Cotton Bowl and tacked that name onto the game itself.

Sanford's bowl became among the best in the land, good enough to crown national champions and showcase Heisman Trophy winners. The 1954 edition produced one of the most memorable plays in college football history when Alabama's Tommy Lewis came off the sideline to tackle Rice's Dicky Maegle and prevent a 95-yard touchdown run, only to have officials give it to him anyway.

But, things change. Even namesakes can be dumped.

When No. 7 Texas Tech plays No. 20 Ole Miss on Friday, it will be the 73rd and final time the Cotton Bowl is played at the Cotton Bowl.

Left out of the BCS largely because of the old stadium and a tendency for cold weather, game organizers hoping to reclaim top-tier status couldn't say yes fast enough when Jerry Jones invited them to move into his $1.1 billion palace opening later this year.

The unanimous vote was nearly two years ago. The countdown has been on ever since, with the Red Raiders (11-1) and Rebels (8-4) just happening to land in the finale. Coincidentally, it'll also have a record-breaking crowd of 88,175 because of a stadium renovation that's boosted capacity.

The game is an interesting matchup, with the same Big 12 vs. SEC subplot as the national championship. In fact, Texas Tech and Ole Miss are here largely because of the teams in that No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown. The Red Raiders lost their chance at a national championship after getting stomped by Oklahoma and the Rebels branded themselves as upstarts worthy of a major bowl by becoming the only team this season to knock off Florida.

Still, the end-of-an-era story line trumps everything.

That's why a drawing of the stadium's facade dominates the cover of the program, instead of, say, quarterbacks Graham Harrell of Texas Tech and Jevan Snead of Ole Miss. That's why The Dallas Morning News ran a two-page spread Thursday celebrating "the games and people that have made the Cotton Bowl a Classic" (the formal name is the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic). And it's why Sanford's widow, Betty, will handle the pregame coin flip.

Rebels coach Houston Nutt certainly understands.

A coach's son who grew up in Arkansas back when the Razorbacks' annual goal was to play in the Cotton Bowl, Nutt is like several generations of football fans from this part of the country: His childhood memories of New Year's Day revolved around this game.

"Mom had black-eyed peas going, and cornbread, and all of that, while we were getting ready to watch the Cotton Bowl. There's no question about that," Nutt said, smiling. "I remember great games - not good games, great games - all the way through growing up."

The Rebels haven't been to any bowl game since the Cotton in 2004, when Eli Manning led them past Oklahoma State 31-28. Just making the postseason is a thrill, especially for the seniors who feared they never would. It was a legitimate concern considering Ole Miss didn't win a single conference game last season and was breaking in a new coach.

"We came in, worked day in and day out and never saw the fruits of our labors. Now, we have," said fullback Jason Cook, a fifth-year senior.

The Rebels boast an All-American on each line; Peria Jerry on defense and Michael Oher on offense. Oher also is known for being the subject of the best-selling book "The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game."

Snead is a good story, too.

The quarterback grew up in Stephenville, Texas, about 90 miles from the Cotton Bowl. He started college at Texas the same season as Colt McCoy. Realizing he wouldn't play much, Snead transferred to Ole Miss and sat out last season. Finally getting his chance, he's led the Rebels to road wins over Florida and LSU, and nearly pulled off a late upset at Alabama.

"The last four or five games, he has really been accurate and taken care of the ball," Nutt said. "He has managed the game, controlling the traffic on and off the field with different personnel groupings. ... But the biggest thing is that he finally figured out, 'I don't have to do it by myself.' I think that's the key."

The Red Raiders could be disappointed at playing in "only" the Cotton Bowl considering how their season went.

Mike Leach's powerful offense was better than ever with the combination of Harrell and receiver Michael Crabtree, who was picked as the nation's top receiver as a freshman last year and again this season as a sophomore. An upgraded defense made Tech a legitimate contender.

The Red Raiders knocked off No. 1 Texas with a last-second pass from Harrell to Crabtree, then steamrolled Oklahoma State. Up to No. 2 for the first time in school history, a 65-21 loss to the Sooners cost them chances for the conference and national titles. They also lost a BCS at-large berth to the Longhorns, despite having won a head-to-head matchup.

There's no pouting, though. Texas Tech is still aiming for its best end-of-year ranking.

A bowl finish as wacky as its head coach is becoming a school tradition, too.

The Red Raiders won their last two bowls behind huge late comebacks and the year before that lost a Cotton Bowl on a long, low, wobbly kick in the final seconds.

"We just want to make the most of this opportunity," Leach said.

Utah eager to test unblemished record vs. Tide

NEW ORLEANS - Unwittingly, Nick Saban added some spice to the 75th Sugar Bowl.

Saban's intention - after his club fell out of the national title chase with a loss to Florida in the Southeastern Conference championship game - was to remind his players of their exceptional 2008 campaign. He noted the Crimson Tide was the only team to have an undefeated regular season in a "real BCS conference."

Then No. 4 Alabama (12-1) was paired with seventh-ranked and unbeaten Utah (12-0) of the Mountain West Conference, which doesn't have an automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series.

So not all 12-0s are created equal, right?

Suffice it to say the Utes intend to prove that idea wrong, and while Utah coach Kyle Whittingham would rather not make a big deal out of it, he couldn't deny his players were aware of what Saban said.

"They're not oblivious to things," Whittingham said Thursday. "They hear things; they read things.

"They're very motivated to go out and play well," Whittingham continued, pointing out that his team has won 20 of 21 games dating to last season and currently rides a 13-game winning streak. "If my assumption is correct, they'll come with that same mind-set (Friday) night and play well. Whether that's going to be good enough to win, we'll find out."

Ever since this intriguing Sugar Bowl pairing was announced, Saban and his players have been going out of their way to applaud Utah's accomplishments.

Alabama linebacker Corey Reamer even gave a nod to Boise State's Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma two seasons ago.

"Boise State proved non-BCS schools cannot be overlooked a few years ago. Utah is 12-0 and that's not easy in college football today," Reamer said this week. "They are a good, talented team who earned their place here."

Normally, the Sugar Bowl plays host to the SEC champion, unless that team has earned a berth to the BCS title game. In a testament to the strength of the SEC, that has happened two years in a row. Last year, LSU qualified for the BCS title game, which it won, opening the door for Georgia to go to the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs routed 12-0 BCS buster Hawaii, 41-10.

One year later, it's up to Utah to redeem the non-BCS conferences on that same Louisiana Superdome field.

Utah has won a BCS Bowl before, soundly beating Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl following the 2003 season. However, Pitt, winners of the Big East, were considered the weakest of BCS conference champs that year.

Utah has already defeated two BCS schools this season, Michigan and Oregon State. They also beat TCU, BYU, Colorado State and Air Force - all bowl teams.

Yet the Utes don't hesitate when asked where the matchup with Alabama - which has appeared in 12 previous Sugar Bowls and won eight - ranks in the history of Utah football.

"Without question this is the best opponent and the best matchup that Utah's had in over 100 years of college football," Utes quarterback Brian Johnson said.

Alabama may not be quite as strong on offense as they've been most of the season, however. On Monday, Saban announced that All-America left tackle Andre Smith had been suspended. Left guard Mike Johnson will start at tackle and David Ross will fill his spot against Utah.

Star Utah defensive end Paul Kruger said he was looking forward to testing his skills against Smith and was disappointed that wouldn't happen, but welcomed whatever advantage he could get in his quest to put pressure on Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson.

"Any guy that you have to say three names, I'd love to get a couple sacks on that guy," Kruger said. "I don't ask people to call me Paul Christian Kruger, but apparently he's special."

If Utes hope to harass Wilson, they'll likely have to stop the Tide's running game first. Alabama averaged 196.5 yards rushing this season behind Glen Coffee (1,377 yards, 10 TDs) and Mark Ingram (717 yards, 12 TDs).

Even without Smith's blocking, Whittingham said, Alabama's offensive line remains the driving force of the Tide's offense.

"It's a very impressive group," Whittingham said. "That's a big challenge for our front seven, is to match up with their run game."

Saban, meanwhile, said the big concern for his defense is containing Johnson, a poised and accurate passer who scrambles well when necessary. Johnson completed 68.3 percent of his passes this season for 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns. He rushed for 143 yards and a score.

"Their quarterback to me is an outstanding player, great accuracy, athletic, can get away from the rush in the pocket and make plays," Saban said. "He can run the ball if he's asked to do that. They have a good scheme offensively in terms of how they attack the defense, whether it's multiple personnel groups, empty formations, four wideouts."

As for Utah's undefeated season, Saban isn't downplaying that now.

"They're a top 10 team in this country and I think rightfully so for what they've accomplished and the competition that they've played against," Saban said on the eve of the game. "We feel like they're one of the best teams we played against all year."

-- Brett Martel

Kentucky goes for third straight bowl win

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Bear Bryant's brief and successful tenure as Kentucky football coach hasn't been matched since his departure 55 years ago.

The Wildcats have occasionally reached a bowl or two in the decades that followed, but never three straight. That was territory only Bear's boys reached.

Wildcats coach Rich Brooks has already matched Bryant by leading Kentucky (6-6) to three straight postseason games. With a victory against East Carolina (9-4) in the Liberty Bowl on Friday, Kentucky will have three consecutive bowl victories for the first time.

Fittingly, the Wildcats will take a stab at program history in the Liberty Bowl, where Bryant coached Alabama four times - including the bowl's inaugural game 50 years ago and the final game of his great career in 1982.

"There are not a lot of bowl games that have been around 50 years," Brooks said. "It has great history. It has great teams that have played, great coaches that have been in it, great players that have been in it."

For the last two years, a Southeastern Conference also-ran has defeated the Conference USA champion in Memphis, but Brooks is the first to acknowledge his Wildcats are the underdogs in this one. East Carolina, appearing in its third consecutive bowl and its fifth since 2000, is hardly intimidated by major conference foes, having knocked off Virginia Tech and West Virginia and lost narrowly to North Carolina State.

"We just want to prove we're the same team at the end of the year that started the season," Pirates coach Skip Holtz said.

Kentucky just wants to prove it's not the same team that finished the SEC season in a three-game tailspin, including a blowout loss to Tennessee in the season finale.

This isn't the high-octane Kentucky passing offense that won the last two Music City Bowls behind the Wildcats' record-setting former quarterback, Andre Woodson. This team looks nothing like the 2007 Wildcats but a lot like, well, the 2008 Pirates.

Both programs thrive on defense, relying on turnovers to get the ball in prime field position and star-studded defensive lines to pressure the opposing quarterback.

Junior C.J. Wilson, East Carolina's all-Conference USA defensive end, ranks 12th in the country among active players in sacks per game and has racked up nearly half of his 21½ career sacks this season. On the other side, senior Zack Slate has played a key complimentary role, getting to the quarterback five times this season.

That pressure has led to hasty passes, and the Pirates have capitalized on those with 21 interceptions - including five against Tulsa in the Conference USA championship game.

Wilson and Slate say their motto has been to outplay the other team's defense, and considering Kentucky's athletes there, that's no easy task.

"We've got to match their level of intensity and add some more to it," Slate said. "It'll be, 'Grit your teeth. Let's go bump some heads.'"

If the matchup is defense against defense, Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon - a Memphis native - doesn't seem inclined to want to lose that battle. Jarmon lobbied hard to play in the Liberty Bowl and hurried back from arthroscopic knee surgery to make sure he could suit up.

"I knew that I would play in this game," he said. "My surgery wasn't very serious. It has been just a matter of being patient, waiting for my body to heal itself."

Jarmon isn't the only Wildcat banged up. Many standouts remain sidelined by injury, including running back Derrick Locke and top receiver Dicky Lyons Jr. (who made the trip and won the Beale Street Elvis impersonation contest despite being unable to play).

Another late-season injury to freshman speedster quarterback Randall Cobb means Mike Hartline has regained the starting job he lost eight games in.

Like Hartline, East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pinkney bounced back from a midseason benching but has impressed since, throwing for 2,379 yards and 11 TDs and running for another.

"It's human nature to feel kind of down," Pinkney said. "But you can't be selfish if you weren't getting the job done. I knew if I got my chance, my teammates were counting on me."

-- Jeffrey McMurray