"Davis said the UF staff “lied” to him but refused to comment further. Two days later (Saturday), he took a surprise official visit to Tennessee and reiterated his stance following the trip.
On Sunday night, Davis decommitted from Florida via twitter and opened his recruitment back up. He is now considering Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Miami and South Carolina. “Things happened,” Davis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There was a misunderstanding with the Florida coaches. I can’t comment on what went wrong. It just wasn’t meant to be … I’m not feeling any emotions about it. It’s over with [Florida].” I wonnnnder... if Marotti was involved with his recruitment... was Marotti honest about whether he was going to OSU or not? On 12/5/11, Shane Ford <[email protected]> wrote: > UF to Gator Bowl vs. Ohio State > > > Florida head coach Will Muschamp's bowl debut as a head coach will be in > Jacksonville. > Doug Finger/Staff photographer > By Robbie Andreu > Gainesville SUN Staff writer > Published: Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 6:04 p.m. > Last Modified: Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 6:04 p.m. > > > Other than the much-anticipated (and debated) SEC rematch in college > football's > national championship game in New Orleans, the Gator Bowl has perhaps the > most > intriguing story line of the bowl season. > Ohio State vs. Florida. > Coach Urban Meyer's future team against his former team in a rematch of the > 2006 > BCS Championship Game. > Because of the Meyer factor, this game will generate a great deal of > national > attention between now and the Jan. 2 game in Jacksonville. > But the coaches for both teams apparently are ready to downplay the whole > Meyer > effect. > “I don't think it will be any distraction. We've moved on,” UF coach Will > Muschamp said after accepting the Gator Bowl's invitation Sunday night. > “Urban > did a great job at the University of Florida. I'm very appreciative of what > he's > done. We've moved on. We're looking forward to playing in the game.” > Interim Ohio State coach Luke Fickell, who will be part of Meyer's OSU > staff, > echoed similar sentiments. > “I don't know that you could get any more distracted than what we've had,” > said > Fickell of an OSU program in the midst of an NCAA investigation and coming > off > the firing of Jim Tressel before the start of the season. “The guys are > excited > to have some clarity about what is going to happen in the future. > “It's not nearly as hard on them. They feel clarity. Playing Florida and > that > other stuff with coach Meyer won't have an effect on our guys.” > After leading the Gators to two national championships in his six seasons at > Florida, Meyer resigned (for the second time) last December, citing health > concerns and a desire to spend more time with his family. > Less than a year later, Meyer, an Ohio native, accepted the Buckeyes' head > coaching last week. Now, his former team is playing against his future team. > Muschamp was asked Sunday night if he was surprised at how quickly Meyer has > returned to coaching. > “I don't know. Urban would have to answer that for himself,” Muschamp said. > “He > was very helpful to me in my early days at Florida. He's an outstanding > football > coach. He's great for college football. I'm glad he's back.” > Meyer will not coach the Buckeyes in the bowl game and it's still uncertain > whether he'll even show up in Jacksonville. But he's already added a little > more > intensity to the game by hiring strength and conditioning coordinator Mickey > Marotti away from Florida. > Meyer hired Marotti when he took the UF job and the two are close friends. > Muschamp confirmed Sunday night that Marotti has gone to OSU. > “Mickey left to go to Ohio State,” Mushcamp said. “I'm going to take my time > on > that (finding a replacement). It's a critical hire. I appreciate his > efforts. We > need to get stronger and more mentally and physically tough. That's > critical.” > Meyer also approached the two coaches from his former UF staff -- running > backs > coach Brian White and linebackers coach and special teams coordinator D.J. > Durkin -- about making the move to Columbus, but both have decided to stay > with > Muschamp. > “Our coaching staff is intact,” Muschamp said. “They had other > opportunities. > I'm excited about the continuity of our staff and the staff that's in > place.” > Fickell said he did not know what impact, if any, Meyer would have in OSU's > preparation for the Gators. > “I don't know that that's a huge part of what we do,” Fickell said. “He can > have > some idea, but we can get that from coaches that played against those guys. > It's > a complete new staff there. We've got to do our work and figure out what we > need > to do to be successful. > “It's a unique situation, how much coach Meyer offers up. Not just his ideas > about personnel, but even moving forward with the offense. It's definitely a > unique situation.” > Regardless of Meyer's impact, this is a matchup between two elite college > programs that have struggled through disappointing 6-6 seasons. This will be > UF's first trip to the Gator Bowl since 1992. > “We're disappointed with a 6-6 season,” Muschamp said. “It's not acceptable. > We're going through a little bit of a transition.” > Other than starting defensive tackle Dominique Easley, who is scheduled to > undergo ACL surgery Wednesday, the Gators should be healthy for the bowl > game, > Muschamp said. > Muschamp said starting quarterback John Brantley is fine after getting > knocked > out of the game with a blow to the head late in the first half of the loss > to > Florida State. > > “He's disappointed with the way he played in his last game in The Swamp,” > Muschamp said. “He's fine. He's back from that game. We should be fine > (other > than Easley) for the game.” > Muschamp said offensive coordinator Charlie Weis also will be ready to coach > in > the game. He's been walking with the help of a cane. Muschamp said Weis > likely > will have hip surgery after the bowl game. > The bowl payout may be about the same UF received from last season's Outback > Bowl when the Gators received more than $1.1 million. Gator Bowl officials > said > last year's game had a total payout of more than $5.4 million. > Notes: Gator Bowl tickets are $65 for stadium seats or $125 for Club seats. > The > Gator Ticket Office will begin taking ticket orders at 8:30 a.m. Monday. > Fans > can order online at www.GatorZone.com/tickets, by visiting the Gator Ticket > Office starting Monday or by calling their order at 352-375-4683. Ordering > deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. > Stone Mountain, Ga., running back Mike Davis tweeted Sunday he is no longer > committed to Florida. > Gator Bowl tickets are $65 for stadium seats or $125 for Club seats. A map > of > seating allotments can be viewed on www.GatorZone.com/tickets. All tickets > will > be sent via first-class U.S. mail during the week of Dec. 12 to those fans > who > purchase tickets. > There are three ways fans can purchase tickets: > 1. The quickest and most efficient way to order tickets is by visiting > www.GatorZone.com/ticketsand clicking on “Manage My Account.” > 2. Call 800-344-2867, ext. 6800 (Nationwide), Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 > p.m. > and place an order with a Gator Ticket Office Specialist. > 3. Come to the Gator Ticket Office and place an order with a Ticket Office > Specialist. The Ticket Office is located on the west side of Ben Hill > Griffin > Stadium, open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. > > > > > > > UF loses Marotti to Ohio State > > > Strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti, right, is headed to Ohio > State > with Urban Meyer. > Matt Stamey/Staff photographer > Special to Gainesville SUN Gatorsports.com > Published: Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 7:11 p.m. > Last Modified: Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 7:11 p.m. > > > Florida coach Will Muschamp confirmed Sunday that strength and conditioning > coach Mickey Marotti has left the program to join Urban Meyer at Ohio State. > "Mickey left to go to Ohio State, but our coaching staff is intact," > Muschamp > said during the Gator Bowl conference call. > Muschamp said finding someone to replace Marotti will be a key to UF's > success. > "That's a critical hire," Muschamp said. > Muschamp also said defensive tackle Dominique Easley will not play in the > bowl > because he'll have ACL surgery this week. > > > > > > > > December 5th, 2011 12:13am > Davis decommits from UF > by Zach Abolverdi (Gainesville SUN) > > > There was a time when it looked like Florida could land four prospectsfrom > Stephenson High in Stone Mountain, Ga. > But as Bob Dylan once sang — The Times They Are A-Changin’. > On Sunday night, four-star running back Mike Davischanged his mind. > “No longer committed to florida,” he tweeted. > A week ago, no one saw this coming. > After the UF-FSU game, Davis gushed about his visit to Gainesville and how > he > didn’t want to leave. He was also thrilled at the opportunity to be an > impact > player as a freshman. > This past Thursday, however, something went wrong. > In an interview with Rivals.com about his selection to the U.S. Army > All-American Bowl, Davis revealed that he was “a little undecided with > Florida.” > Hours away from Davis’ ceremony, the coaches were having an in-home visit > with > Keith Marshall, the nation’s No. 1 RB according to Rivals and Scout. > Davis said the UF staff “lied” to him but refused to comment further. Two > days > later (Saturday), he took a surprise official visit to Tennessee and > reiterated > his stance following the trip. > On Sunday night, Davis decommitted from Florida via twitter and opened his > recruitment back up. He is now considering Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, > Miami and South Carolina. > “Things happened,” Davis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There was a > misunderstanding with the Florida coaches. I can’t comment on what went > wrong. > It just wasn’t meant to be … I’m not feeling any emotions about it. It’s > over > with [Florida].” > This came as a shock to UF kicker commit Austin Hardin, who also hails from > the > Peach State and planned on rooming with Davis in college. > “I can’t believe it,” he said. “I’m real good friends with him. We play in > the > Georgia All-Star games together and I know him pretty well.” > Defensive tackle Jafar Mann, who is Davis’ teammate, said the decision will > not > effect his commitment to UF. > “Me and Mike are cool, but he’s just a teammate,” Mann said. “Me and him are > two > different people. To me it’s a mistake on his part, but that’s on him. I’m > gonna > talk with him and see what he has to say, but that decision has to do with > him > and his family — not me.” > Once Marshall makes a commitment Tuesday — which many expect will be to UGA > — > Hardin hopes Davis will reconsider the Gators. > “Hopefully this is just a knee-jerk reaction,” he said. “I just can’t see > him > not going there. I think Florida will still be under heavy consideration > because > he likes it so much. Plus we really need him.” > If Marshall becomes a Bulldog as projected, the UF coaches will have their > work > cut out for them. They have aimed all their recruiting efforts at Davis, > Marshall and Matt Jones, and as of now there aren’t many options left at > running > back in the 2012 class. > > Comments > 15 Comments > http://recruiting.blogs.gatorsports.com/11885/gators-lose-rb-commit/feed/ > > > > > > > UF volleyball earns right to host regional > > > Florida's Chloe Mann leaps as the Gators score a point against Northern Iowa > in > their NCAA match on Saturday. (Photo by Matthew Putney/The Waterloo Courier) > Special to Gainesville SUN Gatorsports > Published: Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 6:01 a.m. > Last Modified: Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 12:22 a.m. > > > CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The senior trio of Stephanie Ferrell, Kristy Jaeckel and > Kelly Murphy put the No. 17 Gator volleyball team on their backs and back in > Gainesville, as Florida reached the regional semifinals by defeating No. 6 > seed > UNI, 3-1 (16-25, 25-14, 25-14, 25-22), in NCAA second-round action. > The Gators punched their ticket to the Gainesville regional on Saturday, > holding > UNI to its lowest hitting percentage (.187) since Oct. 14 against Drake > (.168) > and Sept. 10 against Minnesota (.100), with the loss against the Golden > Gophers > as UNI's lone defeat of the regular season. > The Gators have reached the regional semifinals in 20 of the last 21 years. > This > is the first time in program history that Florida has reached the regional > semifinal as an unseeded team. > Murphy paced Florida by notching her 74th career double-double with 15 kills > and > 20 assists, narrowly missing a triple-double with nine digs. Jaeckel > registered > 13 kills, five blocks, five digs and four service aces, with all of those > aces > coming in the second stanza. > Ferrell had one of her most consistent matches of the season, recording nine > kills and two blocks for 10.0 points against the Panthers. > Redshirt freshman libero Taylor Unroe led all players with 16 digs on the > evening to go along with three assists and two service aces. > The Gators will take on Michigan, a 3-1 set winner over No. 11 seed Stanford > Saturday night. > Illinois, the No. 3 seed, and Ohio State have already punched their tickets > to > the Gainesville regional. > > > > > > > Tebow, Broncos do it again > > > Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) runs the ball up the middle for a > two-point > conversion during the fourth quarter in Minneapolis on Sunday. (The > Associated > Press) > The Associated Press > Published: Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 7:02 p.m. > Last Modified: Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 7:02 p.m. > > > MINNEAPOLIS — Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos came through again with a > strong, > determined finish after enduring another slow start. > > This time, Tebow was in a groove the entire second half — not just in the > waning > minutes — and his teammates on defense were getting gobbled up. But there > they > were in the end, emulating Tebow's late-game touch. > > Tebow passed for a season-best 202 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns to > help the unflappable Broncos win their fifth straight game, 35-32 over the > Minnesota Vikings Sunday on Matt Prater's 23-yard field goal as time > expired. > > “I know that I had a lot of help. Offensive line did a great job, and > receivers > stepped up and made me look a lot better than I really am,” said Tebow, who > completed 10 of 15 passes, his best percentage as an NFL starter, and posted > a > career-high passer rating of 149.3. > > Prater kicked two field goals in the final 93 seconds for the Broncos (7-5), > who > forged a first-place tie in the AFC West with a loss by the Oakland Raiders. > Christian Ponder set Minnesota's single-game rookie record with 381 yards > passing, including a pair of long touchdowns to Percy Harvin, but his > sideline > throw with 1:33 remaining was intercepted by Andre Goodman and returned to > the > 15-yard line. > > Lance Ball's first-down run for 11 yards made it first-and-goal at the 4 > with > 1:12 remaining, but the Vikings decided against letting them score right > away > and took their chances with a shank or a block instead. But the Broncos > drained > the clock for Prater's winner and raised their record to 6-1 with Tebow as > the > starter. > > “Hard to argue. That guy wins games,” Ponder said. > Harvin had a career-high 156 yards for the Vikings (2-10), who lost their > fourth > in a row. > > “Too many times this year we've had leads and then had letdowns or missed > assignments,” Harvin said. “It's another game we feel we had control of, and > to > somehow let it slip away, that's disgusting.” > > In seven games with Tebow, the Broncos offense has 30 first-half points. > They > were blanked in this one, on the board only because of Mario Haggan's > 16-yard > interception return for a first-quarter score. Tebow's third turnover of the > season, a sack by Jared Allen that forced a fumble with 39 seconds left > before > halftime, gave the Vikings three free points. > > But they can't be counted out. Whether their unconventional quarterback is > trying to complete a down-field pass or if they're flirting again with > defeat, > the Broncos haven't flinched. > > “There were a lot of questions on the outside. Sometimes it gets built up > like > they were on the inside, but the one thing I will say is the guy wins,” > coach > John Fox said. “He does it with his feet. He does it with his arm. He's > young. > He's just going to get better.” > Harvin, a fellow former Florida star, said he was worried once Tebow got the > ball late in the game. > > “I was sure enough hoping we were going to get him, but I've been on his > teams,” > Harvin said, adding: “He's a winner. He's a leader. All of the things you > hear > about, you may think it's too much, but that's what he is.” > > After serving as the backbone of Denver's resurgence, putting Tebow in > position > for all of those rallies, the Broncos gave up 489 yards. Toby Gerhart gained > 91 > yards on 21 carries. But they picked off Ponder twice, recovered his fumble > and > applied enough pressure to equalize the game. > > “It's been fun, a fun ride,” Haggan said. “This team is close, believes, has > a > lot of character, but we're not done.” > > Demaryius Thomas caught four passes for 144 yards and both touchdowns for > the > Broncos, who have won four games with Tebow by either four or three points. > Thomas was wide open twice, with the coverage by Minnesota's depleted > secondary > breaking down often, but Tebow had to find him. Pushed out of the pocket > with no > one open, he ran left and delivered on on-target across-his-body throw to > Thomas, who ran the rest of the way and dragged a couple of defenders into > the > end zone for a 41-yard score that cut the Minnesota lead to 22-21 late in > the > third. > > “We put in a lot of work,” Thomas said. “It's paid off. It's about that > time.” > During a dizzying display of back-and-forth touchdowns, with both Ponder and > Tebow putting together their best games as pros. Ryan Longwell's third field > goal, with 3:06 left, made it 32-29 Vikings, teeing another one up for > Tebow. > > He threw a wobbler that still landed on target, when Thomas hauled in a > 40-yard > completion. Thomas couldn't bring in the third-down pass at the goal line, > but > Prater tied the game with a 46-yarder before Ponder's second glaring > mistake. > > Harvin's second score, a 48-yard catch and run, was the first fourth-quarter > touchdown given up by the Broncos in five games and made it 29-21 Minnesota. > They averaged 15 points allowed over their previous four games. > > But there went the Broncos again. Tebow hit Thomas for 42 yards, and Willis > McGahee rumbled into the end zone from 24 yards out. Then Tebow took the > snap on > the 2-point conversion and rolled to his right and over the goal line to tie > the > game at 29. > > Except for that play, he looked more like pocket passer on this afternoon, > running only four times. > > “It's crazy. Just try to do whatever they ask of me,” Tebow said. > > > > > > > Rematch: LSU vs. Alabama in BCS title game > By RALPH D. RUSSO > AP College Football Writer > Published: Monday, December 5, 2011 at 6:01 a.m. > Last Modified: Monday, December 5, 2011 at 4:26 a.m. > > > If you like sequels, the BCS has a championship game for you: Alabama-LSU > II. > The Crimson Tide edged Oklahoma State in the final round of voting Sunday > and > will play the top-ranked Tigers in the BCS national championship game on > Jan. 9 > in New Orleans. > Undefeated LSU is the only team to beat Alabama this season, and the head > BCS > official sees a rematch as a perfectly good title game. > "Absolutely, if they're 1 and 2, and they are in all the polls released > today," > executive director Bill Hancock said. > Still, it's not exactly a game the public was clamoring for - at least > outside > of Southeastern Conference territory. And it will do nothing to quiet > critics of > the Bowl Championship Series or calls for a college football playoff. > Like it or not, the system has ensured that the SEC - home to both schools - > will run its streak of BCS championships to six in a row. > Alabama has one of those and will be making its second BCS title game > appearance > in the last three seasons. The Crimson Tide claims 13 national championships > overall and is one of the most decorated programs in the land. It's won > seven AP > titles since the wire service started its poll in 1936. > LSU will be seeking its third BCS championship since 2003 at the Superdome - > the > site of its first two. > Tide coach Nick Saban won that title for LSU in `03. Current Tigers coach > Les > Miles matched his predecessor in 2007, winning a championship with a team > that > lost two games. > These talented Tigers, led by dynamic defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, have > rarely > even trailed against a schedule that included Oregon and West Virginia. > "This team loves the big stage," Miles said. > Alabama, with its top-rated defense and Heisman Trophy contender Trent > Richardson, was the only team to stay within 13 points of the Tigers this > season. > The Cowboys made a late surge by beating Oklahoma 44-10 on Saturday night, > and > closed the gap on Alabama in the polls. But it was not enough to avoid the > first > title game rematch in the 14-year history of the BCS. > The Tigers (13-0) beat the Tide 9-6 in overtime on Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa. > "This could be a totally different type of game," Saban said. "There's so > many > good players on both sides of the ball for both teams. > "There's so much opportunity for this game to play out completely different > and > have a completely different flavor than the first game." > Alabama (11-1) finished second in both the Harris and coaches' polls by a > wide > enough margin to overcome Oklahoma State's lead in the computer ratings. > The Cowboys (11-1), champions of the Big 12, will play in the Fiesta Bowl > against Stanford from the Pac-12. > "We can't control it," Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden said. "But > I > know we had a heck of a year and we beat really good football teams in this > conference and we're conference champions, so we did everything that we > could." > The other BCS matchups are: > -Michigan vs. Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl; > -Clemson vs. West Virginia in the Orange Bowl; > -Oregon vs. Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. > For the first time since the 2005 season, none of the big-money games will > feature a BCS buster such as Boise State, TCU or Houston, which had a chance > but > lost Saturday in the Conference USA championship to Southern Mississippi. > The > Cougars will play Penn State, which dropped to the Ticket City Bowl in > Dallas > following the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal that has overshadowed the > Nittany > Lions' season. > As the power-brokers in college football begin to plot how top-tier bowls > will > be set up in the future, flaws in the current system were once again being > exposed this season. > Oklahoma State and Alabama, two teams with perfectly good arguments to play > for > a national championship, wound up fighting over one spot, with subjective > voters > and mysterious computer ratings - the formulas of which are not even > publicly > known - doing the choosing. > Alabama won out and Oklahoma State, with one of the most potent offenses in > the > country, got its first BCS appearance as a consolation prize. > "We wanted the opportunity to settle the debate that has gone all year about > the > offense in the Big 12 and the defense in the SEC," Oklahoma State coach Mike > Gundy said on ESPN. > The Tide and Tigers played a hard-hitting defensive slog billed as the Game > of > the Century. And it was exciting in the way Notre Dame and Army's scoreless > tie > was exciting in the 1946 version of the Game of the Century. > The game was barely over when talk of rematch started, pro and con. > Oklahoma State was in position to keep it from happening. The Cowboys were > undefeated and second in the BCS standings heading into a Friday night game > at > Iowa State, a day after Oklahoma State women's basketball coach Kurt Budke > and > an assistant coach were killed in a plane crash. > The Cowboys lost 37-31 in double OT to the so-so Cyclones (6-6), missing a > potential game-winning field goal at the end of regulation by inches. > With no other undefeated teams left from the major conferences, Alabama > returned > to No. 2 and the debate grew more heated. > Ultimately, Oklahoma State couldn't overcome that one loss. > Now Saban and Miles, who have been tussling for supremacy in the SEC West on > the > field and the recruiting trail, will square off for the ultimate prize. > And don't dare suggest to either of them that it's for anything less. > "I think whoever wins the game should be viewed as the national champion," > Saban > said, echoing Miles' sentiment. "Rather than rehash the system we should do > research on what would make the system better in the future." > ---- > AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke in Stillwater, Okla., contributed to this > report. > --- > Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP > > > > > > > Okla St a spot short; Mich St, Boise St miss BCS > By NOAH TRISTER > AP Sports Writer > Published: Monday, December 5, 2011 at 7:21 a.m. > Last Modified: Monday, December 5, 2011 at 7:21 a.m. > > > While Alabama prepares to play for the BCS championship, the Oklahoma State > Cowboys can only wonder how they would match up with the SEC's best. > Oklahoma State finished No. 3 in the final BCS standings Sunday night, > missing > out on the title game thanks to a loss at Iowa State last month. > "You just want everything for the players. They wanted to play in that game > and > they believe they could have won that game," Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. > The Cowboys were one of a handful of top teams settling for less this > weekend. > Michigan State narrowly missed out on a Rose Bowl trip by losing in the Big > Ten > title game, then fell all the way to the Outback Bowl. Boise State, which > finished No. 7 in the final BCS standings, is going to the MAACO Bowl. > Kansas > State was one spot behind Boise State but is headed to the Cotton Bowl after > being passed over by the BCS. > "We understand why certain programs are picked at certain places," Michigan > State athletic director Mark Hollis said. "You don't beg for respect, you > earn > it." > Oklahoma State was hoping its 44-10 win over Oklahoma on Saturday night > would be > enough to push the Cowboys past the idle Crimson Tide and into the No. 2 > spot. > Instead, Alabama held on to set up an all-Southeastern Conference BCS title > game > against LSU. The SEC is now guaranteed its sixth consecutive BCS > championship. > Burns Hargis, Oklahoma State's president, offered his critique of the > outcome. > The Cowboys were ahead of the Crimson Tide in the computer rankings but > trailed > in the Harris and coaches' polls, which also play a role in the BCS > rankings. > "I think there's some bias toward the SEC right now, and I think some of it > is > deserved just because of their winning the national championship so much > recently," Hargis said. "I'm sure there was some negative effect there." > Oklahoma State will play Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. > Michigan State narrowly missed a BCS bid for a second consecutive season. > Last > year, the Spartans tied Wisconsin and Ohio State for the Big Ten title, but > the > other two teams went to BCS bowls and Michigan State went to the Capital One > Bowl. > This weekend was even more excruciating. The Spartans lost to Wisconsin > 42-39 in > the Big Ten title game, and now they'll face Georgia in the Outback Bowl. > Meanwhile, in-state rival Michigan, a team Michigan State finished ahead of > and > beat during the Big Ten season, is going to the Sugar Bowl. > The Spartans have three losses to Michigan's two, although Michigan State's > final loss came in the conference title game the Wolverines didn't qualify > for. > "That's how the BCS works," Spartans receiver B.J. Cunningham said. "That's > the > system. It's not fair. Life isn't fair, but that's how it is." > The BCS bowls did not have the option of picking Michigan State because the > Spartans didn't finish in the top 14 of the BCS rankings. > For Boise State, any shot at a national championship slipped away when the > Broncos lost by a point to TCU last month. With no at-large berth > forthcoming > from the BCS, Boise State will face Arizona State in the MAACO Bowl. > TCU could have snagged an automatic bid to a BCS bowl if it had finished in > the > top 16 of the BCS standings. Instead, the Horned Frogs were at No. 18 and > will > play Louisiana Tech in the Poinsettia Bowl. > Kansas State could have received an at-large bid to the BCS but was left > out. > The Sugar Bowl took Virginia Tech and Michigan, who were 11th and 13th in > the > BCS rankings. Now Kansas State will take on Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. The > Razorbacks were ranked No. 6 in the BCS, the highest team not to receive a > bid > to one of those coveted bowls. Arkansas couldn't be selected because the SEC > already had two participants with LSU and Alabama. > That was good news for the Cotton Bowl, which was happy to snap up the > Razorbacks and Wildcats. > "Kansas State vs. Arkansas is a blockbuster matchup for us," Baker said. > "This > is exciting. Few bowls have a matchup that is as intriguing as our game." > > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
