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Bowl game invitations begin to trickle in

S. Mississippi, Rice, Clemson get berths

The Associated Press • Published December 03, 2008

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In four days, Clemson went from wondering if it would reach the postseason to playing in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day.

An invitation to the Jacksonville, Fla., game was extended Wednesday to the Tigers (7-5), who likely will be matched up with Nebraska (8-4). Hundreds of Cornhuskers fans have already booked flights to Florida, even though the invitation probably won't be extended until Sunday.

Other bowl invites went out to Conference USA teams Southern Mississippi and Rice. Southern Miss will play in the New Orleans Bowl against the Sun Belt Conference champion, and Rice will play in its hometown of Houston in the Texas Bowl.

Clemson fans remember well the Tigers' only game against Nebraska. They beat the Huskers 22-15 in the Orange Bowl to win the 1981 national championship.

Clemson needed a win over South Carolina on Saturday just to guarantee a spot in a bowl.

Southern Miss won four straight games to finish 6-6 under first-year coach Larry Fedora. The Golden Eagles have a chance to extend their streak of winning seasons to 15.

The New Orleans Bowl will be played Dec. 21 in the Louisiana Superdome.

Rice will be making its second bowl appearance in three years, only the second time in school history that has occurred. The Texas Bowl will be played Dec. 30.

The Humanitarian Bowl announced that Ball State declined an offer to play Boise State on the Broncos' home field in Idaho on Dec. 30.

• Tuberville out at Auburn after 10 years: For most of Tommy Tuberville's 10 seasons as Auburn coach, the Tigers were the best college football team in a state where that title is almost as important as the national championship.

In 2008, Nick Saban and Alabama took the state back as Tuberville's Tigers faltered, and that was enough to make Auburn want a change in leadership.

Tuberville stepped down Wednesday, ending a tenure that included a perfect season and a string of teams that contended for Southeastern Conference championships.

He was 85-40 in his decade with Auburn, including a 13-0 season in 2004 when the Tigers finished No. 2 in the nation and won the SEC title for the first time in 15 years. But Auburn went 5-7 this year and was routed 36-0 at the end by rival Alabama, currently ranked No. 1.