Bowl game invitations begin to trickle in

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.

• Irish keep Weis another year: Charlie Weis will return for a fifth year as Notre Dame's football coach despite posting his second straight disappointing season.

"Though this past season fell short of the expectations that all of us have for our football program, I am confident that Charlie has a strong foundation in place for future success and that the best course of action is to move forward under his leadership," athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement released by the university Wednesday.

Weis has seven years left on a 10-year contract signed midway through his first season, but some fans had been clamoring for his firing after the Irish got off to a 4-1 start this season and finished 6-6.

Swarbrick said he made the decision to keep Weis after talking with Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John Jenkins. Swarbrick met with Weis in California on Tuesday to review this past season and discuss next season.

• Ragin' Cajuns bowl eligible: Louisiana-Lafayette moved to the pool of bowl-eligible teams with a 42-28 victory over Middle Tennessee on Wednesday night.

Gerren Blount recovered a key fumble for the Ragin' Cajuns (6-6, 5-2 Sun Belt) with just more than nine minutes left in the game, which helped the Cajuns add another seven points to their 35-28 lead.

Daylon McCoy intercepted Middle Tennessee quarterback Joe Craddock's first pass of the next drive, thwarting a Tennessee comeback. The Blue Raiders (5-7, 3-4) would have one more chance in the fourth quarter, advancing to Lafayette's 7-yard line.

But Jezreel Washington would recover a fumble two plays after the advance, allowing the Ragin' Cajuns to run the final 1:42 off the clock.

Quarterback Michael Desormeaux led the charge for the Cajuns, tossing a career-best four touchdowns for Lafayette. He finished 18-of-25 for 243 yards passing and added 42 yards rushing.