2008–09 NCAA football bowl games

The 2008–09 NCAA football bowl games, which concluded the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, contained a record number of bowl games scheduled in college football history. A total of 37 bowl games, 34 team-competitive games and three all-star games, were played starting on December 20, 2008, with four contests and concluding with the Texas vs. The Nation Game in El Paso, Texas, played on January 31, 2009, at Sun Bowl Stadium. For the first time in 62 years, however, the Hula Bowl was not a part of the post-season as it was cancelled indefinitely.

2008–09 NCAA football bowl games
Bowl sites by state
Season2008
Regular seasonAugust 28–December 6
Number of bowls34
All-star games3
Bowl gamesDecember 20, 2008 –
January 31, 2009
National Championship2009 BCS Championship
Location of ChampionshipDolphin Stadium,
Miami Gardens, Florida
ChampionsFlorida Gators
Bowl Challenge Cup winnerPac-10
Bowl record by conference
Conference Bowls Record Final AP Poll
ACC 10 4–6 (0.400) 2
SEC 8 6–2 (0.750) 4
Big 12 7 4–3 (0.571) 5
Big Ten 7 1–6 (0.143) 4
Big East 6 4–2 (0.667) 2
Conference USA 6 4–2 (0.667) 0
Pac-10 5 5–0 (1.000) 3
Mountain West 5 3–2 (0.600) 3
WAC 5 1–4 (0.200) 1
MAC 5 0–5 (0.000) 1
Independents 2 1–1 (0.500) 0
Sun Belt 2 1–1 (0.500) 0

A new record of 34 team-competitive bowls, plus three all-star games, were played, including the inaugural St. Petersburg Bowl and EagleBank Bowl. While bowl games had been the purview of only the very best teams for nearly a century, this was the third consecutive year that teams with non-winning seasons participated in bowl games. To fill the 68 available team-competitive bowl slots, a new record total of 9 teams (13% of all participants) with non-winning seasons participated in bowl games—all 9 had a .500 (6-6) season.

Selection of the teams

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NCAA bylaws say that a school with a record of 6–6 in regular season play and at least 5 wins over FBS teams are eligible only after conferences cannot fill out available positions for bowl games with teams having seven (or more) wins automatically eligible, excluding games played in Hawaii and conference championship games in the ACC, Big 12, Conference USA, MAC and the SEC.

 
Number of bowl teams per state.

After the final regular-season games on December 7, 2008, four conferences — the Pac-10, the SEC, the Big 12, and the Big Ten — did not have enough teams to fill their bowl game allotments. The Pac-10 had seven contracted bowl slots with only five teams eligible. The last two bowls in the Pac-10 pecking order—the Hawaiʻi Bowl (sixth) and Poinsettia Bowl (seventh)—had contingency contracts with other conferences, respectively Conference USA and the WAC, to select one of the secondary conference's teams should the Pac-10 fail to supply enough eligible teams to supply that bowl. However, because C-USA had only six bowl-eligible teams to fill its six primary bowl slots, the Pac-10/C-USA slot in the Hawaiʻi Bowl became an at-large spot, and was awarded to independent Notre Dame. The SEC and Big 12 failed to produce enough teams to fill their requirements even before both conferences had two teams selected to BCS games, while the Big Ten was unable to fill its requirements once a second team from that conference (Ohio State) was selected to a BCS game. The Atlantic Coast Conference sent an NCAA-record ten teams to bowl games this season.[1] Since 72 teams were bowl-eligible, but only 68 bowl slots were available, four teams were left out of bowl games. Unlike in 2007, when an eight-win Troy team was left home for the postseason, no team with seven or more wins went without a bowl bid this year. All four uninvited teams — Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Louisiana-Lafayette, and San José State — had six wins.

Results

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NOTE: Rankings from final regular-season AP Poll of December 7, 2008.

Non-BCS bowl games

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Date Game Site Teams Affiliations Results
Dec. 20 EagleBank Bowl RFK Stadium
Washington, D.C.
Wake Forest (7–5)
Navy (8–4)
ACC
Independents
Wake Forest 29
Navy 19
New Mexico Bowl University Stadium
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Colorado State (6–6)
Fresno State (7–5)
Mountain West
WAC
Colorado State 40
Fresno State 35
St. Petersburg Bowl Tropicana Field
St. Petersburg, Florida
South Florida (7–5)
Memphis (6–6)
Big East
C-USA
South Florida 41
Memphis 14
Las Vegas Bowl Sam Boyd Stadium
Whitney, Nevada
Arizona (7–5)
#17 BYU (10–2)
Pac-10
Mountain West
Arizona 31
BYU 21
Dec. 21 New Orleans Bowl Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans
Southern Miss (6–6)
Troy (8–4)
C-USA
Sun Belt
Southern Miss 30
Troy 27 (OT)
Dec. 23 Poinsettia Bowl Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego
#11 TCU (10–2)
#9 Boise State (12–0)
Mountain West
WAC
TCU 17
Boise State 16
Dec. 24 Hawaiʻi Bowl Aloha Stadium
Honolulu, HI
Notre Dame (6–6)
Hawaiʻi (7–6)
Independents
WAC
Notre Dame 49
Hawaiʻi 21
Dec. 26 Motor City Bowl Ford Field
Detroit
Florida Atlantic (6–6)
Central Michigan (8-4)
Sun Belt
MAC
Florida Atlantic 24
Central Michigan 21
Dec. 27 Meineke Car Care Bowl Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
West Virginia (8–4)
North Carolina (8–4)
Big East
ACC
West Virginia 31
North Carolina 30
Champs Sports Bowl Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Florida
Florida State (9–3)
Wisconsin (7–5)
ACC
Big Ten
Florida State 42
Wisconsin 13
Emerald Bowl AT&T Park
San Francisco
California (8–4)
Miami (FL) (7–5)
Pac-10
ACC
California 24
Miami (FL) 17
Dec. 28 Independence Bowl Independence Stadium
Shreveport, Louisiana
Louisiana Tech (7–5)
Northern Illinois (6–6)
WAC
MAC
Louisiana Tech 17
Northern Illinois 10
Dec. 29 Papajohns.com Bowl Legion Field
Birmingham, Alabama
Rutgers (7–5)
North Carolina State (6–6)
Big East
ACC
Rutgers 29
NC State 23
Alamo Bowl Alamodome
San Antonio
#25 Missouri (9–4)
#22 Northwestern (9–3)
Big 12
Big Ten
Missouri 30
Northwestern 23 (OT)
Dec. 30 Humanitarian Bowl Bronco Stadium
Boise, Idaho
Maryland (7–5)
Nevada (7–5)
ACC
WAC
Maryland 42
Nevada 35
Holiday Bowl Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego
#15 Oregon (9–3)
#13 Oklahoma State (9–3)
Pac-10
Big 12
Oregon 42
Oklahoma State 31
Texas Bowl Reliant Stadium
Houston
Rice (9–3)
Western Michigan (9–3)
C-USA
MAC
Rice 38
Western Michigan 14
Dec. 31 Armed Forces Bowl Amon G. Carter Stadium
Fort Worth, Texas
Houston (7–5)
Air Force (8–4)
C-USA
Mountain West
Houston 34
Air Force 28
Sun Bowl Sun Bowl Stadium
El Paso, Texas
#24 Oregon State (8–4)
#18 Pittsburgh (9–3)
Pac-10
Big East
Oregon State 3
Pittsburgh 0
Music City Bowl LP Field
Nashville, Tennessee
Vanderbilt (6–6)
Boston College (9–4)
SEC
ACC
Vanderbilt 16
Boston College 14
Insight Bowl Sun Devil Stadium
Tempe, Arizona
Kansas (7–5)
Minnesota (7–5)
Big 12
Big Ten
Kansas 42
Minnesota 21
Chick-fil-A Bowl Georgia Dome
Atlanta
LSU (7–5)
#14 Georgia Tech (9–3)
SEC
ACC
LSU 38
Georgia Tech 3
Jan. 1 Outback Bowl Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
Iowa (8–4)
South Carolina (7–5)
Big Ten
SEC
Iowa 31
South Carolina 10
Gator Bowl Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
Nebraska (8–4)
Clemson (7–5)
Big 12
ACC
Nebraska 26
Clemson 21
Capital One Bowl Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Florida
#16 Georgia (9–3)
#19 Michigan State (9–3)
SEC
Big Ten
Georgia 24
Michigan State 12
Jan. 2 Cotton Bowl Classic Cotton Bowl, Fair Park
Dallas, Texas
#20 Ole Miss (8–4)
#8 Texas Tech (11–1)
SEC
Big 12
Ole Miss 47
Texas Tech 34
Liberty Bowl Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Memphis, Tennessee
Kentucky (6–6)
East Carolina (9–4)
SEC
C-USA
Kentucky 25
East Carolina 19
Jan. 3 International Bowl Rogers Centre
Toronto
UConn (7–5)
Buffalo (8–5)
Big East
MAC
UConn 38
Buffalo 20
Jan. 6 GMAC Bowl Ladd–Peebles Stadium
Mobile, Alabama
Tulsa (10–3)
#23 Ball State (12–1)
C-USA
MAC
Tulsa 45
Ball State 13

BCS bowl games

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Date Game Site Teams Affiliations Results
Jan. 1 Rose Bowl Rose Bowl Stadium
Pasadena, California
#5 USC (11–1)
#6 Penn State (11–1)
Pac-10
Big Ten
USC 38
Penn State 24
Orange Bowl Dolphin Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
#21 Virginia Tech (9–4)
#12 Cincinnati (11–2)
ACC
Big East
Virginia Tech 20
Cincinnati 7
Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans
#7 Utah (12-0)
#4 Alabama (12-1)
Mountain West
SEC
Utah 31
Alabama 17
Jan. 5 Fiesta Bowl University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
#3 Texas (11-1)
#10 Ohio State (10-2)
Big 12
Big Ten
Texas 24
Ohio State 21
Jan. 8 BCS National Championship Game Dolphin Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
#1 Florida (12-1)
#2 Oklahoma (12-1)
SEC
Big 12
Florida 24
Oklahoma 14

Conference bowl representation

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Bowl Appearances Final Rankings
Conference No. of Teams Record Pct. Winners Losers Ranked
Teams
Team AP
(1/9/09)
Coaches
(1/9/09)
BCS
(12/7/08)
 Pac-10 5 5–0  1.000  USC
Oregon
Oregon State
California
Arizona
4 USC #3(1) #2  #5
Oregon #10 #9  #17
Oregon State #18 #19  NR
California NR #25  NR
Winners of 2008–09 Bowl Challenge Cup with perfect record.
 SEC 8 6–2  0.750  Florida
Georgia
Ole Miss
Vanderbilt
LSU
Kentucky
Alabama
South Carolina
4 Florida #1(48) #1(60)  #2
Alabama #6 #6  #4
Georgia #13 #10  #15
Ole Miss #14 #15  #25
Florida won the National Championship. Vanderbilt won in a bowl for the first time since 1955.
Kentucky won a bowl for the third straight season, a first in school history.
 Big East 6 4–2  0.667  West Virginia
South Florida
Rutgers
Connecticut
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
3 Cincinnati #17 #17  #12
West Virginia #23 NR  NR
Pittsburgh NR NR  #20
Both of the Big East's BCS-ranked teams lost their games.
 Big 12 7 4–3  0.571  Texas
Missouri
Kansas
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Texas Tech
Oklahoma State
5 Texas #4 #3  #3
Oklahoma #5 #6  #1
Texas Tech #12 #12  #7
Oklahoma State #16 #18  #13
Missouri #19 #16  #21
 Conference USA 6 4–2  0.667  Southern Mississippi
Rice
Houston
Tulsa
Memphis
East Carolina
0 none
Rice ended a 54-year winless streak in bowls, Houston ended theirs at 28.
 Mountain West 5 3–2  0.600  Utah
TCU
Colorado State
Brigham Young
Air Force
3 Utah #2(16) #4(1)  #6
TCU #7 #7  #11
Brigham Young #25 #21  #16
Utes became first BCS outsider to win two BCS games; their other was the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.
The Utes also won their eighth straight bowl game.
 Independents 2 1–1  0.500  Notre Dame Navy 0 none
Notre Dame won first bowl game since 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic.
 Sun Belt 2 1–1  0.500  Florida Atlantic Troy 0 none
Only conference ineligible for 2008–09 Bowl Challenge Cup.
 ACC 10 4–6  0.400  Virginia Tech
Florida State
Maryland
Wake Forest
Georgia Tech
Boston College
North Carolina
Miami (FL)
NC State
Clemson
4 Virginia Tech #15 #14  #19
Georgia Tech #22 #22  #14
Florida State #21 #23  NR
Boston College NR NR  #24
The ACC's ten teams in postseason is a new NCAA record.
Boston College's streak of bowl wins in eight consecutive seasons ended.
 Western Athletic 5 1–4  0.200  Louisiana Tech Boise State
Fresno State
Hawaiʻi
Nevada
1 Boise State #11 #13  #9
 Big Ten 7 1–6  0.143  Iowa Penn State
Ohio State
Michigan State
Northwestern
Minnesota
Wisconsin
5 Penn State #8 #8  #8
Ohio State #9 #11  #10
Iowa #20 #20  NR
Michigan State #24 #24  #18
Northwestern NR #NR  #23
Iowa's win in Outback Bowl avoided a total shutout.
 Mid-American 5 0–5  0.000  Ball State
Central Michigan
NIU
Western Michigan
Buffalo
1 Ball State NR NR  #22
Only winless conference in bowl season.

NOTE: BCS bowl participants are listed in italics.

Post-BCS All-Star Games

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All-Star Game Date Location Television Result Ref.
East–West Shrine Game January 17, 2009 Robertson Stadium
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
ESPN2 East 24, West 19 [2]
Senior Bowl January 24, 2009 Ladd–Peebles Stadium
Mobile, Alabama
NFL Network South 35, North 18 [3][4]
Texas vs The Nation January 31, 2009 Sun Bowl Stadium
University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, Texas
CBS College Sports Network The Nation 27, Texas 24 [5]

References

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  1. ^ "Unbeaten Boise State heads Poinsettia; ACC slots 10". The Sporting News. The Sporting News. December 7, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ http://www.shrinegame.com/press_release/84_game/EWSG_Player_Alert_12-3-08.pdf[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.seniorbowl.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Official Website of the Senior Bowl". Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  5. ^ "Texas vs. The Nation". Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2009.