2008–09 NCAA football bowl games

College football postseason game series

2008–09 NCAA football bowl games

Bowl sites by state

Season| 2008
Regular season| August 28–December 6
Number of bowls| 34
All-star games| 3
Bowl games| December 20, 2008 –
January 31, 2009
National Championship| 2009 BCS Championship
Location of Championship| Dolphin Stadium,
Miami Gardens, Florida
Champions| Florida Gators
Bowl Challenge Cup winner| Pac-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

* <-2007-08
* Bowl game
* 2009-10->

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.

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

### Non-BCS bowl games

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

1. ^ "Unbeaten Boise State heads Poinsettia; ACC slots 10". 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.

* v
* t
* e

2008–09 NCAA football bowl game season

* EagleBank (Dec. 20)
* New Mexico (Dec. 20)
* St. Petersburg (Dec. 20)
* Las Vegas (Dec. 20)
* New Orleans (Dec. 21)
* Poinsettia (Dec. 23)
* Hawaii (Dec. 24)
* Motor City (Dec. 26)
* Meineke Car Care (Dec. 27)
* Champs Sports (Dec. 27)
* Emerald (Dec. 27)
* Independence (Dec. 28)
* PapaJohns.com (Dec. 29)
* Alamo (Dec. 29)
* Humanitarian (Dec. 30)
* Holiday (Dec. 30)
* Texas (Dec. 30)
* Armed Forces (Dec. 31)
* Sun (Dec. 31)
* Music City (Dec. 31)
* Insight (Dec. 31)
* Chick-fil-A (Dec. 31)
* Outback (Jan. 1)
* Gator (Jan. 1)
* Capital One (Jan. 1)
* Cotton (Jan. 2)
* Liberty (Jan. 2)
* International (Jan. 3)
* GMAC (Jan. 6)

* Bowl Championship Series games: Rose (Jan. 1)
* Orange (Jan. 1)
* Sugar (Jan. 2)
* Fiesta (Jan. 5)
* BCS National Championship (Jan. 8)

* All-Star Games: East–West Shrine Game (Jan. 17)
* Senior Bowl (Jan. 24)
* Texas vs. The Nation Game (Jan. 31)

* v
* t
* e

2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season

Conference seasons|

* ACC
* Big 12
* Big East
* Big Ten
* Conference USA
* Mid-American
* Mountain West
* Pac-10
* SEC
* Sun Belt
* WAC

Inter-conference|

* Bowl games
* Rankings

All-Americans|

2008 College Football All-America Team

* v
* t
* e

NCAA football bowl seasons

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