Texas A&M picked to face Penn State in Alamo Bowl

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Texas A&M will face Penn State in the Alamo Bowl, setting up a rematch of the 1999 game.

Bowl officials announced Sunday that the Aggies will be the Big 12 representative in the Dec. 29 bowl in San Antonio.

The game will pit Penn State's Joe Paterno, who will coach in his 500th game, against Texas A&M interim coach Gary Darnell. The school has announced that Mike Sherman will take over next season.

Paterno has encountered numerous challenges this season at Penn State (8-4), including a string of off-field legal problems for several players. The Nittany Lions finished the regular season with a loss to Michigan State in a game which they had led by 17 early in the second half.

"It's been a good group of kids to work with," Paterno said Sunday when asked if he viewed the bowl as an opportunity for redemption for his squad. "Redemption isn't the word. It's a reward to go to a bowl game."

Paterno will also make his record 34th appearance in a bowl game. He is also the all-time leader in postseason victories (22).

One of those wins came in the 1999 Alamo Bowl, when the Nittany Lions shut out the Aggies, 24-0.

"We had a great time the last time we were down there," Paterno said. "It'll be a lot of fun for us."