SEC-Big 12 bowl decided
NEW ORLEANS will be the site of the new marquee bowl game between the Southeastern Conference and Big 12. The game will still be called the Sugar Bowl and will be played in the Superdome. The agreement between the leagues and the bowl is for 12 years.
NEW ORLEANS will be the site of the new marquee bowl game between the Southeastern Conference and Big 12. The game will still be called the Sugar Bowl and will be played in the Superdome. The agreement between the leagues and the bowl is for 12 years.
The SEC has a long history with the Sugar Bowl. Seventy-one times an SEC team has played in the game, far more than any other league. The first Sugar Bowl in 1935 matched Tulane, then of the SEC, against Temple.
Several sites were vying to host the game, including Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Atlanta, Houston and San Antonio also submitted bids to host the game, but it came down to Arlington and New Orleans.
The new college football playoff begins after the 2014 season and the first Sugar Bowl in the new format will be played Jan. 1, 2015. It will match the champions from the SEC and Big 12, unless those teams are selected to the national semifinals. In that case, two other highly rated teams from those conferences will be paired up.
The game will be part of the semifinal rotation for the new playoff system, along with the Rose Bowl and the Orange Bowl. At least three more sites need to be picked, with the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., and Arlington and Atlanta the leading candidates.
How often each site will host a semifinal has yet to be determined.
Noteworthy *
Cincinnati coach Butch Jones is open to switching quarterbacks for the Bearcats' game at Temple. Jones reiterated that incumbent Munchie Legaux and backup Brendon Kay will compete for the job in practice this week.
Legaux was benched during a 35-24 win over Syracuse on Saturday, when he threw his sixth interception in three games. Kay took over and completed all of his three passes, including a touchdown. He's more of a pocket passer and could get a chance for his first career start on Saturday against Temple (3-5, 2-3 Big East).
Cincinnati (6-2, 2-1) also runs a wildcat package behind receiver Jordan Luallen, a converted quarterback. He ran six times for 32 yards and completed a pass for 14 yards against Syracuse and is likely to get more plays.
* Stanford coach David Shaw said redshirt freshman Kevin Hogan will make his first start Saturday against No. 13 Oregon State. Hogan replaces Josh Nunes as the starter.
* Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said he expects Heisman Trophy front-runner Collin Klein to start the third-ranked Wildcats' game at TCU this weekend, but he declined to discuss anything specific to his star quarterback's injury, thought to be head-related. Klein was hurt in the third quarter of KSU's 44-30 victory over Oklahoma State.