TODAY’S BOWL LINEUP
TaxSlayer Bowl Mississippi State (8-4) vs. Louisville (8-4), Jacksonville, Fla., 10 a.m., ESPN
WHAT’S AT STAKE: Mississippi State’s senior class is going for its 34th victory, which would tie the school record set in 1942 and matched in 2015. The Bulldogs also want to send interim coach Greg Knox out with a win. Louisville is trying to end the season with a four-game winning streak and potentially send 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson to the NFL on a high note.
FACTS & FIGURES: Mississippi State won all four meetings against Louisville, but two of those were vacated because of NCAA infractions. … Mississippi State’s famed cowbells will be permitted at EverBank Field. … Of the Bulldogs’ four losses, three came against teams — Georgia, Alabama and Auburn — that finished in the top seven in the College Football Playoff rankings. The other one came after QB Nick Fitzgerald broke an ankle. … Cardinals are 3-2 in bowl games against teams from the Southeastern Conference. … Jackson needs 183 yards of offense to break his singleseason school record (5,114) set in 2016.
Liberty Bowl Iowa State (7-5) vs. No. 19 Memphis (10-2), 10:30 a.m., ABC
WHAT’S AT STAKE: Memphis is seeking its first 11-win season in school history. An eighth victory would give Iowa State its highest single-season win total since a 9-3 finish in 2000. Iowa State is seeking its first bowl victory since a 14-13 Insight Bowl triumph over Minnesota on Dec. 31, 2009.
FACTS & FIGURES: Iowa State is the only FBS team that hasn’t lost a fumble this season. … The Cyclones also have committed the fewest penalties of any Big 12 team this year. … Memphis is 7-0 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium this season. … This marks the first time Memphis has played in the Liberty Bowl. Iowa State is 0-2 in the Liberty Bowl with losses to Georgia Tech in 1972 and Tulsa in 2012. … This marks the first time a ranked team has played in this game since No. 7 Louisville beat No. 10 Boise State 44-40 in the 2004 Liberty Bowl.
Fiesta Bowl No. 9 Penn State (10-2) vs. No. 12 Washington (10-2), Glendale, Ariz., 2 p.m.
WHAT’S AT STAKE: Two teams that were early-season contenders for a national title look to close out an 11th win on the season and earn a major bowl title.
FACTS & FIGURES: Penn State has never lost in six appearances in the Fiesta Bowl. … Washington WR Dante Pettis holds the NCAA record with nine punt returns for touchdowns, including four this season. … Penn State beat Washington 13-10 in the 1983 Aloha Bowl in the teams’ last meeting. … Washington is making its first appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.
Orange Bowl No. 6 Wisconsin (12-1) vs. No. 11 Miami (10-2), Miami Gardens, Fla., 6 p.m., ESPN WHAT’S AT STAKE: Wisconsin is bidding for the first 13-win season in school history, and possibly its best year-end finish in the AP Top 25 since ending No. 4 in 1999. Miami is looking for its first 11-win season since 2003.
FACTS & FIGURES: Miami is the second school to take a two-game losing streak into the Orange Bowl; LSU did it in 1943 and 1973. … Wisconsin has finished the year as an AP top-five team three times (No. 3 in 1942, No. 2 in 1962, No. 4 in 1999). … Miami will be the “home” team and on the “home” sideline in its home stadium, but the game is defined as a neutral site. … Wisconsin has nine Floridians on its roster. … Miami’s Mark Richt was tabbed as the Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year; Wisconsin’s Paul Chryst was the consensus pick as the Big Ten’s top coach.