The Citrus Bowl will feature glamour programs Notre Dame and LSU.
Three local bowls lock in top talent
A mix of prestigious programs with elite bowl history and up-and-coming programs are headed to Orlando for the postseason.
Notre Dame will face LSU in the Citrus Bowl presented by Overton’s and Oklahoma State will take on Virginia Tech in the Camping World Bowl.
The Cure Bowl, meanwhile, will feature Georgia State and Western Kentucky.
All three games will be played at Camping World Stadium.
The No. 14 Fighting Irish (9-3) and No. 17 Tigers (9-3) should draw big crowds to their matchup on Jan. 1. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. and the game will air on ABC.
“We’ve had a matchup with them before and we know what to expect — one of the top teams in the country,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said. “I think it’ll make for great New Year’s Day football, and again, I think our fan base [and] LSU’s fan base will travel in force to see this matchup between two nationally ranked teams.”
LSU coach Ed Orgeron expects his team to be tested by the Irish.
“You have the utmost respect every time you play Notre Dame,” he said. “It’s going to be a physical game, it’s going to be a war, but we’re looking forward to playing in it. I have a lot of guys that are excited.”
The No. 19 Cowboys (9-3) and No. 22 Hokies (9-3) also should draw a big crowd for their game on Dec. 28. It will kick off at 5:15 p.m. and air on ESPN.
Oklahoma State is making just its second postseason trip to Orlando. The Cowboys previously played here in the 1976 Tangerine Bowl against Brigham Young.
“The bowl games are fun because you get to play new teams and you get to do a little bit of scheming here and there,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. “Not that we do a lot of that here — we just run the same plays for the most part — but it’s fun to play those teams.”
Gundy’s team is coming off a third-place finish in the Big 12 behind TCU and Oklahoma and features one of the most explosive offenses in the country led by quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Virginia Tech is also making its second postseason trip to Central Florida, with the Hokies previously playing in the 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl. Justin Fuente’s team is coming off a season in which Virginia Tech finished second behind Miami in the Coastal Division.
Fuente hasn’t had a chance to study Oklahoma State extensively, but he knows the Cowboys can score a bunch.
“They are incredibly explosive, offensively can score and really, really push the pace,” Fuente said. “It’ll be a great challenge for us as a team and I think it will be an interesting matchup.”
The Cure Bowl will kick off bowl season with a matchup between the Panthers (6-5) and the Hilltoppers (6-6). The game will be played Dec. 17. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. and the game will air on CBS Sports Network.
First-year coach Shawn Elliott helped the Panthers finish fourth in the Sun Belt and capture five road victories.
“We are thrilled to be going to the AutoNation Cure Bowl. This is a great opportunity and a reward for our student-athletes, our fans and our university,” Elliott said. “It’s an exciting time to play in our second bowl game ever and have the potential to win our first bowl and set the school record for wins.”
Western Kentucky coach Mike Sanford has helped the Hilltoppers earn a bowl bid for the seventh consecutive season. WKU finished in a three-way tie for third in the Conference USA East Division.
“We are thrilled to accept the invitation to the 2017 AutoNation Cure Bowl and represent Conference USA as we go for our fourthstraight bowl victory,” WKU athletics director Todd Stewart said. “It is a testament to the hard work of so many, and another terrific bowl destination for our coaches, staff, student-athletes and fans.”
Tickets for Citrus Bowl and Camping World Bowl are on sale at floridacitrus sports.com, while Cure Bowl tickets are available at Cure Bowl.com.