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Liberty Bowl Preview

It has taken a little time, but Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom is in the midst of turning his program around.

Central Florida coach George O'Leary can relate.

After six straight last-place finishes, Croom's Bulldogs will make their first bowl appearance in seven years when they play O'Leary's Knights, who are led by NCAA rushing leader Kevin Smith, in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 29 in Memphis.

Meineke Bowl Preview

Connecticut rebounded from a dismal 2006 to win a share of the Big East title this season. Wake Forest, meanwhile, continued to emerge as a force in the ACC by qualifying for consecutive bowls for the first time.

Leading their programs to unprecedented success has made Randy Edsall and Jim Grobe two of the most desired coaches for jobs in college football, and their teams will meet in the Meineke Bowl at Charlotte, N.C. on Dec. 29.

Outback Bowl Preview

While it may not be a Bowl Championship Series game, having a 10-win season will be a nice consolation prize for either Wisconsin or Tennessee as the schools meet New Year's Day in the Outback Bowl at Tampa, Fla.

Independence Bowl

Three straight losses to end the 2006 regular season earned Alabama an unsatisfying invite to the Independence Bowl. It took four straight defeats in 2007 for the program to repeat its fate.

The Crimson Tide (6-6) will try to avoid their first back-to-back losing seasons in 45 years, while Colorado (6-6) looks to avoid doing the same for the first time in 22 years when the schools meet in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., on Dec. 30.

Orange Bowl Preview

While many were surprised when the matchup for the Orange Bowl was announced, the game itself has the potential to be one of the best BCS bowls this season.

The pairing of No. 8 Kansas and fifth-ranked Virginia Tech has raised some of the same questions about the BCS selection process that the national title game is evoking. Those concerns are all likely to be forgotten, though, when the Jayhawks and their high-powered offense meet the stifling defense of the Hokies at Dolphin Stadium on Jan. 3.