Champs Sports Bowl : Miami v. Wisconsin

It’s not the BCS and it’s not the Gator Bowl… but it’s also not the Meineke Car Care Bowl or the Music City Bowl.

It’s official, the Miami Hurricanes are headed to Orlando to take on the Wisconsin Badgers in this year’s Champ Sports Bowl. Both squads finished the season with matching 9-3 records.

The Canes were slated to trek to Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl, but were snubbed for the retiring Bobby Bowden. Gator Bowl officials used their pick to go the sentimental route, inviting 6-6 Florida State to take on West Virginia, in an effort to honor Bowden.

The almost-gone Noles coach will end his illustrious career after bowl season and ironically enough, coached the Mountaineers before the Noles, so it’s a good fit… besides the fact that FSU went .500 this year and absolutely doesn’t deserve a New Years Day bowl.

Back in 1999, a resurging Miami put together an 8-4 campaign and earned a Gator Bowl berth, upending Georgia Tech and finishing the season 9-4. Ten years later, it’s not enough. 10-2 would’ve had Miami in the BCS as an at-large, yet 9-3 gets snubbed for nostalgia-sake. No offense, but if Bowden is so classy, why not turn down the invite and agree to a lesser, deserving bowl?

Similar to the 2000 season where he lobbied for a slot in the title game, got worked by Oklahoma and afterwards admitted that Miami belonged. No offense, but the old man can’t leave soon enough.

Check back for some Champs Sports Bowl coverage as the month rolls on.

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34 thoughts on “Champs Sports Bowl : Miami v. Wisconsin

  1. The Canes getting snubbed out of the Gator Bowl is pathetic. I don't care about Bowdens history, he is the leader of an, AT BEST, mediocre FSU team and in NO way deserves a Jan bowl game. There hasn't been a better excuse for a playoff system before this garbage. When teams are literally given titles they didn't earn it's time for a new system. Oh well, it'll be a blast to watch Bowdens piss poor FSU team get rocked one last time as his ass is kicked out the door. It's ok though Bobby, u can now rest easy, you'll never have to worry about game planning for a U team that is always Faster. Better. Stronger

  2. Couldn't agree more!!!! This is yet another example that of the circus that is college football and how it's always apparent that someone somewhere in college football always has an agenda.

    I hope West Virgina can crush FSU 52-3 which is what they deserve since they dont deserve to play in this game. So, the U, Clemson, UNC, Boston College, all snubbed out of the Gator Bowl just to make Bobby Bowden happy. I'm wondering if the NCAA is still wondering why their ratings still dont compare to the NFL's?! Personally, I would rather not play at all than to play in the Chumps Sport Bowl.

    I also wonder if the Gator Bowl realizes how irrelevant it has just made itself also? Glad they will no longer be part of the ACC's bowl schedule after 2010. Go Mountaineers!!!!!!!!!!

  3. I've been a Canes fan since '79, and they probably should be in the gator bowl, but i've no problem with the gator bowl's selection whether u like bowden r not, he deserves that much and besides the Canes blew 2 great opp to make it to a bcs bowl losing against clemson and unc so as fans there is nothing to complain about lets support he boys in the champs bowl and lets Go Canes!!!!

  4. Regal – No offense, but what does your thirty years following The U have to do with the Gator Bowl's selection of Bowden? I've followed the Canes religiously since the 80s. What does one have to do with the other?

    Bowden doesn't "deserve" a thing. Please. Bowl berths are earned and 6-6 doesn't deserve a Gator Bowl invite. No way, no how. Not with a deserving 9-3 team who BEAT Florida State and earned their way in.

    The Canes blew a few opportunities? What about Florida State — who blew SIX opportunities? Please.

    As fans there's EVERYTHING to complain about. What the Gator Bowl pulled here is a joke. They're cashing in on Bobby's swan song — they're not paying a tribute or doing what's right. They'll hype this as his finale, pitting his current team against his former. It's nothing more than clever marketing for a lesser New Years Day bowl.

    F Bobby. F Florida State. F the Gator Bowl. End of story.

    Only thing I agree with is that everyone needs to support Miami in Orlando late December.

  5. Canes were screwed plain and simple. The ACC should have showed some balls and said sorry Bobby, you can go the Champs Sports Bowl. Didn't we beat the "Semiholes" in September. The Gator Bowl can kiss my ass.
    That being said, one of these days maybe before I'm dead we'll see a playoff in college football. Get ready for next year the Canes will be in the BCS and with all of that young talent could be playing for the National Title, which is exactly were we should be

  6. Totally agree with allcanes here, this is total bs. Miami beat FSU this year and finished with a better record and was clearly the better and more exciting team to watch all year, even though I'm a cane homer I'm still pretty pissed that they're doing this for Bowden. He should finish in a crappy bowl because he had a crappy season, no excuses about it. The thing is they won't even be entertaining to watch cuz their offense especially the qb is awful and look what happened in the last game they played agaisnt a spread against florida, they were torched. The only thing I am happy about in the situation is that he won't go out with a win 😉

  7. Yeah the Gator Bowl made a mistake, but taking a mediocre at best FSU team over us, but there's not much we can do. No way a 6-6 team deserves to really even be in a bowl game, regardless of who it is. That just shows there are too many bowl games. It's a shame that all these games are about sales instead of the product on the field.

    I say we make a staement for next year, smack Wisconsin around and put up about 40 on them. Stop RB John Clay and we win the game. He's all they have. Make a statement to the nation and start next year in the top 10.
    -Columbus Cane

  8. It used to be that Miami kept FSU out of good bowl games because they beat them on the field. Now FSU beats Miami out of them because Bobby lobbies.

    Orlando is still in Florida isn't it? Why couldn't 6-6 Bowden's deathbed request be fulfilled in Orlando? Someone alert John Swofford, this blatant lack of meritocracy, propriety and dignity is part of the reason football fans don't respect your "basketball conference". Mollusk.

    How can anyone watch nonsense like this perpetrate itself in college football and still claim that "the regular season is sacred"? It's bollocks and it's blatant.

    That said I hope this snub is motivation rather than distraction for our boys and that they blow into Disney city with a chip on their shoulders and something to prove. Biggitup on Wisconsin; I'd rather Miami have 10 wins than anything with the word "gator" in it anyways.

    Keep calm, carry on.

  9. Not just that Allcanes but it's like I said before, it's not just us but what about Clemson, UNC and BC? Even they all have a right to complain about it. All except UNC, beat FSU and at least UNC had a better record.

    This is garbage, plain and simple. What I also want to know is how did the Gator Bowl committee get itself out of the ACC's contractual one-loss rule? The only way they were allowed to choose FSU would've been if Clemson would've beaten Ga Tech and Ga Tech would've gotten sucked in my the Chick-fil-a in which case they weren't obligated to follow the one-loss rule and take the runner-up from the conference game since they met that obligation back in '06.

    It's crap plain and simple. Allcanes has been dead-on on this subject all night. The old man cant leave fast enough. Go Canes and Go Mountaineers!!!!!

  10. is it just me, or aren't we lucky. the real team that got screwed in this is clemson. they were the acc runner up and should have been headed to the gator bowl. instead, they get screwed out of the gator bowl and then get screwed again when we get the champs bowl over them. if champs had taken fsu instead, we still might not have gotten the gator bowl cause they could have taken clemson!

    i agree that it is bs bobby got to pick his bowl and they don't deserve it, but look at the brightside, we all know jimbo has been the real coach for a couple of years now, so doesn't that mean fsu has many more years of sucking to look forward to?

  11. this is BS. They r just cheating all of college football because they want this old man to have a good end to his career and when FSU gets smashes by the mountaneers lets just go to orlando, put up a 55-0 smack down on the badgers and make a statement. Then we start the season next year in the top 10 and take home a national championship

  12. is it just me, or aren't we lucky. the real team that got screwed in this is clemson. they were the acc runner up and should have been headed to the gator bowl.

    Clemson was the runner up… but they're also 8-5 on the year, after a rough start and now losing their last two games.

    The Atlantic was a weaker division than the Coastal and while CU did beat UM, they also lost two more games.

    Basically, everyone that ISN'T Florida State (and obviously ACC winner Georgia Tech) got screwed by the Holes going to Jax.

  13. We aren't alone either Caniacs! You guys should read some of the comments left over on the message boards at espn.com. Everyone is saying what a joke this is.

    One person even wrote a letter of disdain to the Gatorbowl committee. I like what one fan said that since Bobby Bowden wanted to stay in Florida for his final bowl game, FSU should've been sent down to the St. Pete Bowl so they could complete the cycle of in-state losses to UCF!!! LOL!!!! Best part is that person is right!!!

  14. I was hoping that the U of Miami were going back to the Emerald Bowl and face a 8-4 Trojans. There is so much simularities between these two great private programs, and instead they chose Boston College. I don't know if the U declined to trek out west again and maybe attract some great recruits there, or if that bowl commitee were responsible but somebody has made a big and foolish mistake there. Just think of the ratings and the exictment it would have bring if there was a true East Coast vs West Coast brawl (matchup) between USC and Miami? I would bet you that the much of the Cane faithful would travel for that bowl game.

    I don't see how their selection of BC, of all ACC teams, helps the Emerald Bowl at all? USC will rips those Eagles in half, most likely. This just demostrates how Miami is being screwed over left and right by joining a sorry, basketball conference; the ACC. With a slight execption to Clemson, I hope those ACC schools choke on their bones. I will support the team to show up, and take on Wisconsin in Orlando. Win for the team, for the small private institution and for Greater Miami; NOT the ACC. Miami does NOT belong in the ACC; in fact, the ACC can kiss my butt.

  15. I was hoping that the U of Miami were going back to the Emerald Bowl and face a 8-4 Trojans. There is so much simularities between these two great private programs, and instead they chose Boston College. I don't know if the U declined to trek out west again and maybe attract some great recruits there, or if that bowl commitee were responsible but somebody has made a big and foolish mistake there.

    Champs Sports Bowl picked before the Emerald Bowl and is a higher-tiered bowl.

    Miami went 9-3 and Boston College went 8-4, hence them going to the Emerald.

    While Miami v. USC is a sexier match up, the Champs Sports is a better bowl. It's also a short drive for South Florida fans.

    The only downer is that Wisky would up in Orlando, too. They're better than Northwestern… but it'd have been nice to see Miami get a Penn State, Ohio State, Iowa, etc. – a higher-tiered, higher-profile Big Ten team.

    Is what it is. At least the Canes aren't headed to Memphis, Charlotte, Boise, etc.

    ophhej…. I also agree that Miami isn't a good fit for the ACC. Wasn't a good fit for the Big East, either… but the ACC isn't where UM belongs. Personally, I wish the Canes were still an independent.

  16. Personally I agree with no 6-6 team should get a Bowl game. But, Playing Wisconsin in Orlando should be great. Orlando is only a short ride from So.FL. Bobby will get his gator bowl ass kicked and go out a loser in his last season. I could never get upset about getting a lower tier bowl game. Gator, Champ what's the difference. Just WIN!! Gain momentum and go into next season with a quest to win the ACC and a National Championship.
    If you wanna get angry get pissed that G-Tech and not the Canes are in the O-Bowl

  17. I would not invite FSU play in my backyard. A 6-6 team with no offense should not be allowed to play in any bowl.I respect Coach Bowden's legacy in college football,but this decision is a crime against the Canes.

  18. just shows you how far this programs has falling where fighting over the gator bowl wow! like recruits are going to say man im going to miami cause they played in the gator bowl and thats awsome!

  19. TOTAL BS! FSU WILL GET STOMPED IN THE GATOR BOWL THEN GOODBYE TO BOWDEN FOR GOOD.HE GOT HIS WISH,NOW KARMA WILL SET IN.HE SHOULD REALIZE THAT LOBBYING OVER THE U ENDS IN A LOSS. AFTER I SAW THAT WE WERE PLAYING WISCONSIN IN THE CHAMPS BOWL, I TURNED TO THE LITTLE-10 NETWORK(I'M FROM OHIO)TO SEE WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY THEY PRETTY MUCH SAID WISC HAS A CHANCE ALL BUT ONE GUY FORGOT HIS NAME HE USED TO COACH INDIANA.HE WAS SCARED FOR THE BADGERS.THEY SHOULD BE. LET'S GET TO 10-3 & GET READY FOR 2010 OUR RETURN TO THE BCS.

    YUNGCANE21

  20. this is totally unfair. bending the rules for some old manand his BAD team?!?!?!?!?!? Im going outside the gator bowl before the game and protesting. UNFAIR. a 6-6 team or a deserving team in miami which one? I hope the noles get smashed in this game because thats what they deserve. GO CANES . Win this game and make a statement. start in the preseason top 10 next year

  21. Oh well, At least we get 10-3 and thats a good season. As for FSU they will get wupped. Bobby Bowden and FSU will be embarrassed,we get better recruits, and we live happily ever after.

    THE END

  22. It's all about money my friends. The Gator Bowl will probably get the 2nd most publicity of all the bowls, 2nd to only the National Title Game. Perhaps even more? That's debatable though. (and it doesn't hurt that this year's Gator Bowl Chairman is a WVU alum from when Bowden used to coach there)

  23. Since all has been said already about the bowl selection, what would you think about Miami going to the SEC? i don't know if its just down south or what, but no conference seems to get as much respect as the SEC.

  24. Are many of you planning on going to the game? (With it being on a Tuesday, it may be hard for some)

    Hopefully I'll see some of you at the Marriott Orlando World Center Resort! (official team/alumni/fan hotel)

    Lets go Canes!

  25. I don't really hate FSU like I hate the Gators. There was a time when my dad worked there, so he always liked Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles. That's why I'm not a hater. UF on the other hand. Why wouldn't you hate the Gators?

    Now though, with Jimbo Fisher becoming FSU's head coach, you know he's not going to do anything. They will be looking for someone else real quick. In the mean time, this should really help the U in recruiting.

  26. I don't really hate FSU like I hate the Gators. There was a time when my dad worked there, so he always liked Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles. That's why I'm not a hater. UF on the other hand. Why wouldn't you hate the Gators?

    …. Willis, I don't HATE Florida State like I do Florida… but I am really tired of Bobby's schtick.

    He's played this "good guy" card… man of God (which I'm not doubting… but he comes off like some Southern holy roller when convenient.)

    If Bobby really is the class act he's been built up as, then do what's right. He knows good and hell well that his 6-6 team doesn't deserve the Gator Bowl — just like his 2000 team didn't deserve a shot at the title.

    Just like he knew guys like Ernie Sims and AJ Nicholson didn't deserve to start against Miami in '05 after a DUI and whooping a girl's ass. He played the "boys will be boys" card and continued to put football first… as always… same with the Gator Bowl.

    The old man was great for the game… but his shelf life expired around 2002. Good riddance as I believe he's way overstayed his welcome.

  27. It's nice to see some OHIO Cane lovers on here with me!!!

    I'm an Ohio State Alumn and open Canes fan since 84'. I hate the gators & Buckeyes. Looking forward to 9/11/10…the day that the buckeye fans will never forget when THE U invades the Shoe!!

  28. bobby screwed on the way out, might as well for all the wide lefts and rights he deserved….

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