It lacks the prestige of the BCS, both teams are 7-5 and El Paso won’t soon be confused with Pasadena, Glendale, New Orleans or Miami, but it’s game on for the Canes and Irish for the first time in two decades.
Midday on New Years Eve, college football fans will be watching as two big time programs tee it up; despite their current records and recent sub par play.
Miami and Notre Dame will meet for the first time since the rivalry ended after the 1990 season.
It’s not where either team pictured they’d be back in September when kicking off the 2010 season. The Canes were expected to improve after last year’s 9-4 run, while the Irish welcomed in new head coach Brian Kelly, who led his Cincinnati Bearcats to an undefeated regular season in 2009 and was expected to start righting the ship in South Bend.
Miami sputtered down the stretch, losing three of five en route to 7-5, after once sitting at 5-2. Notre Dame was 1-3 out the gate, but finished strong with a shellacking of Utah and a season-ending victory at Southern Cal; their first against the Trojans since the 2001 season.
Both teams are looking to close the season 8-5 and for bragging rights between now and 2012 when slated to meet again at Soldier Field during the regular season.
The 2010 Sun Bowl kicks off at 2pm ET and will be broadcast on CBS.