Texas Bowl

The Big 12 now has 7 bowl eligible teams, and 3 more teams within one win of eligibility, so the landscape looks very good for the Texas Bowl.  The Texas A&M vs. Baylor game on Saturday should prove to be pivotal for the Texas Bowl, and the Kansas State at Nebraska game could determine the champion of the Big 12 North.  There are still 2 more weeks of regular season play and anything can happen, especially with the rivalry games around the corner.

It’s a big day in the Texas Bowl offices as Navy representatives are paying a visit to Houston today to begin preparations for the game.  We are excited to meet them and can’t wait to get to the final planning stages!

Last week, the Texas Bowl proudly announced its inaugural Texas Bowl Team Luncheon.  Guests will hear from head coaches and players as they detail their path to the Texas Bowl and the keys to victory in this year’s game.  In addition, many special appearances are in store for our newest Bowl Week event.  The event will be on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. at the JW Marriott, and will benefit the Touchdown Club of Houston.  To secure your seats today, go to http://www.texasbowl.org/events!

See you at the game!
The Texas Bowl Team

Confernce Football Updates

Week 11 may have lacked surprise, but certainly not excitement.  The #3 Texas Longhorns routed Baylor 47-14 for their 10th win of the season.  This win gives Texas nine consecutive 10-win seasons.  Missouri rebounded from last week’s loss to defeat Kansas State 38-12 and became bowl eligible for the fifth straight season.  Nebraska went in to Lawrence and beat Kansas 31-17.  The win moves Nebraska to the top of the Big 12 North, and a win over Kansas State next week sends the Cornhuskers to the Big 12 Championship Game on December 5.  Iowa State became bowl eligible for the first time since 2005 with a 17-10 win over Colorado.  Oklahoma also became bowl eligible this week at 6-4 with a 65-10 win over Texas A&M.  Three teams became bowl eligible this week and two more (Texas A&M and Kansas) are still one win from bowl eligibility. 

The Navy Midshipmen avoided a let-down with 28 second-half points to beat Delaware 35-18.  Navy QB Ricky Dobbs scored 5 touchdowns and broke the school record for touchdowns in a season.  His 22 rushing touchdowns leads the nation and surpassed Bill Ingram’s Navy record of 21 set in 1917.

In C-USA action, the #15 Houston Cougars lost their second game of the season.  Cougar QB Case Keenum threw for 377 yards and three scores but it was not enough.  The Central Florida Knights controlled the ball for almost 40 minutes and held on in the fourth quarter to win 37-32.  The win is UCF’s sixth of the season making them eligible for a bowl game.  SMU also became bowl eligible for the first time since 1984 after wining only one game last season.  The Mustangs’ 35-31 win coupled with the UH loss moves SMU to the top of the C-USA West Division.  Southern Miss also became bowl eligible this week as the Golden Eagles defeated the Marshall Thundering Herd 27-20.  UAB defeated Memphis 31-21 for its fifth win of season.  The Rice Owls won their first game of the year, defeating Tulane 28-20. 

After week eleven, the Big 12 has 2 teams ranked nationally, and Conference USA has 1.  Visit ESPN for this week’s complete rankings.

Games to Watch

• Oklahoma at Texas Tech, November 21, 11:30 AM CST, FSN
• Kansas State at Nebraska, November 21, 6:45 PM CST, ESPN
• Kansas at #3 Texas, November 21, 7:00 PM CST, ABC

Bowl Outlook

After week 11, Mark Schlabach now predicts Iowa State to play Navy and Bruce Feldman still predicts Kansas to play the Midshipmen.  CLICK HERE for the full list.

Texas Bowl Updates

Announcements

Reserve your spot at the inaugural Texas Bowl Team Luncheon on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. at the JW Marriott.  Proceeds will benefit the Touchdown Club of Houston. 

Texas country band Reckless Kelly will perform on the Bud Light Stage at TexFest at the Texas Bowl.  Stay tuned for further information on the Texas Bowl website.

The Texas Bowl Competition Committee will visit 2 games this weekend: Skip Wagner and Jeff Moseley will visit College Station to see the Aggies host the Baylor Bears, and Don Faust will be in Austin to see Kansas take on #3 Texas.

Don’t forget to follow the Texas Bowl on Facebook and Twitter for additional updates and inside information.