ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — After lacking its likelihood to get into the College Football Playoff, Southern California goes to the Cotton Bowl to play the highest-ranked Group of Five staff in a stadium the place coach Lincoln Riley gained just a few championships earlier than taking on the Trojans.
Two days after losing in the Pac-12 championship game, when a win very possible would have put them within the four-team CFP playoff, the Trojans obtained matched Sunday to play American Athletic Conference champion Tulane on Jan. 2. Both are 11-2 groups which have made file enhancements this season.
The Green Wave went from 2-10 final season to matching an FBS file with their nine-win enchancment — with an opportunity to get yet another of their most vital bowl recreation for the reason that Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day 1940, after they had been within the Southeastern Conference. Hawaii went from a winless season in 1998 to 9-4 a 12 months later in coach June Jones’ debut.
Tulane was sixteenth within the final CFP rankings, six spots behind USC. The two groups have performed thrice, however not since 1946.
Before shifting to the West Coast round this time final 12 months, Riley was head coach at Oklahoma for 5 seasons. In his first 4 seasons there, the Sooners gained 4 consecutive Big 12 championship video games from 2017-20 on the dwelling of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys the place the Cotton Bowl can also be performed. Oklahoma made the playoff after three of these, dropping in a nationwide semifinal every time.
The Trojans have already matched this system’s largest season-to-season enchancment, going from 4-8 final 12 months to seven extra wins in Riley’s first 12 months. Their first AP nationwide championship was an 11-0 run in 1962 that adopted a 4-5-1 season.
Both USC losses this season are to Utah, together with 47-24 within the Pac-12 championship recreation. The Trojans are going to their third Cotton Bowl, the second at AT&T Stadium, and 56th bowl general.
Tulane’s first Cotton Bowl would be the this system’s fourth bowl look in seven seasons underneath coach Willie Fritz.
Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams, possible a Heisman Trophy finalist, threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns Friday night time in opposition to the Utes, even after injuring his hamstring on a 59-yard run earlier than halftime. He has some further time to get better, relying on the severity of the harm.
The Green Wave beat UCF 45-28 within the American Athletic Conference championship recreation Saturday, when quarterback Michael Pratt accounted for 442 complete yards and 5 touchdowns, and Tyjae Spears had 199 yards speeding with a 60-yard rating to prolong his FBS-best lively streak of 100-yard video games to seven.
RANKED vs. RANKED WAVES
Tulane will go into the Cotton Bowl after back-to-back wins when ranked and enjoying a Top 25 opponent.
The Green Wave’s win within the AAC title recreation over then-No. 22 UCF was every week after they gained at then-No. 24 Cincinnati, ending the Bearcats’ 32-game dwelling profitable streak. That additionally snapped Tulane’s 61-game dropping streak in opposition to ranked groups, which dated to 1984 and was the longest such streak in ballot historical past.
Before beating Cincinnati, the Green Wave hadn’t gained a recreation in opposition to one other Top 25 staff when ranked since 1956, and the varsity mentioned there have been 24,142 days between these video games. They wanted solely seven days to do it once more.
BACK-TO-BACK HEISMAN WINNERS?
With Williams a prime candidate, the Cotton Bowl may have back-to-back video games that includes Heisman Trophy winners. Alabama and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young performed in final season’s CFP semifinal on the Cotton Bowl.
The final back-to-back Heisman winners within the Cotton Bowl had been Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie in 1984, and Auburn operating again Bo Jackson in 1985.
MEN OF TROY AT JERRYWORLD
USC will play its third recreation at AT&T Stadium. Tulane has by no means performed there.
The Trojans misplaced their 2016 season opener there 52-6 to Alabama, and one other scheduled recreation in opposition to the Tide at JerryWorld in 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic. USC misplaced to Ohio State 24-7 within the Cotton Bowl 5 years in the past.
G5 AGAIN
When Cincinnati final season grew to become the primary Group of Five staff to make the four-team playoff, the Bearcats performed their nationwide semifinal recreation in opposition to Alabama within the Cotton Bowl.
With this season being the Cotton Bowl’s precise flip within the rotation to host the highest-ranked G5 staff, it turns into the primary New Year’s Six bowl to host G5 groups in back-to-back years for the reason that four-team playoff started in 2014.
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