TheRoadToSouthFlorida

14360 NW 77th Ct. Miami Lakes, FL 33016 Phone - 305.341.4700 | Fax - 305.341.4750 Week 1 - Saturday, September 1, 2012 www.orangebowl.org

ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE Across College Football Officers New Faces in New Places - Four teams will be getting a change of scenery this season. The SEC became the first conference to reach fourteen members with Texas A&M and Missouri joining conference play this season. West Virginia moves from the Big East President & Chair...... O. Ford Gibson where they’ll join former mid-major TCU as the newest members of the Big 12. No team has won a national title its first season in a Chair-Elect...... Andrew P. Hertz conference since Miami won the AP National Championship in 1991, its first year in the Big East. Vice Chair...... Luis E. Boué Vice Chair...... Lee E. Stapleton SEC On Top? - Once again the SEC has more teams (seven) than any other conference in the initial USA Today Coaches Poll. Secretary...... Ann E. Pope They’ve dominated college football in recent years, housing the last six national title winners, and with five teams in the top 10 this Treasurer...... Shaun M. Davis season, the SEC seems poised to make a run at a seventh. Seven of the past 10 national champions have been ranked within the top Past President...... Jeffrey T. Roberts 10 of the first poll, and half have been ranked either one or two. CEO...... Eric L. Poms

Record Year for the B1G - Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson have a chance to Communications Staff rewrite college football history. Ball is just six scores away from tying Cedric Benson for most rushing touchdowns in FBS history, and eight away from tying Taurean Henderson for most career touchdowns. The tailback also has a chance to set the FBS record in points Larry Wahl (305) 341-4718 scored, needing 73 to match the mark set by former Boise State kicker Kyle Brotzman. Robinson is closing in on the quarterback VP, Communications & Community Outreach rushing yards record set by Pat White in 2008, needing 1,252 yards to set a new career mark. He also has the chance to become just [email protected] the second quarterback in FBS history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons, the first being Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick who accomplished it from 2008-2010. Noah Sharfman (305) 341-4737 Communications Associate Changes at the Top - A total of 28 teams will have a new coach to start the 2012 season, and the list includes some big names [email protected] returning to the sideline. Urban Meyer ended his brief retirement to take over the program at Ohio State, former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach takes over at Washington State, Rich Rodriguez signed on to coach at Arizona and Charlie Weis is back at the helm, Kristina Taylor (305) 341-4769 taking over as head coach with the Kansas Jayhawks. Communications Assistant [email protected] Across the ACC Ryan Trapp (305) 341-4734 Home of the ACC Champion - The Road to the Discover Orange Bowl kicks off this week with two ACC conference games: Communications Assistant Miami and Boston College and Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech. The ACC Atlantic and Coastal Champions will face-off in the Dr Pepper [email protected] ACC Championship Game on December 1, and the winner of that game will earn a berth in the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl.

ACC Powers Align - For the second straight season, the ACC has two teams ranked in the top 15 of the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll. Clemson starts the season ranked 14th, while Florida State enters the season rankes seventh their second straight year in the top ten. The last ACC team to accomplish such a feat was Virginia Tech in the 2009-10 seasons. The Hokies also make the top ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN ACC PRESS 25, coming in ranked 20th, with Georgia Tech (35), N.C. State (11), and Virginia (9) all receiving votes. BOXES THIS WEEK

Stability Under Center - The ACC hosts a number of seasoned signal callers this season. Only Maryland and Miami kick off the 2012 season with a different quarterback under center than a year ago. The Hurricanes’ Stephen Morris gets the nod as Jacory Harris’ replacement over Memphis transfer Ryan Williams. Morris has five career starts filling in for Harris, including the final four games of the 2010 season. Maryland will have a brand new face under center this season. After Danny O’Brien’s transfer and expected starter C.J. Brown was lost for the season with an ACL injury, freshman Perry Hills will officially start for the Terps week one.

Duo Turning Heads - The ACC has two players on the Heisman Pundit’s initial watch list, and they both wear the same uniform. Clemson’s Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins join 16 others after leading the Tigers to an ACC title in 2011. Boyd accounted for 4,046 yards of offense last season and 38 touchdowns, while Watkins led all college freshman in receiving yards per game, all-purpose Miami at Boston College...... Jeff Roberts yards, and touchdowns. Florida International at Duke...... Ford Gibson

*OBC members are easily identified by their Orange jackets IMPORTANT MEDIA DATES WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING

Sun. Oct. 16 BCS Standings Released Sun. Dec.2 BCS Selection Show / Coaches’ Teleconference Matt Murschel 2013 Discover Orange Bowl Online Credential Application Thur. Nov. 1 Sat. Dec. 15 Credential Application / Media Hotel Reservations Closed Opens Mark Schlabach Brad Edwards Stewart Mandel Jerry Palm Ralph Russo Brant Parsons

Sat. Dec. 1 Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game (EPSN) Sat. Dec. 29 2012 Metro PCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic (FSN) Alabama LSU LSU LSU Arkansas USC vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL DISCOVER BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME USC Oregon Oregon USC USC LSU

Wed. Dec. 26 Team Arrivals / HC Press Conference Wed. Jan.2 Florida State Florida State Florida State Florida State Florida State Florida State Thur. Dec. 27 HC/Student-Athlete Media Availability Sat. Jan. 5 vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. Sun. Dec. 30 (post practice) Louisville South Florida Louisville Boise State South Florida Louisville

Fri. Dec. 28 Thur. Jan. 3 Coordinators Press Conferences Sat. Dec. 29 Fri. Jan. 4 Wisconsin Michigan State Michigan State Michigan Michigan State Michigan vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. N/A Media Day Sat. Jan. 5 Oregon USC USC Oregon Oregon Oregon Mon. Dec. 31 HC Press Conferences Sun. Jan. 6 Mon. Dec. 31 AvMed Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon N/A Georgia Alabama Alabama Alabama Alabama Alabama vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. Mon. Dec. 31 Media Party Sun. Jan. 6 Oklahoma Oklahoma Texas Louisville Texas Kansas State

Orange Bowl Game Day Fan Zone Tue. Jan. 1 N/A 2012 Discover Orange Bowl (ESPN) West Virginia West Virginia Texas Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. National Championship Game Day Fan Zone Wisconsin N/A Mon. Jan. 7 Michigan Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin 2012 Discover Orange Bowl (ESPN) Weekend Watch List ACC and Orange Bowl Committee Announce Future Discover Orange Bowl Partnership

No. 9 South Carolina at Vanderbilt In conjunction with the new postseason college football arrangement announced June 26, 2012 by the BCS Presidential Thursday, Aug. 30, 7:00 p.m. Oversight Committee, the Orange Bowl and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) extended their relationship with a 12-year agreement (2014-15 thru 2025-26) that ensures the Orange Bowl continues to serve as the “Home of the ACC Champion.” Connor Shaw will begin his first full season under If the ACC Champion is identified as one of the top four teams by the new post-season selection committee, then the center for the Gamecocks as they kick off the ACC Champion will participate in the national semifinals and a replacement team from theACC would participate in the 2012 season at Vanderbilt. Shaw finished last Discover Orange Bowl. season on a tear, throwing for 657 yards and eight touchdowns over his final three games, but The new post-season format which begins in the 2014-15 season will continue at least 12 years, through the 2025-26 he’ll face a Commodore defense that forced four season. The semifinals will be rotated among six bowl games and will be played either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. interceptions in the team’s matchup last year. The championship game, to be managed by the 11 conferences and rotated among neutral sites every year, will be on a Monday at least six days after the last semifinal game. A selection committee will rank the teams for the playoff. Washington State at BYU Thursday, Aug. 30, 10:15 p.m. In addition to the partnership between the ACC and the Discover Orange Bowl, it is anticipated that the Orange Bowl will host at least four semifinal games in the new arrangement. In the years that the Orange Bowl serves as a semifinal host, Cougars’ head coach Mike Leach returns to the the ACC Champion would then participate in one of the three host bowls that will be established as per the direction of the gridiron for the first time since 2009. He’ll lead BCS Presidential Oversight Committee. Washington State against BYU. The Cougars won 10 games in their first year as an independent last The Discover Orange Bowl has been the “Home of the ACC Champion” since 2006. The Orange Bowl previously had year, finishing the season ranked 25 in the final similar agreements with other conferences, namely the Big Eight and Big East Conferences, but its agreement with the coaches poll. ACC is the first exclusive agreement between the Orange Bowl and a NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A) conference since 1995. Tennessee vs N.C. State Friday, Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m. Current ACC schools have played in a total of 38 Orange Bowls, including a Clemson-Miami match-up in 1951 and Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA another Miami-Florida State game in 2004. The 1951 match-up came prior to the ACC’s inception in 1953 and the 2004 contest came a year before Miami’s acceptance into the league. The Volunteers will look to snap their five-game winless streak in the Georgia Dome, but will have Among the 19 national champions or national championship games hosted by the Orange Bowl, current ACC teams have to go through Mike Glennon and the N.C. State played in nine Classics, winning five. Clemson won its only national title at the 1982 Orange Bowl, Miami won three of its Wolfpack to do so. Tennessee quarterback Tyler five crowns at the 1984, ’88 and ’92 Orange Bowls and Florida State earned the first of its two national championships at Bray hopes to shake off his injury woes of 2011 the 1994 Orange Bowl. and get the Vols on the right path early in 2012. For the third straight year, the ACC champion will be decided at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. in the Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game. Featuring the winners of the ACC’s Atlantic and Coastal divisions, the winner of the No. 22 Boise State at No. 13 MSU 2012 ACC Championship Game will gain an automatic berth in the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl. First played in in 2005, Friday, Aug. 31, 8:00 p.m. the ACC title game has traveled from Jacksonville, Fla. to Tampa to Charlotte. Florida State (2006), Wake Forest (2007), Virginia Tech (2008, ’09, ‘11), Georgia Tech (2010) and Clemson (2012) each played in the Orange Bowl following a win at Michigan State will put their 14 game home win the Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game. streak on the line as they play host to the Boise State Broncos. After years of stability under center with Kirk Cousins and Kellen Moore, both teams Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance Kicks off 14th Season are in a transition period at quarterback. The Broncos are hoping to make an early statement The Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance (Orange Bowl YFA) presented by Sports Authority kicked off its 14th season on in their final season as members of the Mountain Saturday, August 18. The Orange Bowl YFA presented by Sports Authority serves more than 16,000 young football players West Conference. and cheerleaders across nine leagues from north of Lake Okeechobee to Key West. Each Saturday throughout the youth football season, the Orange Bowl Park of the Week program will visit parks in the No. 24 Notre Dame vs Navy greater Miami area and recognize the parks for their commitment to youth sports. At the weekly caravan style celebration, Saturday, Sept. 1, 9:00 a.m. (EST) Orange Bowl staff members present each park with a commemorative plaque and financial contributions for park Croke Park - Dublin, Ireland improvements and also distribute promotional items and discounts from official Orange BowlYFA sponsors. College football’s oldest rivalry travels across the Since its inception in 1999, the Orange Bowl has invested approximately $5 million and countless volunteer hours in youth pond for a week one clash in Dublin, Ireland. Brian sports across South Florida. In addition to its continued support of the Orange Bowl YFA presented by Sports Authority, the Kelly and the Fighting Irish will look to make it two Orange Bowl directly supports locally-based festivals and events, including those that provide participatory opportunities in a row in the rivalry after dropping two straight to to youth from all over the world, such as Junior Orange Bowl, Orange Bowl Sailing Regatta Series and the Orange Bowl the Midshipmen in 2009 and 2010. International Tennis Championships.

No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 25 Auburn Photo of the Week Saturday, Sept. 1, 7:00 p.m. USA Todays Coaches Poll Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA 1. LSU (18) Auburn brings in a pair of new coordinators to 2. Alabama (20) begin 2012, including quarterback specialist 3. Southern California (19) Scot Loeffler. They’ll be going against a Heisman 4. Oklahoma (1) hopeful in Clemson quarterback Tahj Boyd, who’ll try and come away with a top-25 win without star 5. Oregon wide receiver Sammy Watkins. 6. Georgia 7. Florida State No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 1 Alabama 8. Michigan Saturday, Sept. 1, 8:00 p.m. 9. South Carolina Cowboys Stadium - Arlington, TX 10. Arkansas Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide begin their 11. West Virginia NCAA title defense with a top-ten matchup against 12. Wisconsin Denard Robinson and the Michigan Wolverines. 13. Michigan State This is just the fourth ever meeting between the two schools, and the first in the regular season. 14. Clemson Their last meeting was in the 2000 FedEx Orange 15. Texas Bowl. 16. Nebraska 17. TCU Georgia Tech at No. 20 Virginia Tech 18. Stanford Monday, Sept. 3, 8:00 p.m. 19. Oklahoma State The Hokies open their schedule with a conference 20. Virginia Tech matchup against Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech 21. Kansas State has won its previous two matchups against Paul Michigan’s week one matchup against Alabama is a rematch of the 2000 FedEx 22. Boise State Johnson’s squad, but after winning their first six Orange Bowl, where Tom Brady (pictured above) led the Wolverines to a thrilling 23. Florida games in 2011 the Yellow Jackets know how to 35-34 overtime victory over the Crimson Tide. Brady threw for 369 yards and start a season on the right note. A victory would four touchdowns in the win, which was sealed when Alabama placekicker, Ryan 24. Notre Dame give either team an early lead in the ACC Costal Pflugner, missed a PAT. It was the first overtime BCS Bowl game in history. 25. Auburn Division.