The school sent a text message to confirm what most have speculated this week. There always seemed to be a small window open for the Cap 1 Bowl but more momentum, so to speak, for the Cotton.
The opponent won’t be officially announced until the 6 p.m. conference call, but it will be Texas Tech.
This will be the last game played in Cotton Bowl Stadium, the bowl’s home of almost 80 years.
— PA
djrebel.wordpress.com 
December 7, 2008 at 6:58 pm |
Should be a great game. TT with their offense and higher rank. Ole Miss, who has a lot of talent in the trenches and above average QB. Ole Miss is on a great roll, hopefully our guys will enjoy the experience but bring it on the 2nd! Everyone says they don’t play D in the Big 12 so I guess we will find out in the Fla/OU game and the Cotton Bowl… Good luck to Coach Nutt and the whole team.
December 7, 2008 at 8:15 pm |
This is from the Cotton site:
IT’S OFFICIAL – OLE MISS VS TEXAS TECH!!! Sunday, December 7th, 2008
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It will be Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech in the 2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic!
DALLAS, Dec. 7, 2008 – The stage for the 73rd AT&T Cotton Bowl is finally set. The University of Mississippi will face Texas Tech University in the final Classic played in Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Rebel and Red Raider athletic officials formally accepted an invitation extended by Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Chairman Kathy Saunders on Sunday.
“As we prepare to say goodbye to our home of 73 years, we couldn’t be more ecstatic to have two tremendously talented teams with such passionate fans play in our final game in Cotton Bowl Stadium,” Saunders said. “This is certainly setting up to be a Classic to remember.”
Ole Miss, 8-4 and ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll, finished the regular season winning five straight Southeastern Conference tilts. The Rebels are making its fourth appearance in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, and their first bowl appearance since the Rebels defeated Oklahoma State, 31-28, in the 2004 Classic.
The 2009 Classic marks the Rebels 32nd bowl appearance, and 53 years since Ole Miss made their first Cotton Bowl appearance, a 14-13 thriller over TCU. Ole Miss Head Coach Houston Nutt was set to coach the Razorbacks in his third Classic last season before being hired away by Ole Miss. Nutt has a 1-1 record in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.
Texas Tech, 11-1, finished the regular season No. 7 in the BCS in a three-way tie for the Big 12 South Division Title. The Red Raiders will be making their fourth AT&T Cotton Bowl appearance and their first trip to Dallas since the 2006 Classic against Alabama, when Tech lost on a last-second field goal to the Crimson Tide, 13-10.
The Red Raiders first appearance in the Classic came on January 2nd, 1939, in the Cotton Bowl’s third year. Tech has played on January 2nd in all four of the Red Raiders’ Classic appearances.
This year’s Classic will mark the fifth meeting between Mississippi and Texas Tech. The series is tied at 2-2. The Red Raiders have won both regular season meetings in 2002 and 2003, but the Rebels own a 2-0 postseason record against Tech, with both appearances coming in the Independence Bowl in 1986 and 1998.
The Red Raiders are led by local products Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, both Heisman hopefuls. Harrell is from Ennis, Texas and Crabtree graduated from Dallas Carter High School. Ole Miss’ resurgence can be attributed to the play of their star quarterback, Jevan Snead, a product of Stephenville, Texas.
“Local interest should be sky high based on the fact that both quarterbacks are coming back to North Texas to play in front of their hometown fans,” CBAA Team Selection Chairman Fin Ewing said. “This game provides some great story lines, and certainly sets up to be one of the best bowl matchups this year.”
The 2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic will be nationally televised on FOX, and kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on January 2nd. General tickets can be ordered online at http://www.attcottonbowl.com or by calling 888-792-BOWL (2695).
December 7, 2008 at 8:32 pm |
Coach Nutt being out of that old SWC and later into the SEC has probably crossed paths with Texas Tech a few times. This could be one of those “shoot outs”. It winding up who is on the offense last that wins.
“This will be the last game played in Cotton Bowl Stadium, the bowl’s home of almost 80 years.” This is a sad thing. Lots of old memories linger for that old Cotton Bowl, along with the other three old bowls, Rose, Orange and Sugar. I guess time has its way of changing things, some for the best; some for the worst. So I live on one day at a time, and think back at old times, good and bad. Hoping and praying by the grace of God not to repeat the bad.
December 7, 2008 at 8:38 pm |
glad for the team……i hope what everybody says about big 12 defenses being weak turns out to be true……this will be a very tough challenge, but a very rewarding one in the end.
go rebs…..
December 7, 2008 at 8:42 pm |
It’s not a bad thing if you’ve been there. That stadium has seating behind concrete pillars. That sucks if you just dropped a c-note on a ticket.
PA, we will be making our way down to big D, so please let us know what the team’s schedule will be and when they will be taking on the Texas Tech big eaters in the Steak eating contest.
December 7, 2008 at 8:47 pm |
Where is it moving to? The new Cowboys stadium in Arlington? Man, you can see that HUGE thing rising in the west as you fly in and out of DFW.
Congrats Coach Nutt & all the Rebels! This time last year, I would not have guessed this out come. Truly a season to be proud off. Now lets finish it off right and encourage a big burst of giving to the athletic dept so we can afford the coaches’ raises!
December 7, 2008 at 8:48 pm |
Jay, I have heard the same thing about their defenses being weak. Some team placing best athlete on offense.
December 7, 2008 at 9:27 pm |
i think our defense has improved every week during the season and has become pretty sharp toward the end. however, if you had to name one place where the defense could use work, it would be the corners. to say this bowl game will be a test for the corners would be a huge understatement. the tech offense is a beast, so i hope the rebel D is up to the challenge. ball control will be key against these guys……plus, putting lots of pressure on graham harrell…….if we don’t execute on offense and keep giving tech the ball, we could see a big deficit mount early in the game.
December 7, 2008 at 9:48 pm |
I believe that the Big 12 teams aren’t used to SEC caliber teams. That being said, I think that with the front four of Ole Miss improving each week as it has, that Texas Tech will not only have its hands full from the get-go but will attempt (unsuccessfully) to try and re-invent the wheel and fall flat on their collective tails. I am working in Texas, (an hour and a half from the Cotton Bowl), and the collective thoughts of the Texas Tech people whom I work for is that they aren’t to the game out of fear that they will be embarrassed on National T.V.
December 8, 2008 at 12:46 am |
When the star quarterback is having surgery on non-throwing hand and freely talking about how he expects Leach to leave..that doesn’t bode well for december practice
December 8, 2008 at 6:02 am |
Congrats to the team and the coaches. You all have made Rebel football fun and exciting again. Now go show Tech what SEC football is all about! PA thanks for all your hard work this season. We really appreciate you!! Larry