Just as I predicted exactly after week eight of the regular season, the Northwestern Wildcats will head to Dallas for the Dallas Football Classic, (re-named Ticket City Bowl since I made the prediction) on New Year’s Day in the Cotton Bowl. This college football bowl game will feature the Big 12 eighth team, in this case the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
So you know this game will be to forward passing what tight t-shirts and hair gel is to young New Jersey males.
By Paul M. Banks
The Red Raiders and Wildcats will be the participating teams in the first-ever TicketCity Bowl, scheduled for 11:00 a.m. (cst), January 1, 2011.
“Little did we imagine in our wildest dreams that we would have the privilege of having such prestigious teams in our inaugural TicketCity Bowl,” said President Tom Starr. “I have had the good fortune of having been to the home campuses of both institutions over the past few weeks and I can genuinely say that there is an excitement among the fans about playing in our New Year’s Day game.”
The game will be the first football game to be played in 2011. It brings a bowl game back to the stadium that has conducted the second-most bowl games in history, just behind the famed Rose Bowl.
“We are extremely pleased about coming to Dallas to participate in the TicketCity Bowl on New Year’s Day,” said Northwestern Athletic Director Jim Phillips. “Our fans are excited about coming to Dallas, and we know that Texas Tech will be a great opponent.”
Northwestern is bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive year and for the fifth time in the past six years. Posting a 7-5 record this year despite losing starting quarterback Dan Persa, Coach Pat Fitzgerald has built the Wildcats into a perennial winner in the rugged Big Ten Conference. He has compiled a winning record of 34-28 in his tenure as head mentor of the Evanston school
Texas Tech’s appearance in the TicketCity Bowl will mark its 18th consecutive post-season trip, the longest in Big 12 Conference history. Veteran Coach Tommy Tuberville is in his first year at the Red Raider helm, but he is no stranger to winning football. His coaching laurels include 2004 National Coach of the Year accolades. This year’s edition of the Red Raiders posted a 7-5 record this year, including a signature win over Missouri, co-champion of the Big 12 North Division.
Tech is known for a very pass-heavy system on offense and has produced some great QBs and wide receivers. Including Wes Welker, who is probably the best slot receiver in the NFL today.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest webzine. He’s also a regular contributor to the Tribune’s Chicago Now network, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank
He also does a regular guest spot each week for Chicagoland Sports Radio.com