Michigan is on a three-game bowl losing steak. Quarterback Henne (shoulder), running back Mike Hart (ankle) and offensive lineman Jake Long hope to end the streak and send retiring Coach Lloyd Carr off on a final win. Receiver Mario Manningham, who might consider leaving early for the NFL, leads the team with nearly 100 yards per game. Michigan is No. 74 in total offense and Florida is No. 13. Florida is No. 33 in total defense and Michigan is No. 24. This game could be a final hurrah for an underappreciated staff or it will show why changes had to be made. Michigan linebackers Shawn Crable and Chris Graham have combined for a total of 167 tackles. The Wolverines will use the Illinois game as a blueprint since they held quarterbacks Juice Williams and Eddie McGee to only 29 yards. Tailback Rashard Mendenhall gained only 85 yards. Michigan freshman quarterback Ryan Mallet might be transferring due to Rich Rodriguez coming in with a spread offense.

William Green (6-4, 215), a four-star outside linebacker from Spain Park, Ala., said Florida has a slight lead in his recruitment. He is going to visit Auburn, Clemson and Florida. Alabama is also in the picture. The Gators are involved in 16 Rivals100 prospects including Patrick Johnson (6-1, 193), a cornerback from Pompano Beach Ely, who will make his decision from a trio of teams-Florida, Miami and LSU—on Jan. 5 at the Army All-American Game.

TENNESSEE VS. WISCONSIN IN THE OUTBACK BOWL:
Coach Phil Fulmer has never ended a season with two straight losses, but he has only ended the season with a win three times since winning the national title. The Vols are, 2-5, in their last seven bowls. Wisconsin is, 9-3, in its last 12 bowls. Tennessee’s No. 74 ranked defense will get a workout from the Wisconsin offensive line. The Badgers have won two straight bowl games over SEC teams.

Vol receiver Lucas Taylor, defensive lineman Demonte Bolden and linebacker Rico McCoy, all starters, will miss the bowl game due to academics. Linebacker Chris Donald, defensive back Ricardo Kemp and receiver Kenny O’Neal will also miss the game for the same reason. Another linebacker, Ryan Karl, may not play due to an elbow injury. Freshman receiver Gerald Jones could move up the depth chart to replace Taylor. Defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell is staying in Knoxville after he was courted by Ole Miss and Arkansas.

Wisconsin depends on a power running game with P. J. Hill, who struggles with a thigh bruise. If he can’t play for very long, then freshman Zach Brown will replace him. The Vols must stop Travis Beckum, the league’s fourth leading receiver with 73 catches and fifth year senior quarterback Tyler Donovan. The kicking game is important in this game. Daniel Lincoln missed five of his last 10 kicks. Badger kickers Taylor Mehlhaff and punter Ken DeBauche were all conference. Tennessee must stuff the run because in every Wisconsin loss, the Badgers gained less than 150 yards rushing. The Badgers need to pressure Vol quarterback Erik Ainge, but that will be hard since he has only been sacked four times.

OLE MISS: Coach Houston Nutt has completed his staff by adding former Hog assistant James Shibest. David Lee, Tracy Rocker, Chris Vaughn, Louis Campbell and Mike Markuson also came from Arkansas.

AUBURN VS. CLEMSON IN THE CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL:
When this game became a SEC vs. ACC matchup, the ACC won the first four, the SEC won the next five, then the ACC won the next five and the SEC has won the last two games. Auburn Is No. 101 in total offense and Clemson is No. 47. Clemson is the No. 6 in total defense while Auburn is No. 8. Tiger defensive end Quentin Groves should be healthy after his dislocated toes have healed. Linebacker Tray Blackmon, who missed three games, should be ready to play. In the past two seasons, 20- of- 25 Tiger opponents have scored 20 points or fewer. Tommy Tuberville is, 4-1, in bowl games since 2002. Left tackle King Dunlap will likely miss the bowl game with a high ankle sprain. Also out is reserve linebacker Bo Harris, who had shoulder surgery last week. Auburn will start three freshmen in the offensive line for the seventh time this season. Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin is implementing the spread into Auburn’s attack.

Auburn might move its Sept. 6 game in 2008 at West Virginia to a Thursday night. Next season, teams will have two off weeks since they have 14 weeks to get in 12 games.

Clemson defensive tackle Dorell Scott will play in the game despite a groin injury. However, the Tigers are without starting linebackers Nick Watkins and Tramaine Billie. Freshman Scotty Cooper and sophomore Kavell Conner replaces them. Quarterback Cullen Harper has 27 touchdowns and six picks. Receiver Aaron Kelly averaged seven catches for 87 yards per game. Clemson can win if it runs the ball well, which is not easy against an Auburn defense that allows only 119 yards rushing. Auburn needs to get a pass rush since they were only No. 11 in the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss.

ARKANSAS VS. MISSOURI IN THE COTTON BOWL:
The SEC has won four straight games in the Cotton Bowl. However, the Hogs have lost four- of- five bowls and have not won a bowl game since 2003. Arkansas is No. 16 in total offense while Missouri is No. 5 in total offense. The Hogs are No. 45 in total defense and Missouri is No. 59.

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, who threw 33 touchdowns and 10 picks this season, wants to rebound after a poor game against Oklahoma. Tailback Tony Temple (68 ypg) averaged 5.2 ypc. Tight ends Martin Rucker (200 catches including 81 this season) and Chase Coffman and receiver William Franklin will end up in the school record book. Missouri has stalwarts in linebacker Sean Weatherspoon and safety William Moore, who has five picks in his last seven games. The big question for Missouri is can they overcome the disappointment of being left out of the BCS? Missouri had wins over Kansas and Illinois and losses to Oklahoma.

Hog tailback Darren McFadden and receiver Marcus Monk will be healthy. Special teams are important in the game with kick returners Felix Jones and McFadden for Arkansas and receiver Jeremy Maclin for Missouri. Maclin has 77 catches for 1,023 yards. He caught 27 passes in his last three games. Arkansas can win if quarterback Casey Dick can get anything in the passing game and the Hog defense stops the run. Daniel has struggled this season when they Tigers fail to run.

Defensive coordinator Reggie Herring has denied a report that he has accepted a similar position at Texas A & M. Arkansas and Texas A & M are close to finalizing a deal to play in the new Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in 2009.

GEORGIA VS. HAWAII IN THE SUGAR BOWL:
Coach Mark Richt has established a no casinos policy while in New Orleans. Receivers coach John Eason, 62, was being courted by FAMU, but he decided to stay at Georgia. Money could have been a problem. Eason makes $175,000 with Georgia and the previous Rattler coach Rubin Carter made only $135,000.

SMU has expressed an interest in hiring Hawaii’s June Jones. Jones’ contract runs out soon and the facilities at Hawaii are poor. Jones has also been rumored to be interested in the NFL one day.

MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. CENTRAL FLORIDA IN THE LIBERTY BOWL:
The UCF defense has picked off 20 passes during their seven- game win streak and the defensive line is responsible for 28- of -38 sacks. UCF leads C-USA in sacks and has an additional 35 quarterback hurries. The Knights lead in total offense (No. 32 against State’s No. 112). State in the past four years has been No. 107 in total offense in 2004; No. 113 in 2005; No. 103 in 2006 and No. 112 in 2007 all under offensive coordinator Woody McCorvey. UCF has the No. 9 rushing offense with Kevin Smith while State has the No. 79 running attack. State is No 10 in turnover margin and UCF is No. 89. In 10 wins, UCF turned the ball over only 13 times compared to 10 in three losses. UCF quarterback Kyle Israel has run for five scores and threw for 15 more.

The Bulldog defense held West Virginia’s Steve Slaton to 127 yards, Tennessee’s Arian Foster to 139 and Arkansas’ McFadden to 88. State needs to have a stalemate against the UCF offensive line led by right tackle Josh Sitton. Bulldog tailback Anthony Dixon rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and he will need to keep pace with Smith, who is 188 yards away from former Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders’ single season record. State needs punt returner Derek Pegues to make a big play.

ALABAMA VS. COLORADO IN THE INDEPENDENCE BOWL:
Colorado linebacker Jordon Dizon has 160 tackles including 120 solo. Alabama’s Antoine Caldwell will be back at center to block Dizon. The Buffaloes are No. 10 in scoring offense in the Big 12 averaging 27 ppg. They are No. 10 in total offense averaging 377 ypg. They are No. 6 in the league in total defense allowing 389 ypg. The leading rusher is Hugh Charles averaging 5.5 ypc (989 yards). Quarterback Cody Hawkins has 19 touchdowns and 15 picks. He has completed 56% of his passes. Receiver Scotty McKnight has caught 43 passes for 488 yards.

Alabama is No. 75 in total offense averaging 372 ypg and Colorado is No. 72 averaging 377 ypg. Alabama is No. 28 in total defense allowing 341 ypg and Colorado is No. 64 allowing 389. Defensive back Rashad Johnson leads Alabama with 81 tackles and six picks. Colorado needs to protect Hawkins and get Charles going early. Wilson will have time to throw, but he needs to prevent mistakes and get the ball to receivers D. J. Hall, Keith Brown and Matt Caddell who are bigger than Colorado’s defensive backs. Tide kicker returner Javier Arenas has shown no lingering effects from his high ankle sprain.

Alabama has 26 verbal commitments led by Burton Scott (5-11, 195) a five-star athlete from Pritchard, Ala. Tyler Love (6-7, 285), a offensive lineman from Mountain Brook, Ala., is the other five-star player. The Tide has 15 four-star players. They are currently No. 3 in the Rivals.com rankings.

KENTUCKY VS. FLORIDA STATE IN THE MUSIC CITY BOWL:
Ten- of- 18 teams who won the Music City Bowl improved their records the following season. Four won conference titles the following season. All the Wildcats football players are academically eligible for the bowl game. Running back Derrick Locke is injured (back) and will not play in the bowl game. Offensive lineman Christian Johnson (finger), receiver Kennan Burton (swelling in his knee), linebacker Micah Johnson (groin), and defensive back Paul Warford (shoulder) are all struggling with injuries. Kentucky has the No. 15 ranked scoring offense averaging 36 ppg and FSU is the No. 90 ranked offense averaging 22 ppg. Wildcat linebacker Wesley Woodyard leads the SEC with 123 tackles. Kentucky offensive line coach Jimmy Heggins was at FSU for 19 seasons. He resigned in 2005. Quarterback Andre Woodson needs to play at least even with FSU’s Drew Weatherford. FSU must control the chains and clock with its passing attack, but they simply might not have the depth to keep up.

FLORIDA STATE: The Noles will have only 43 scholarship players available for the bowl game. Quarterback Xavier Lee, tight ends Caz Piurowski, Charlie Graham, offensive tackle Daron Rose, guard Jacky Claude, linebacker Dekoda Watson, defensive back Patrick Robinson, defensive linemen Budd Thacker, Paul Griffin and Neefy Moffett are not on the travel roster for the bowl game. The defensive front seven has been hit the hardest.

Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher decided to stay at FSU instead of taking an offer to coach West Virginia. He made an announcement on Sunday. During that day, he and school president T. K. Wetherell had several conversations pertaining to the direction of the program and the decision-making process between now and Bobby Bowden’s retirement. There are differing reports on FSU raising the Fisher buyout from $2.5 to $5 million.

Josh Jenkins (6-3, 282), a Rivals 250 offensive lineman from Parkersburg, West Virginia, has de-commited from the Mountaineers. He said Ohio State was his No. 1 team and FSU was close behind at No. 2. Jenkins will visit FSU on Jan. 10-12.

MIAMI: C. J. Holton (6-2, 195), a safety from Wakulla, Fla., and a FSU commitment, has de-committed from the Noles and committed to Miami. The Miami Herald mentioned this week that Florida’s Charlie Strong and Georgia’s Willie Martinez were on Randy Shannon’s wish list for defensive coordinator. UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker is also a possibility.

VIRGINIA TECH VS KANSAS IN THE ORANGE BOWL:
Kansas will struggle against the best defense they have faced all year. Tech cornerbacks Macho Harris and Brandon Flowers have the ability to control Kansas receivers Dexton Fields and Marcus Henry. Kansas will struggle to run the ball on Tech. Hokie linebacker Xavier Adibi has the ability to shadow Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing. Kansas is No. 6 in total offense while Tech is No. 96. Kansas averages 44 ppg and Tech 29. Tech is No. 2 in scoring defense allowing 15 ppg and No. 4 in total defense allowing 293 ypg.

MARYLAND VS. OREGON STATE IN THE EMERALD BOWL:
Both schools have a combined 10 losses along with boring offenses (Oregon State is No. 77 and Maryland is No. 88). Oregon State has the No. 12 ranked defense allowing only 313 ypg. OSU finished the season on a 6-1 run and No. 3 in the conference.

Maryland lost only two games this season, against West Virginia and Clemson, by more than eight points. They started, 4-2, before going into a slide even though they rebounded at the end to dismantle N. C. State. The Terps, with tailbacks Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball, need to generate something running the ball against OSU’s No. 2 run defense because quarterback Chris Turner is not going to beat them by himself. Maryland’s offensive guard Andrew Crummey returned from a broken leg in the NC State game. Terp linebacker Erin Henderson led the ACC with 122 tackles. He is deciding whether or not to go pro. OSU needs to continue to reduce turnovers. They threw 17 picks during the first half of the season and only three in the last six games. Maryland beat Tennessee, West Virginia and Purdue by an average of 26 points in bowl games this decade.

UCONN AND WAKE FOREST IN THE MEINKE CAR CARE BOWL:
Both teams are overachieving. They run to set up the pass, play solid defense and have fine coaching staffs. Wake is No. 98 in total offense while UConn is No. 83. This is the first time in Wake history that it has played in consecutive bowls. Wake reeled off six straight wins during the season. Wake running back Josh Adams had 887 yards rushing and 10 scores while winning the ACC freshman of the year award. Receiver Kenneth Moore leads the team with 87 catches even though he is mostly used on inside hand-offs and reverses.

Wake has 10 non-offensive touchdowns in 12 games.

UConn won a share of the Big East title. The Huskies are No. 7 in turnover margin and No. 8 in pass defense efficiency. Andre Dixon was the feature back gaining 809 yards. Linebacker Danny Lansanah is the leader on defense in tackles and TFL. UConn has the No. 91 ranked passing attack so it can’t afford to fall behind.

GEORGIA TECH VS. FRESNO STATE IN THE HUMANITARIAN BOWL:
Tech finished, 1-5, against bowl teams. Former head coach Chan Gailey is gone and defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta is coaching the team in the bowl game while incoming head coach Paul Johnson will be watching. Fresno State has the better offense ranked No. 51 (Tech is No. 66), but the Yellow Jackets have the better defense ranked No. 11 allowing 310 yards per game. Tailback Tashard Choice could have a field day against FSU’s rush defense that allows 180 yards rpg. Tech must play defense like they are capable even though they allowed over 400 yards twice in November. Linebacker Philip Wheeler, defensive tackle Vance Walker and linebacker Gary Guyton must play well. Tech had 48 sacks on the season, tops in the nation.

Both teams struggle throwing the ball, but Tech and FSU average slightly over 200 ypg rushing. However, leading rushers Ryan Matthews (muscle tear) and Lonyae Miller (quad) are either out or struggling with injuries. FSU has 15 starters returning for Pat Hill in 2008. Tight end Bear Pascoe (6-5, 260) is perhaps the best receiver.

BOSTON COLLEGE VS. MICHIGAN STATE IN THE SPORTS CHAMPS BOWL:
BC is looking for its eight straight bowl win, the nation’s longest streak. The Eagles senior class has a school record of 38-12. B.C. could be disappointed in making this game after losing in the ACC title game to Virginia Tech. Michigan State is glad to be in its first bowl since 2003. State started, 4-0, before losing five- of- six. They ended the season on a two-game win streak. State allowed 26 ppg and BC averages 28 ppg. In its last two games, State allowed an average of 31 points and a combined 872 yards. State quarterback Brian Hoyer is the second best quarterback in the league. Javon Ringer had 1,346 yards rushing and receiver Devin Thomas led the league with 1,226 yards receiving. BC’s defense was No. 5 in the ACC allowing 331 ypg. All-American BC safety Jamie Silva took an interception back for a score in the ACC title game. BC quarterback Matt Ryan was No. 5 in the nation averaging 327 yards passing per game. He threw 28 touchdowns and 18 picks. Tailback Andre Callender rushed for 956 yards. State allowed an average of 180 yards rushing in its last five games.

TEXAS TECH VS. VIRGINIA IN THE GATOR BOWL:
Texas Tech has the No. 2 total offense in the nation averaging 537 ypg and Virginia has the No. 100 total offense averaging 329 ypg. The roles are reversed on defense with Tech ranked No. 50 and Virginia No. 17. Tech has won four of five bowl games. Virginia has won three of four bowl games. Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell has 45 touchdowns and 14 picks. Freshman Michael Crabtree had an amazing season with 125 catches for 1,861 yards and 21 touchdowns. Virginia end Chris Long leads the team with 14 sacks. Cav running back Mikell Simpson, who ran for 410 yards and seven touchdowns in the final five games, could be academically ineligible. Simpson is also a fine receiver. Virginia will struggle if Tech gets up early and quarterback Jameel Sewell has to come from behind. The Cavs could win if they get to Harrell, who was sacked six times in losses to Colorado and Missouri. There are reports that junior cornerback Chris Cook did not make the trip. Cook is No. 9 among the league’s cornerbacks in tackles.

WEST VIRGINIA: Butch Jones, the coach at Central Michigan, has also been mentioned for the job. He is a former assistant. Last week, West Virginia officials appeared to be ready to hire Doc Holliday from Florida, but a wave of support from the Terry Bowden camp curtailed it. Reports also have Boise State’s Chris Petersen as a possibility.

UCLA: Possibilities are UCLA interim coach Walker, and former Bruin Rick Neuheisel. Temple coach Al Golden has taken his name out of consideration.

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR MYCLAYSUN IN ORANGE PARK, FLA. HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON SPORTS RADIO 1010 XL.