Houston Cougars News

HOUSTON-Through the big wins and high rankings of this season, the Houston Cougars remained focused on a goal of winning the West division of Conference USA.

Holiday and Sun Bowl selectors are salivating over the prospect of USC winding up in their games. Cincinnati appears on the verge of a perfect season ... or landing in the Meineke Car Care Bowl? And Notre Dame, whose tradition and following still make it attractive, is fighting to make the Gator Bowl. "It's important from our perspective for Notre Dame to excel in its last two games," Gator Bowl president Rick Catlett told Sporting News on Monday. As the bowl schedule starts to shake out, a... bunch of intriguing placements and match-ups are emerging. This week's top five, based on SN's bowl projections: 1. Outback: Penn State vs. Tennessee The skinny: Two great defenses stocked with future pros and top coordinators in Tennessee's Monte Kiffin and Penn State's Tom Bradley. But Joe Paterno vs. Lane Kiffin might break the ratings meter. College football's bookends—the nation's oldest coach vs. the nation's youngest—would highlight the postseason. 2. Meineke: Cincinnati vs. Florida State The skinny: An 11-1 Cincinnati squad could fall to Charlotte with a loss at Pitt and the Gator choosing Notre Dame. "There are going to be a lot of really good options out there for us," Meineke game executive director Will Webb said. The coaching duel is the hook here —up-and-coming Brian Kelly against beleaguered grandpa Bobby Bowden. 3. Orange: Clemson vs. Boise State The skinny:Offense, anybody? Kellen Moore and the Boise State juggernaut will go score-for-score with speedy C.J. Spiller and the Tigers. Clemson would fight to avoid losing to both TCU and the Broncos in a four-month stretch. Related Links Hayes projects the BCS games Curtis: Projecting every bowl matchup 4. Holiday: USC vs. Oklahoma State The skinny: The Trojans have a great defensive coach with an underperforming unit. The Cowboys have a great offensive coach with an injury-plagued unit. A little redemption here for two teams that started the season thinking BCS. 5. Liberty: Houston vs. Arkansas The skinny: This one features Houston's Case Keenum, one of the nation's top college quarterbacks, against the Hogs' Ryan Mallett, possibly the country's top pro quarterback prospect. Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

Top-25 Week 11

ORLANDO, Fla.-Central Florida coach George O'Leary doesn't have any illusions about what the Knights have to do to keep pace with No. 13 Houston and the Cougars' prolific quarterback Case Keenum.