Michigan Wins Sugar Bowl, Clemson and West Virginia to Square Off in Orange Bowl

Special guest post by Esteban L. Hernandez

First, it doomed Georgia against Michigan State. Then, it relegated Andrew Luck and his Stanford teammates to a bitter loss against Oklahoma State. It was a missed field goal, on both occasions in overtime, that closed the Bulldog’s and the Cardinal’s season with a loss.

So like a siren’s song, the missed field goal in overtime was destined to attract another victim. On Tuesday night it did just that, as Virginia Tech was unable to produce three points in an overtime field goal attempt against Michigan, who would score their own field goal attempt to win the 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, La., 23-20.

The win may signal a return to the college football elite for the Michigan Wolverines, who in three past seasons had posted only one winning season. For the Virginia Tech Hokies, the loss means the conference they belong to, the ACC, is now 2-12 in BCS games.

The ACC will get an opportunity to improve that dismal BCS record on Wednesday when ACC champs Clemson Tigers play the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Discover Orange Bowl. Kicking off at 8:30 p.m., fans on both sides seemed to be up early, tweeting away as the tailgating began promptly outside Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Fla., where the temperature should hover in the cozy mid-60s.

While some fans appear weary of how a game between the two lowest-ranking teams in a BCS bowl might fare against one another, Clemson is a proven offensive power, setting school records for passing yards and totals yards in their first 10-win season since 1990. West Virginia arrives in Miami as the seventh ranked team in passing offense. Both teams are averaging more than 33 points per game. While the name of the bowl may favor Clemson (one of their school colors is orange) this is one game that has no clear favorites.