When: Dec. 30,
noon ET
The Game: In its eight year, the Music City Bowl will again be played at Adelphia
Coliseum in Nashville, Tenn. Known to many as "Nashville's Holiday Tradition,"
the game this year features representatives of the Big Ten and SEC. This will
be the final game featuring the Big Ten, as next year's game begins a partnership
with the ACC. The
Teams: Minnesota (7-4, 4-4) finished in seventh place in the Big Ten. Virginia
(6-5, 3-5) finished fifth in the ACC Coastal and shared the eighth-best record
in the conference. No
truth to the rumor that Glen Mason's Minnesota squad favors country music, but
this is the third time in four years that the Gophers find themselves in Nashville.
The good news is that the two previous visits produced bowl wins. Minnesota
finished second in the nation in rushing (279.9 yards per game), thanks to All-America
center Greg Eslinger and tailbacks Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell. Virginia
linebacker Kai Parham, overshadowed by teammate Ahmad Brooks, led the Cavaliers
with 89 tackles, including 8.5 sacks. | 
