FanHouse GatorBowl

FanHouse gathers around the TV to bring you insights from Bowl Season '08.

Onyx? Anthracite? Obsidian? Nothingness? Whatever they come up with, Nebraska needs to find a color beyond black and give its defense shirts in that color. After spotting Clemson an 11-point lead, Bo Pelini's Cornhuskers got huge help from their defense in the second half while the offense almost came to life.

Joe Ganz hit on two touchdowns early in the third quarter to pull within four points, but the Huskers couldn't find the end zone again. It didn't matter. The Nebraska defense had things so clogged up in the second half they could have been sponsored by Imodium. Dabo Swinney's crew couldn't even get into field goal range until it was too late to do them any good.

A lot of Blackshirts contributed to the win, but two in particular stood out. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh's name came up about every other play, with the other half of the plays being made by his linemate Ty Steinkuhler. The real game-ending play, however, came from sophomore cornerback Eric Hagg, who dropped Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper for a 16-yard loss on 2nd and goal with about two minutes left. Wayne Larrivee didn't broadcast this game, but he would've told you that was the dagger.

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Florida), which pits Clemson against Nebraska.

Overview/Matchup: Clemson and Nebraska both come into this bowl at interesting points of their respective would-be dynasties. Obviously, Nebraska's tradition is nearly untouchable, but Bo Pelini is looking to pick up his first bowl win as head coach there. And to juice up the storyline a little bit more, Dabo Swinney, who took over the team after Tommy Bowden "resigned" midway through the season, is also looking for his first. The Tigers have a ton of momentum, beating arch-rival South Carolina to close the season, but Nebraska, winners of four straight to end the year, are coming on strong as well.

Hotels: Between its prime location (walking distance of the Jacksonville Landing shopping center, Center for the Performing Arts and the sports complex), luxurious accommodations, on-site dining and excellent service, the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront is easily the finest hotel in Jacksonville. On the opposite bank of the St. John's River, the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville has good proximity to the stadium, balconied guest rooms and reasonable prices. Just blocks from the Crowne Plaza, the Hampton Inn Jacksonville I-95 Central offers the same great location with rooms usually available for less than US$100 per night.