Overview of St. Alabama-Michigan (AP) (Yahoo!)

When the State of Michigan coach Mark Dantonio suffered a mild heart attack in September, Nick Saban called his former assistant to wish him a speedy recovery.

The friends will face for the first time when the Spartan No.7 take 15th rank Alabama in the Bowl a capital in Orlando, Florida, on the day of the year.

Dantonio served as assistant to Saban at Michigan State from 1995 to 1999 until what Saban left for the LSU, and they remained close in course of the years. Dantonio said his time as an assistant gave him the opportunity to coach the Spartans and assigns Saban to make it part of the program of the State of Michigan.

"Coach Saban really was probably my biggest mentor as a coach," said Dantonio. "When I had the opportunity to come here - and probably here now sitting as a ball football head coach thanks to him bring me here - I'm very, very grateful for this and all the time, I spent five years with him."

Saban 0-3 in Michigan State Bowl games, and he resigned before Citrus Bowl victory team after guiding the Spartans to a record 9 - 2, in its last season. Assistant Alabama current Bobby Williams, who succeeded Saban as head coach led Michigan State to a victory against Florida 37 - 34.

"(Dantonio) has done a wonderful job with his team and what they have done this year, and how he built the program back to national fame", said Saban. "I am not ever really competition against my friends, but it is an excellent opportunity to join our team."

A part of its first 20 years Conference Championship and a school for wins record did not help at Michigan State (11-1) earn first invitation BCS program, finishing behind champions colleagues Big Ten Ohio State and Wisconsin.

The Spartan feel a confrontation with the preseason No. 1 and national champion 2009 Crimson Tide will be a good stick measures to determine whether they were worthy of competition at this level.

"They are a football team that lost two of his three matches by four points total," said Dantonio. "When we look at the type BCS teams and teams have played us so is the opportunity to go to a BCS (game), I don't think we could have picked a better team than Alabama."

Confrontation, however, does not seem to favour the Spartans on paper.

The Crimson Tide (9-3) led the SEC renounce 14.1 points and disorders: 296.0 yards per game. Also forced Alabama 21 intercepts, and Kirk Cousins the State of Michigan has five of them thrown in his last four games.

Running back Edwin Baker ranked third in the Big Ten with 1,187 yards, but rush defense allowed Crimson Tide 33.9 per game.

"We believe, that we are not in a Bowl BCS, what we're playing in a game type BCS due to the quality of the season we have established and the quality of the season that Alabama to establish," said cousins. "We are as a type BCS bowl game.

Spartan senior linebacker Greg Jones is the only stars of first team-AP on a team and is the solitary repeat winners 2009 member. Jones led the plated team 98 and attempt to delay a violation of Alabama average 435.6 yards. Michigan State ranked third in the Big Ten in total defense, renounce 337.8 yards per game.

"We are really excited by the challenge that we have in front of us, especially in defence," said Jones. "I think we can actually improve and be one of top page defenses in the country."

Alabama will deal with the receiver and the second team-only Julio Jones, which establishes the school with 75 receptions and 1,084 yards this season records. Jones made seven touchdown passes Greg McElroy 19.

However, winner of the Heisman trophy last season Mark Ingram, who missed two games due to injury, was held to less than 100 yards in eight straight competition after this mark nine times in 2009.

The Crimson Tide tied for first in the SEC with a minimum of turnover (14) and may need to continue this trend against the Spartans.

"Defensive manner they are the first 25 in many categories to the things that really matter and which have a grand inside linebacker Greg Jones, said Saban." They are just a multiple team really good, well monitored, and when you play with teams like you have to play with the discipline and that he cannot do a lot of errors because they will be difficult to overcome. »

State of Michigan has lost its last four Bowl games, while Alabama alternated WINS and losses in his last eight.

Overview of Tennessee-Miami (Ohio) medium (PA) (Yahoo!)

Many Miami Ohio expected to finish in the bottom of the Mid-American Conference after a disastrous season 2009.

Person is likely to ignore the coaching team Michael Haywood anytime soon, though.

The RedHawks will attempt to determine what would be a reversal of link to the record when they take the Middle Tennessee in the bowl of GoDaddy.com in mobile, Alabama. on 6 January.

Haywood went 1-11 in its first year with last season's programme, and the RedHawks descended to an early 4 - 4 in 2010. Team turned a corner after that, however, winning their last five matches.

The final victory in the term was a last minute 26-21 win then-no. 24 Northern Illinois December 3 to school her first MAC Championships since 2003.

"What a remarkable achievement by these young men overcome adversity in which they participated to go 1-11 being 9-4 and win a championship of MAC," said Haywood, coach of the Conference of the year 2010. "I'm so happy for them and all the adversity that they have overcome and the efforts they have done."

RedHawks win eight improvement is the best in the country, and with a victory over the Blue Raiders, they correspond to larger FBS righting a season record. They will have played a game more than Hawaii, going 9-4 in 1999 after finishing 0-12 in the previous season.

The difference between Miami 1-7 record Conference last year and the team 7-1 mark in 2010 is the largest in 64-year history the AMC.

Austin Boucher threw a career-best 333 yards with a touchdown in the championship match. It has averaged 233.6 yards in the last three competitions since for Starter Zac Dysert, who suffered a spleen wounded 10 next November.

Miami has a chance to win six right for the first time since October 9-20, November 2004. The term six - game prior to his most recent appearance Bowl – a loss of 17-13 in the State of Iowa in 2004 independence Bowl.

Thomas Merriweather was executed for an average of 111.4 yards and six affected to victory band, and it may be online for another great day against a Middle Tennessee defense helped 193.7 yards per game on the ground and 23 rushing touchdowns.

By winning his last three games, Blue Raiders (6-6) won a second sleeper consecutive Bowl for the first time since his arrival at the SBF in 1999.

Mean that he did in exciting fashion, rallying past cochampion Tennessee Sun Belt Conference in Florida on affected end Phillip Tanner executed for a 28-27 victory on 4 December, making this Bowl eligible.

Dwight Dasher, suspended for the first four games to accept a loan of $1,500, threw for a season high 244 yards.

"One of our goals entering the season was to play a game of Bowl and I am extremely proud of our team and coaching staff to accomplish this," said coach Rick Stockstill. It was like a playoff three weeks and I am proud of how these guys have managed the situation. They showed great character and tenacity. »

Dasher set a record for turbulent yards by a quarterback with 201 Bowl and total affected four in a 42-32 on Miss South in New Orleans Bowl victory last December 20.

This is the 15th player in NCAA history to throw for 5,000 yards and rush for 2,000.

Sun Belt defensive player of the year Jamari Lattimore corresponded to a recording school with 11 1/2 bags - sixth most in the country.

Blue Raiders are directed in their third match of five seasons well attached in the nation with 33 most Bowl turnover rate.

"We play a champion of the Conference and a team which has really turned the last year," said Stockstill. "They have some good wins this season and are very well trained in all phases of the game. I've not watched their on broadband, but I know that this will be a challenge and we play our best to compete with them. »

This is the first meeting between the schools.

Miami is 6-3 in Bowl games, Middle Tennessee 1-1.