Orange Bowl, Clemson Vs. West Virginia: 'Eers Gun Down Record Book, 70-33

West Virginia's Orange Bowl Speed Limit Sign Offends West Virginian

VIDEO: Orange Bowl Mascot Tackle Ends With Postgame Hug

Dana Holgorsen, Colorado School Of Mines, And The Play That Broke The Orange Bowl

Orange Bowl 2012: WVU Fans Name AD Oliver Luck Game MVP

The West Virginia Mountaineers' season started in controversial fashion. Now former head coach Bill Stewart was forced to resign in the summer, following accusations that he asked newspaper reporters to dig up dirt on then offensive coordinator and current Head Coach Dana Holgorsen. West Virginia Athletic Director Oliver Luck was on the receiving end of some criticism for his handling of the situation, but after West Virginia's 70-33 Orange Bowl win over the Clemson Tigers, it appears that he ultimately made the correct decision.

West Virginia Mountaineers blog The Smoking Musket has gone so far as to name Oliver Luck their Orange Bowl MVP.

Oliver Luck is my Orange Bowl MVP! In one year he has made the difficult and often painful moves necessary to get WVU athletics moving toward unprecedented heights. His levelheaded guidance through "Stewmageddon" and the chaos of conference realignment has been rewarded. Last night's Orange Bowl "Mountaineer Massacre" (SI.com's headline) made this past turbulent year pay off.

Holgorsen was widely regarded as a fantastic offensive coach before his arrival in Morgantown, but very few people could have predicted that he would lead West Virginia to a BCS bowl victory after this summer's controversy. With his team's performance against Clemson, Luck has been vindicated in his decision to force Stewart to resign in June.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

Orange Bowl 2012: Clemson Fans Call For Coordinator's Head After Embarrassing Loss

Here is a list of all of the teams who have given up 70 points in a bowl game: The 2011-12 Clemson Tigers. That's the list. The West Virginia Mountaineers broke a bowl scoring record in their 70-33 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl, embarrassing the Tigers in the process. While West Virginia have a very good offense, it hasn't shown itself to be capable of putting up the kind of points they put up on Wednesday night, even while playing some weak opposition.

Unsurprisingly, Clemson fans are unhappy. Clemson Tigers blog Shakin' The Southland spent a lot of time breaking down the West Virginia offense ahead of the Orange Bowl, so they're more angry than most. They're calling for defensive coordinator Kevin Steele's head, and they're using some strong language to do so.

Kevin Steele, pack your bags and get the f--- out of town. Nothing we saw from West Virginia is something they haven't shown to me in the 7 games I watched of them this season. The jet sweep was their best run play, and our guys looked like they had not seen it once. I think I watched more film than this football team did. hell we pointed these things out in our previews so the fans would know it was coming ... You're from SC. You're a good recruiter. You've coached under the best defensive minds around, but you ain't gettin it done here. Record points given up in the Orange Bowl? Giving every offense that plays Clemson their best day of the year? Get out. Go to Tennessee.

While this was the worst performance that the Clemson defense has put in this season, it's not their first poor performance by any stretch of the imagination. Generally, when fans call for the heads of coordinators after bad losses, it's extremely reactionary and they end up calming down a few days later. In this case, Shakin' The Southland probably won't be issuing a retraction.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

Clemson Defense Failed By Michelle Obama, Still Seeking Muse

West Virginia Vs. Clemson Recap, Orange Bowl 2012: The Numerical

The stats that mattered in West Virginia's 70-33 destruction of Clemson in last night's Discover Orange Bowl, from Geno Smith's near-perfection, to a second quarter apocalypse, to Orange Bowl defensive battles.

In Clemson's Darkest Night, One Ray Of Hope Shines Through

West Virginia Vs. Clemson Final Score, Orange Bowl 2012: WVU Breaks Bowl Record

First things first: the West Virginia Mountaineers became the first team to ever score 70 points in a bowl game, trashing the Clemson Tigers, 70-26, in the 2012 Orange Bowl. Seventy points!

From a four-touchdown, five-minute spurt around halftime to the highest combined-scoring first quarter and first half in Orange Bowl history to WVU pulling starting quarterback Geno Smith with 20 minutes left in the game, WVU made that whole rejected-by-the-ACC thing look mighty silly indeed.

SI.com: Orange Bowl box score and Orange Bowl FAQ.

Smith passed for 401 yards and six touchdowns, Tavon Austin put together 163 combined yards and four scores, Shawne Alston rushed for 78 and scored twice. It goes on and on. The funny thing is Clemson's offense actually played reasonably well, putting up 440 yards, but letting go of four turnovers made far too big of an opportunity for one of the nation's fastest, most capable offenses.

Dana Holgorsen, who became the head coach of the 'Eers after a rocky setup with previous coach Bill Stewart fell apart, has helped give West Virginia its third victory in a BCS bowl game.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

Clemson Vs. West Virginia: The Band Girl Saw It Coming

West Virginia Football Continues Orange Bowl Demolition Project

The West Virginia Mountaineers, who entered halftime on pace to score 98 points, are now on pace to score more than 100 points. The opening drive of the 2012 Orange Bowl's second half ended when Geno Smith found Stedman Bailey to make it 56-20.

SI.com: Live Orange Bowl box score and Orange Bowl FAQ.

That's four touchdowns for WVU in the last five minutes of game time. Smith has surpassed 300 yards with 27 minutes remaining. West Virginia's even rushed for 114 yards, right around its average for an entire game this season.

More points could be on the way, as the Mountaineers defense has just forced a punt out of the Clemson Tigers. See you soon!

Oh, also, the latest record set to crumble:

@sbnation And West Virginia ties the record for points by a team in a BCS game ... with about two quarters to go.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

2012 Orange Bowl Halftime Score: West Virginia Squeezing Out Every Last Point

Ah yes, where were we. The Orange Bowl itself. In a game featuring two packed offenses, the West Virginia Mountaineers have emerged as the team with both the superior offense and defense, for the time being at least. Three turnovers have made the difference, with one a 99-yard fumble return by Darwin Cook, another a Pat Miller pick that set up Tavon Austin touchdown No. 3, and the last a forced fumble by Bruce Irvin that keyed a Shawn Alston score.

SI.com: Live Orange Bowl box score and Orange Bowl FAQ.

This game has set the all-time Orange Bowl record for first quarter scoring and for first half scoring. The Orange Bowl has been around since 1935. Only four Orange Bowl teams have ever scored more than 42 points through 60 minutes, let alone 30.

But, as we saw in the Alamo Bowl, this kind of game is never really over. Clemson's going to have to pick it up on offense -- we don't get to say THAT very often -- but it's going to need its defense to start getting some stops. In seven offensive drives, WVU has scored five touchdowns.

The yardage total is 670, which, yes, is on pace to shatter another Orange Bowl record.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

VIDEO: Darwin Cook Scores, Tackles Orange Bowl Mascot

OK, that's a grown man tackling a giant orange, followed by the orange throwing up in a trash can. Let's back up.

With both offenses slacking on delivering the promise of maximum points -- only 38 with 40 minutes to go, sirs?! -- the West Virginia Mountaineers defense took matters into their own hands. Matters being the football, wrenched from running back Andre Ellington as he hurtled for what might've been a touchdown otherwise, with Darwin Cook taking the ball 99 yards the other way.

SI.com: Live Orange Bowl box score and Orange Bowl FAQ.

After replay, it became clear the ball was loose well before Ellington hit the ground. It then meandered throughout various limbs, failing to find a suitable captor before settling upon Cook as its only acceptable handler. Pure Darwinism.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

ANIMATED: Identity Of QWOP Finally Discovered

ANIMATED: Tavon Austin Cannot Possibly Be Driven Out Of Bounds

West Virginia Mountaineers weapon Tavon Austin has scored his second touchdown of the 2012 Orange Bowl, giving WVU a 21-17 lead early in the second quarter; yes, I said early the second quarter. Both came on neat little jet sweeps from Geno Smith, and both involved steps near the goal line that came about as close to the out-of-bounds line as they possibly could.

The most recent:

SI.com: Live Orange Bowl box score and Orange Bowl FAQ.

Not much you can do about an opponent who's able to teleport in and out of bounds whenever he pleases. The Clemson Tigers have ample firepower of their own, but are going to need to find a way to slide the chalk boundary in a few yards if they want to slow Austin.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

2012 Orange Bowl Score Update: Sammy Watkins, Tavon Austin Escalate Hostilities

Clemson Tigers wide receiver Sammy Watkins, perhaps the nation's finest freshman, introduced himself to the sort of national audience that only watches BCS bowl games by snaring a Tajh Boyd bomb for a 27-yard touchdown. Most other national audiences were already aware of him.

SI.com: Live Orange Bowl box score and Orange Bowl FAQ.

Watkins entered the game with 1,382 yards in what was not only his first year, but the first year for offensive coordinator Chad Morris.

The West Virginia Mountaineers retorted with a swift scoring drive of their own, because of course they did. Tavon Austin raced in for a touchdown, diving to nip the pylon just as he skidded out of bounds. The new score is 14-14 with almost 48 minutes remaining, and the early run of high-scoring BCS games looks quite likely to continue.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

West Virginia's Andrew Buie Does A Barrel Roll

West Virginia Vs. Clemson Score Update: Andrew Buie, Shawn Alston Knot It Up

The West Virginia Mountaineers are now keeping up their end of the Orange Bowl bargain, as they've provided points. Running back Shawn Alston fired four yards up the middle to conclude the 72-yard drive and tie it back up, 7-7.

The key play on the drive: this bounding, 16-yard catch-and-run by Andrew Buie, perhaps a tribute to BCS National Championship Game MVP Michael Dyer:

SI.com: Live Orange Bowl box score and Orange Bowl FAQ.

Credit goes to the line judge for not blowing the whistle while observing whatever that was. Kind of afraid I'd throw up if anybody tackled me like that, but there he goes, just running like it's no big deal. This is why I'm only writing about this game.

Each team has gained 98 yards so far, with 51 minutes remaining. I'd say we're on course.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

VIDEO: Andre Ellington Explodes Through West Virginia Defense

Second-team All-ACC Clemson Tigers running back Andre Ellington christened what was supposed to be a festive 2012 Orange Bowl with a 68-yard scoring burst up the middle. Watch as the West Virginia Mountaineers secondary appears to stand still after its front seven gets caught up in the wash at the line, with a blitz arriving poorly:

SI.com: Live Orange Bowl box score and Orange Bowl FAQ.

That was Ellington's fourth carry of the game. The previous three tallied just one yard. He's now up to 1,131 rushing yards on the year, tacking on his 11th touchdown.

Expect plenty more points where that came from, and also many more points from where that didn't come from. The other team is the one I'm referring to. These teams are expected to score something like 30 points each.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

2012 Orange Bowl Live Updates: So Far, So Not Scoring

But we were promised points! The Clemson Tigers opened the 2012 Orange Bowl with a three-and-out after a dropped pass by Jaron Brown, and the entire world heaved in disappointment.

SI.com: Live Orange Bowl box score and Orange Bowl FAQ.

The West Virginia Mountaineers made a better go of it, crossing into CU turf before Geno Smith had to unfurl a prayer out of bounds. Corey Smith smacked a punt inside Clemson's five and this is pretty much LSU-Alabama. Abandon all hope of points ever.

One pass has been completed thus far, a seven-yarder from Geno Smith to Tavon Austin. Austin also picked up a first down on the ground for WVU, and that's about the entire story thus far. The crowd appears to be largely orange based on what I'm seeing, but it's indeed not much of a crowd.

For more on the 2012 Orange Bowl, visit Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.

Rootability Index: The Orange Bowl, Where Don Knotts Breaks All Ties

West Virginia Vs. Clemson, Orange Bowl 2012: Rising To The Occasion

Tonight's Orange Bowl provides yet another even matchup, and with two teams that have tended to rise to the occasion in 2011, the level of play could be pretty high, even if the overall rankings are not.

How The BCS Killed The Orange Bowl

The Orange Bowl was once among the premier games in all of college football, but the BCS has squeezed all the life out of the Miami showdown.

Orange Bowl 2012: Cheap Tickets Still Available For Clemson, West Virginia

Haven't bought your ticket yet for the 2012 Orange Bowl between the Clemson Tigers and West Virginia Mountaineers? That's okay, there are plenty of affordable tickets still available for you.

On stubhub.com, the world’s top scalping site, Orange Bowl seats were selling for as little as $11 Tuesday afternoon. At the official resale board on the Orange Bowl’s homepage, the prime seats on the 50-yard line could be had for less than $300 — a significant discount, given a comparable seat for next week’s national championship game in New Orleans costs about $4,000.

A midweek kickoff and a lack of national interest in the match-up, which is a usual complaint about the Orange Bowl, have a lot to do with the lackluster ticket sales. However, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates occupancy will be slighly higher on game day this year than it was in 2011 —75 percent versus 73 percent.

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket.Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Orange Bowl 2012, West Virginia Vs. Clemson: Time, TV Schedule, Odds And More

The West Virginia Mountaineers are getting set to take on the Clemson Tigers in the 2012 Orange Bowl. The game will feature two of the NCAA's better and more explosive offenses in the country. The Mountaineers rank seventh in the country in passing thanks to quarterback Geno Smith, and 17th in total offense. Reaching a BCS bowl game wasn't easy for the 'Eers however, as it took some late game heroics and help from other teams. "Three games in a row it came down to, shoot, I think the last minute of all three games -- maybe even the last couple of seconds," West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. "Regardless of what happens, you've just got to keep playing, you've got to keep playing and you've got to find a way to win in the end."

The Tigers on the other hand ran through most of their opponents until some late missteps down the stretch. Quarterback Tajh Boyd and freshman sensation Sammy Watkins lead an offense that set Clemson records for passing yards, total yards, and scoring. Despite a few road bumps after an 8-0 start, the Tigers were able to make their first Orange Bowl since 1982. "It's been 30 years since Clemson has been in the Orange Bowl," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "This is the site of our program's greatest moment and we've been wandering in the desert for a long time since." Both teams look to bring their high powered offenses and put on a show in Miami.

"We anticipate an exciting, high-scoring game," Orange Bowl CEO Eric Poms said.

Game date, time: 8:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, January 4th

Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL

TV channel: ESPN/ESPN3

Odds: Line is even

For more college football, stay tuned to SB Nation’s college football news coverage. And visit our many college football blogs. For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket.Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Orange Bowl 2012, West Virginia Vs. Clemson: Offense, Offense Everywhere

The West Virginia Mountaineers and Clemson Tigers both had rough patches in their seasons and came out of conferences that suffered from down years. In some sort of system where the 'best' teams got to play in the biggest games, Clemson and West Virginia would not get to play in the Orange Bowl. It's a good thing that we live in a world where the 'flawed' BCS is king, because in a world that was 'fair', we wouldn't get to watch this potentially fantastic shootout.

Both of these teams are mediocre defensively and are in possession of very good offenses. This game won't be nearly as crazy as the Alamo Bowl and the football probably won't be as good as the Rose Bowl, but the public should probably expect something roughly in-between the two. Lots of scoring, a good deal of defensive fail, and an all-around entertaining encounter.

West Virginia and Clemson both took interesting roads to the BCS, partially depending on the teams around them to fail miserably. West Virginia was, at multiple points in the season, not the team in pole position to receive the Big East's bid to the BCS. Clemson did a Clemson after a strong start, losing three of their last four regular season games. WVU won their last three Big East games to back into this game, while Clemson picked themselves up from those three losses in their last four games to beat Virginia Tech for the second time this season in the ACC Championship Game.

Clemson Tigers blog Shakin' The Southland has a fantastic lengthy breakdown of the West Virginia "air raid" passing attack that's well worth a read. It's everything you've ever wanted to know about the offensive concepts of the air raid and how West Virginia's playmakers fit into the system. They also took the time to West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket, and their conversation provides some fantastic insight into how the two schools are treating this bowl game.

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket.Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Orange Bowl 2012: Clemson Vs. West Virginia: Mountaineers Running Back Dustin Garrison To Miss Orange Bowl

West Virginia Mountaineers running back Dustin Garrison was injured during today's practice and will miss the 2012 Orange Bowl against the Clemson Tigers, Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com reports.

According to Andrea Aldeson of ESPN.com, Garrison is believed to have a sprained anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee with some additional damage to his medial collateral ligament in the same knee. Surgery will be required, which will be accompanied by a six-month rehabilitation process.

The freshman led the Mountaineers in rushing in 2011, gaining 742 yards with six touchdowns while adding 24 receptions for 201 yards out of the backfield. Garrison burst on the scene in a 55-10 win over Bowling Green, carrying the ball 32 times for 291 yards with a pair of touchdown. Prior to that game, Garrison had just 13 carries for 65 yards and two touchdowns.

With Garrison out, junior running back Shawne Alston may carry the load in the backfield. Alston gained 339 yards on the season, with nearly a third of that production coming in a 41-31 over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on October 29. The 5-foot-11, 221-pound Alston leads the Mountaineers with 10 rushing touchdowns.

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket.Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Orange Bowl 2012: West Virginia Loses Vernard Roberts, Three Others

West Virginia loses a smattering of offensive depth heading into the Orange Bowl against Clemson.

Orange Bowl 2012: Clemson Tigers Arrive In Miami In Style

The Clemson Tigers have arrived in Miami for the 2012 Orange Bowl to play the West Virginia Mountaineers. Upon arrival, they were treated with the classiest of carpets. The orange carpet.

"That’s when you really know you achieved something in life, when you get to walk on the carpet,’’ 6-6, 255-pound senior defensive end Kourtnei Brown said.

The team was also greated by two buses, each wrapped with a photograph of coach Dabo Swinney and his Tigers.

"That’s a big bus! Golly!’’ said amazed cornerback Coty Sensabaugh, a senior from Kingsport, Tenn.

The Tigers sure are excited to be in the Orange Bowl. Unfortunately, not too many of theirs and West Virginia's fans are following suit. Between the two schools, around 15,000 game tickets remain unsold.

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket.Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Orange Bowl 2012: DeAndre Hopkins Recovering After Car Accident Injury

Clemson receiver DeAndre Hopkins is all right after getting in a car wreck Tuesday, but his status for the Orange Bowl is undetermined.

Everyone's A Winner At The Orange Bowl, Except The Schools Playing It

Orange Bowl 2012: West Virginia Focused On Clemson

With finals over and the rest of the students home for the holidays, the West Virginia Mountaineers football players are focused solely on the Clemson Tigers, their opponent in the 2012 Orange Bowl on January 4, reports Chip Fontanazza of the West Virginia MetroNews.

"I don’t believe you can over prepare, but I believe bowl prep is pretty good because you get a lot more time to just focus on football," explained quarterback Geno Smith. "School is out and everyone is gone pretty much so there are no distractions. We’re just here bonding as a team and just working on our craft and getting as good as we can be."

The Tigers are preparing for a high-powered Mountaineers offense that ranked seventh in the nation with 341.8 passing yards per game under first-year head coach Dana Holgorsen, a discipline of Mike Leach, writes Travis Sawchik of The Post and Courier.

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket. Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Orange Bowl 2012: West Virginia Loses Key Starter Terence Garvin

West Virginia will enter the Orange Bowl minus a defensive starter, safety Terence Garvin.

Orange Bowl 2012: Is Dana Holgorsen's Deal A Distraction?

Six months after taking over as head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers, Dana Holgorsen is still operating under a term sheet, but the deal he will eventually sign is not a very good one for the university down the road, writes Jack Bogaczyk of the Charleston Daily Mail.

Specifically, Bogaczyk's beef with the six-year, $11.5 million agreement is that it does not contain a non-compete clause that would prevent Holgorsen from leaving the Mountaineers for another program within the conference. With the Mountaineers moving to the Big 12, perhaps as early as 2012, that could be an issue, Bogaczyk argues:

"My thought is this: Had West Virginia stayed in the Big East, I think there was slim to no chance of Holgorsen leaving West Virginia for another program in the conference. With the Mountaineers destined for the Dallas-based Big 12 - and perhaps not long after that Jan. 4 Orange Bowl it will become official - I think the chances for Holgorsen leaving WVU are heightened, considering his recent coaching history in the league and Lone Star State."

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket. Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Orange Bowl 2012: Clemson WR Sammy Watkins Bowl Eligibility Not An Issue

Clemson Tigers star freshman wide receiver Sammy Watkins was investigated by NCAA about his eligibility for the Orange Bowl after attending a planned Christmas party in a southwest Florida restaurant.

Clemson sports information director Tim Bourret said the school's compliance office would send a cease-and-desist notice to Price today. "This should have no effect on Sammy Watkins' eligibility for the Orange Bowl," Bourret said.

Watkins, along with four other college football players, were listed as "hosts" for the ‘Naughty or Nice X-Mas Party,' scheduled for Dec. 23 at The Firepit Grill. A local DJ claimed that he had permission to use the players names on the flier for the party, but was later notified by one of the players that their names needed to be removed.

Broderick Jenkins of West Virginia was also one of the players who's names appeared on the "host" list. Both players are expected to be available for the Orange Bowl, however.

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket. Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Sammy Watkins' Appearance On Christmas Party Promo Draws NCAA Interest

Chad Morris Of Clemson Joins Million-Dollar Coordinators Club

Orange Bowl 2012: West Virginia Tickets Sales Slow

When the West Virginia Mountaineers takes on the Clemson Tigers in the 2012 Orange Bowl, they might not be doing so in front of too many WVU fans. At least not if ticket sales keep up the way they've been going (via WVIllustrated.com).

According to Sports Marketing Director Matt Wells, WVU's ticket sales are just over 5,700 as of Monday morning. The university was given 17,500 total tickets to distribute, but sales have been slow.

"The fact that we have 17,500 tickets and we've only sold about 5,700 of them shows that we have a lot of tickets that are not going to be sold," says Wells. "There are several factors that play into it, but the fact of the matter is ticket sales aren't as strong as we hoped they'd be."

West Virginia has traditionally traveled well but some issues could be the mid-week status of the game (requiring longer trips and time off work), the lack of significance to the match-up with Clemson or just the fact that the Orange Bowl itself hasn't sold well in recent years.

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket. Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Orange Bowl 2012: Clemson's Mackey Wins Mackey Award

When the Clemson Tigers take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in the 2012 Orange Bowl, they'll have a Mackey Award-winning tight end at their disposal. Clemson junior Dwayne Allen was named the winner of the John Mackey Award, given annually to the nation's best tight end.

Allen totaled 48 receptions for 577 yards and eight touchdowns this season in helping the Tigers win the ACC title.

"I want to thank Head Coach Dabo Swinney, my position coach Danny Pearman, offensive coordinator Chad Morris and all of my teammates. They have all had a great impact on our success this year and they are the reason I am here tonight," said Allen.

Georgia's Orson Charles and Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert were the other nominees.

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket. Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Clemson Vs West Virginia, 2012 Orange Bowl: Tigers Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris Signs Contract Extension

With the Clemson Tigers and West Virginia Mountaineers both ranking in the Top 20 in passing offense and Top 30 in scoring offense, the 2012 Orange Bowl is expected to be a high-scoring affair. The Tigers aim to keep their offense humming in the future, extending the contract of first-year offensive coordinator Chad Morris, The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina reports.

Morris had been earning $450,000 per season under his previous deal and is expected to get a significant raise after his up-tempo offense helped the Tigers improve from 87th in total and scoring offense to 29th in passing and 30th in scoring offense this season.

"It was just a formality," Tigers head coach and Coach of the Year finalist Dabo Swinney said of Morris' new deal. 

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket. Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Clemson Vs. West Virginia, 2012 Orange Bowl: Tigers, Mountaineers Expect High-Scoring Affair

The Clemson Tigers and the West Virginia Mountaineers have had their struggles this season, but for the most part offense hasn't been the problem. Both teams enter the 2012 Orange Bowl among the best in the country in total offense, with the Tigers averaging over 440 yards  per game and the 'Eers just a shade under 460 yards. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said he that he expects plenty of fireworks for the matchup.

"I'd be surprised if there's not some points scored in this one,"Swinney said. "I don't think it will be a 6-3 ball game like some of the other games.

"This should be an exciting game for the fans."

Quarterback Geno Smith finished the regular season ranked seventh in the country with 3,978 passing yards for West Virginia. Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd was just two spots behind with 3,578 yards. It may not be the most highly anticipated among this season's BCS bowl slate, but this year's Orange Bowl could ultimately wind up among the most entertaining.

For more on the Mountaineers, head over to the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket. Check out Shakin' The Southland for everything Tigers. Head over to the official site of the Orange Bowl for more on this year's game.

Orange Bowl Odds 2012: Clemson Early Favorite Over West Virginia

Much to the surprise of everyone, the Big East still gets to send a team to the BCS. The West Virginia Mountaineers finished 5-2 in the conference to take a share of the conference title, and they've been rewarded with a place in the 2012 Orange Bowl alongside the Clemson Tigers, who defeated Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game.

Even though they lost three of their final five games, Clemson open as a 3 1/2 point favorite over WVU. Clemson likely would not have been favored against just about any other possible opponent, but WVU's two Big East losses give the Tigers the edge in the eyes of the oddsmakers.

This point spread is likely to change quite a bit in the run-up to the game, while the over/under and moneyline have not yet been set.

For more on each bowl game pairing, check out  SB Nation's college football bowl game bids coverage. For more on the two teams, check out Clemson Tigers blog Shakin The Southland and West Virginia Mountaineers blog The Smoking Musket.

Orange Bowl 2012: West Virginia-Clemson Looks To Be Official Matchup

The West Virginia Mountaineers came into Sunday all but locks to make the 2012 Orange Bowl against the Clemson Tigers. They needed only to be the highest-ranked Big East team in the final BCS standings. Looks like they've done it, if the Orange Bowl's website is to be believed -- they're already selling Clemson-WVU merch.

The Orange Bowl has been played annually since 1935, making it the oldest active bowl game outside of the Rose Bowl. Traditionally, the game pits the champion of the ACC Conference against an at-large opponent, except when that champion has been selected to play in the BCS National Championship Game. 

Fans are hoping for a better game this year than Stanford's 40-12 demolition of Virginia Tech last season. This year's iteration will get the Monday Night Football treatment, with Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden set to call the game on ESPN and ESPN3.

Game date, time: 8:30 pm ET, Wednesday, January 4th

Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL

TV channel: ESPN/ESPN3

2010 winner and loser: Stanford, Virginia Tech

For more on each bowl game as it’s announced, stay tuned to SB Nation’s 2011 college football bowl game bids coverage. And visit our many college football blogs.

Orange Bowl 2012 Schedule: Clemson Likely Gets West Virginia

The Clemson Tigers are running away from the Virginia Tech Hokies in the ACC Championship Game, holding a four-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. Let's go ahead and mechanical pencil (those are harder to erase) them into the 2012 Orange Bowl, with the West Virginia Mountaineers as their likely opponent.

Winning the ACC will give Clemson automatic entry to Miami, while WVU won't be official until BCS standings come out Sunday night. If the 'Eers are the highest-ranked Big East team, as they almost certainly will be, then there's your high-scoring Orange Bowl matchup.

Sammy Watkins, Geno Smith, Tajh Boyd, and Stedman Bailey would provide the highlights, while Dabo Swinney and Dana Holgorsen would be sure to combine for a half-dozen quoteables along the way. Could do a lot worse than this one, considering the conferences involved.

Game date, time: 8 p.m. ET, Jan. 4

Location: Miami, Florida

TV channel: ESPN

2010 winner and loser: Stanford, Virginia Tech

For more on each bowl game as it's announced, stay tuned to SB Nation's 2011 college football bowl game bids coverage. And visit our many college football blogs.

2012 Orange Bowl: West Virginia Almost Certainly Headed To Miami

The West Virginia Mountaineers should send the Cincinnati Bearcats some sort of Florida-themed Christmas cards. After Cincy downed the Connecticut Huskies, we have a three-way tie for the Big East championship. The conference's BCS bid will come down to Sunday night's BCS standings, which should favor the 'Eers.

Last week's standings saw WVU ranked No. 23 and the Bearcats and Louisville Cardinals unranked. Nothing happened this weekend that should hurdle either of those teams ahead of West Virginia. It's not 100 percent certain yet, but it appears very, very likely that the Mountaineers will advance to play either the Virginia Tech Hokies or Clemson Tigers. Winner gets to join the SEC! That's a joke from like August, 2011.

Game date, time: 8 p.m. ET, Jan. 4

Location: Miami, Florida

TV channel: ESPN

2010 winner and loser: Stanford, Virginia Tech

For more on each bowl game as it's announced, stay tuned to SB Nation's 2011 college football bowl game bids coverage. And visit our many college football blogs.