Hawkeyes Get Trip to Rose Bowl

Third-ranked Iowa and No. 5-ranked Oklahoma clinched the titles in their conferences Saturday as the New Year’s Day bowl situation solidified.

Iowa (10-1) defeated Minnesota, 31-9, to win the Big Ten championship and earn a trip to the the Rose Bowl against UCLA on New Year’s Day.

UCLA, which lost to USC, 17-13, needed Arizona’s 16-13 upset of Arizona State Saturday night to back into Pasadena as the Pacific 10 representative. Arizona State (8-3) will go to San Diego to play Arkansas (9-2) in the Holiday Bowl Dec. 22.

Oklahoma (8-1) upset No. 2-ranked Nebraska, 27-7, to win the Big Eight title and move into the Orange Bowl at Miami on New Year’s night against No. 1-ranked Penn State (11-0).

After the loss, the Cornhuskers (9-2) accepted an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1 at Tempe, Ariz., against No. 6-ranked Michigan (9-1-1). The Wolverines beat 12th-ranked Ohio State, 27-17.

Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said he couldn’t believe there were any teams in the country better than Oklahoma.

“If they play like they played today, most people around the country are going to have an awfully hard time with them,” Osborne said of the Sooners. “They’re probably the best team in the country right now.”

Two other New Year’s Day bowls--the Cotton and Sugar--are still awaiting the outcome of conference races. Unranked Texas upset 15th-ranked Baylor, 17-10, to set up a Thanksgiving Day showdown with Texas A&M; for the Southwest Conference title and a berth in the Cotton Bowl at Dallas against Auburn (8-2).

No. 4-ranked Miami of Florida (9-1) accepted an invitation to play in the Sugar Bowl at New Orleans against the Southeastern Conference champion, which could be either Tennessee, Alabama or LSU. No. 16-ranked Tennessee (7-1-2) beat Kentucky, 42-0, and needs a win over Vanderbilt next weekend to clinch the SEC title. If Tennessee should lose and Alabama beats Auburn, the Crimson Tide would finish with a 4-1-1 conference record, identical to LSU’s. Since the tie came when Alabama and LSU played each other, the Sugar Bowl committee would have to pick which team would play on New Year’s Day.

Two Dec. 31 bowls--the Peach and the All-American--also were filled Saturday. Army (8-2) and Illinois (6-4-1) will compete in the Peach Bowl at Atlanta, and Michigan State (7-4) and Georgia Tech (7-2-1) accepted invitations to the All-American Bowl at Birmingham, Ala.

Air Force (10-1) accepted an invitation to play in the Bluebonnet Bowl the same day in Houston against an undetermined opponent, probably the loser of the Texas-Texas A&M; game.

The Gator Bowl on Dec. 30 at Jacksonville, Fla., will pit Florida State (8-2) against Oklahoma State (8-2). Washington (6-5) will go to the Freedom Bowl at Anaheim, probably against Colorado or Tennessee, if the Vols fail to win the SEC title.

Ohio State (8-3) and Brigham Young (10-2) accepted invitations to the Florida Citrus Bowl at Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 28.

The Sun Bowl, on Dec. 28 at El Paso, Tex., will pit Georgia (7-2-1) against Arizona (8-3), and the Aloha Bowl, also on Dec. 28, in Honolulu has matched West Virginia (6-3-1) against Alabama (7-2-1) if the Crimson Tide doesn’t win the SEC.

The first Division I-A bowl of the season will be the California Bowl Dec. 14 at Fresno between Bowling Green (11-0) and Fresno State (10-0-1).

On Dec. 21, Clemson (6-5) and Minnesota (6-5) will play in the Independence Bowl at Shreveport, La., and Syracuse (7-3) has accepted an invitation to the Cherry Bowl at Pontiac, Mich., against Maryland (7-3).

The Dec. 27 Liberty Bowl at Memphis, Tenn., will send Baylor (8-3) against an undetermined opponent that could be LSU if the Tigers do not win the SEC and go to the Sugar Bowl. THE TENTATIVE BOWL LINEUP

CALIFORNIA Fresno State Dec. 14 at Fresno vs. Bowling Green CHERRY Maryland Dec. 21 at Pontiac, Mich. vs. Syracuse INDEPENDENCE Clemson Dec. 21 at Shreveport, La. vs. Minnesota HOLIDAY Arkansas Dec. 22 at San Diego vs. Arizona State LIBERTY Baylor Dec. 27 at Memphis vs. LSU (if not in Sugar) ALOHA West Virginia Dec. 28 at Honolulu vs. Alabama FLORIDA CITRUS Ohio State Dec. 28 at Orlando, Fla. vs. Brigham Young SUN Georgia Dec. 28 at El Paso, Tex. vs. Arizona ALL-AMERICAN Michigan State Dec. 29 at Birmingham, Ala. vs. Georgia Tech FREEDOM Washington Dec. 30 at Anaheim vs. Colorado or Tennessee GATOR Florida State Dec. 31 at Jacksonville, Fla. vs. Oklahoma State BLUEBONNET Air Force Dec. 31 at Houston vs. Texas-Texas A&M; loser PEACH Illinois Dec. 31 at Atlanta vs. Army COTTON Texas-Texas A&M; winner Jan. 1 at Dallas vs. Auburn FIESTA Michigan Jan. 1 at Tempe, Ariz. vs. Nebraska ORANGE Penn State Jan. 1 at Miami vs. Oklahoma ROSE Iowa Jan. 1 at Pasadena vs. UCLA SUGAR Tennessee or LSU or Alabama Jan. 1 at New Orleans vs. Miami