Hurricanes Put Dent in Hopes of Orange Bowl for Showdown : Bowls: Miami goes to Sugar Bowl against SEC champion. It also adds a flaw to the Notre Dame-Colorado matchup.

Even before Miami knocked off top-ranked Notre Dame, 27-10, Saturday night, the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish accepted bids to New Year’s Day bowl games.

However, seventh-ranked Miami’s victory over the Irish spoiled the Orange Bowl’s hoped-for showdown for the national championship between Notre Dame (11-1) and second-ranked Colorado (11-0), which earned an automatic berth by winning the Big Eight Conference championship outright for the first time since 1961.

Notre Dame Athletic Director Dick Rosenthal said the Irish accepted the Orange Bowl bid because they haven’t played in the New Year’s Night game since 1975. Rosenthal said the Fighting Irish also considered bids from the Sugar, Cotton, Fiesta and Citrus Bowls.

Because the game is at night, the Orange Bowl could still get its showdown if things break just right earlier in the day.

Colorado last played in the Orange Bowl in 1977, when it was Big Eight co-champion. Nebraska or Oklahoma has been the conference representative at Miami every year since.

Miami (10-1) accepted a bid to play the Southeastern Conference champion--either No. 4 Alabama (10-0), No. 10 Auburn (8-2) or No. 8 Tennessee (9-1)--in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1.

The SEC runner-up, or possibly an SEC co-champion that does not go to the Sugar Bowl, will play in the Cotton Bowl against ninth-ranked Arkansas (9-2), the Southwest Conference champion.

Third-ranked Michigan (10-1) joined No. 12 USC (8-2-1), the Pacific 10 Conference champion, in a rematch at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena by beating Ohio State, 28-18, to clinch the Big Ten Conference championship.

Ohio State (8-3) will play the odd team out in the SEC on Jan. 1 in the Hall of Fame Bowl at Tampa, Fla.

Fifth-ranked Florida State (8-2), the only team to beat Miami, will play No. 6 Nebraska (10-1), which lost only to Colorado, in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1 at Tempe, Ariz.

No. 15 Clemson (9-2) will play No. 17 West Virginia (9-2) Dec. 30th in the Gator Bowl at Jacksonville, Fla.

Big Ten runner-up and 11th-ranked Illinois (9-2) and Atlantic Coast Conference co-champion Virginia (10-2), No. 16, accepted bids to play in the Florida Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day. Illinois lost only to Michigan and Colorado. Virginia lost only to Notre Dame and Clemson.

The Freedom Bowl was hoping to invite Indiana and its All-American running back Anthony Thompson, but the Hooisers were upset, 15-14, Saturday by Purdue. So the game at Anaheim Stadium will have Florida (7-3) and Emmitt Smith against Washington (7-4).

No. 22 Penn State (7-3-1) accepted an invitation to the Holiday Bowl Dec. 29 against BYU after beating No. 19 Pitt, 16-13.

‘It won’t be 16-13 (in the Holiday Bowl),” Paterno said. “Maybe (BYU Coach) LaVell Edwards will take it easy because I’m his buddy. . . .

“Or maybe we’ll throw and he’ll run,” added Paterno, drawing laughter because the suggestion went contrary to the teams’ offensive philosophies.

No. 21 BYU (10-2) clinched the Western Athletic Conference championship and the automatic berth in the Holiday Bowl that goes with it by beating San Diego State, 48-27, Saturday night at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego--site of the Holiday Bowl.

Despite its defeat, Pitt (6-3-1) will play No. 14 Texas A&M; (7-3) in the John Hancock Bowl Dec. 16 at El Paso.

Georgia (6-4) will play Syracuse (6-4) in the Peach Bowl at Atlanta Stadium on Dec. 30. Georgia and Syracuse each has one game remaining--Georgia at archrival Georgia Tech and Syracuse against Louisville in Tokyo. Both games are next weekend.

No. 25 Michigan State (7-4), with losses to Miami, Notre Dame, Michigan and Illinois, won its fifth consecutive game Saturday, 31-3, over Wisconsin, to earn a spot in the Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day against No. 24 Hawaii (8-2) in Honolulu.

Mississippi (7-4) beat Mississippi State, 21-11, Saturday and accepted a bid to the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28 at Memphis, Tenn., against Air Force (8-3). The Falcons were eliminated from the WAC race and Holiday Bowl consideration by BYU’s victory.

Arizona (6-4-1), by beating archrival Arizona State, 28-10, on Saturday, will stay at home in Tucson to play North Carolina State (7-4) in the inaugural Copper Bowl on Dec. 31.

In the Independence Bowl, Tulsa (6-5) will play Oregon (7-4) at Shreveport, La., on Dec. 16

No. 18 Texas Tech (8-3), despite a 40-24 loss to 13-ranked Houston on Saturday, will face No. 23 Duke (8-3) in the All-American Bowl on Dec. 28 at Birmingham, Ala.

Houston (8-2) is on NCAA probation for recruiting violations and is ineligible for post-season play.

Fresno State (9-2), champion of the Big West Conference, will play Ball State (7-2-2), the Mid-American Conference titlist, in the California Raisin Bowl on Dec. 9 at Fresno.