OUTBACK BOWL

NO. 21 GEORGIA (7-4) VS. NO. 19 PURDUE (7-4)

* When: 8 a.m. * TV: ESPN

* Update: Georgia is lucky to be playing on New Year’s Day after dropping three of its last four games. The Bulldogs lost to Tennessee and Florida and got blown out at home by Auburn. Sophomore quarterback Quincy Carter can be a special player, running back Jasper Sanks had a solid season and freshman wide receiver Terrence Edwards is a deep threat. The defense really struggled against good teams and the secondary could get exposed again. Purdue finished a respectable 7-4 considering the Boilermakers’ difficult schedule. Third-team All-America quarterback Drew Brees (3,531 yards, 21 touchdowns) thrives in Coach Joe Tiller’s pass-happy, spread attack. His top target is third-team All-America Chris Daniels (109 catches).

COTTON BOWL

NO. 24 ARKANSAS (7-4) VS. NO. 14 TEXAS (9-4)

* When: 8 a.m. * TV: Channel 11

* Update: Arkansas upset Tennessee late in the season but otherwise stumbled in the rough-and-tumble SEC. The Razorbacks were awful on the road, losing at Alabama and Kentucky and getting bombed at Mississippi and lowly Louisiana State. That doesn’t bode well here, as the crowd figures to favor Texas. Heady senior quarterback Clint Stoerner has a big-play target in wide receiver Anthony Lucas, a third-team All-American. Texas enjoyed another successful season and landed in its favorite bowl game. The Longhorns crushed Stanford and beat Oklahoma. Quarterback Major Applewhite missed much of a tough loss at rival Texas A&M; so promising freshman Chris Simms will see substantial playing time. Elusive tailback Hodges Mitchell has 1,346 yards rushing.

GATOR BOWL

NO. 17 GEORGIA TECH (8-3) VS. NO. 23 MIAMI (8-4)

* When: 9:30 a.m. * TV: Channel 4

* Update: Georgia Tech’s first-team All-America quarterback Joe Hamilton can light up a scoreboard with the best of them. Tech runs the option as well as it throws deep. Hamilton, the Heisman runner-up, completed 66.6% of his passes for 3,060 yards and 29 touchdowns. Speedy wide receivers Kelly Campbell (10 touchdowns) and Dez White put up huge numbers. Freshman running back Sean Gregory ran for 836 yards and 13 touchdowns. But the defense is horrific. Miami was a few plays away from a breakout season, rebounding from an early three-game losing streak and winning its last three in convincing fashion. Quarterback Kenny Kelly is back from injury and slated to start. Wide receiver Santana Moss and tight end Daniel “Bubba” Franks (45 catches), a second-team All-American, are his big-play targets.

CITRUS BOWL

FLORIDA (9-3) VS. MICHIGAN STATE (9-2)

* When: 10 a.m. * TV: Channel 7

* Update: Florida had a strange and disappointing season. The Gators beat Tennessee but lost twice at home--an overtime heartbreaker to Alabama and to rival Florida State. Doug Johnson, who passed for 2,569 yards and 20 touchdowns, is slated to start at quarterback. Skilled wide receivers Darrell Jackson (nine touchdowns) and Travis Taylor are his best weapons. Second-team All-America defensive end Alex Brown is a nasty speed rusher on a young, athletic defense. Michigan State Coach Nick Saban led the Spartans to their best season in years and promptly bolted for the LSU coaching job. Former assistant Bobby Williams already has the permanent position. Inconsistent senior quarterback Bill Burke has a top-notch pair of wide receivers in Plaxico Burress (nine touchdowns) and Gari Scott.

ORANGE BOWL

NO. 8 MICHIGAN (9-2) VS. NO. 5 ALABAMA (10-2)

* When: 5:30 p.m. * TV: Channel 7

* Update: Michigan lacks a true star, but the Wolverines get fine performances at nearly every position. Underrated senior quarterback Tom Brady displays uncanny poise. Tailback Anthony Thomas (16 touchdowns) is a workhorse, but he might not find much running room here. A solid defense is paced by two third-team All-Americans, nose guard Rob Renes and linebacker James Hall. After a slow start, including a loss to Louisiana Tech, the Crimson Tide regrouped and won eight of their last nine with the only loss coming against Tennessee. Second-team All-America running back Shaun Alexander (1,383 yards rushing) does it all. He scored an incredible 24 touchdowns, and no player means more to his team. Quarterback Andrew Zow can play and dangerous wide receiver Freddie Milons (65 catches) excels in the new spread offense.