Nebraska Bowl 2011: Huskers to Play South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl

As reported by Nebraska sports writer Sean Callahan, CBS Sports and a South Carolina cornerback on Twitter, Nebraska will play South Carolina in the Capitol One Bowl on January 2nd in Orlando, Florida.  This will be Nebraska's first-ever trip to the Capitol One Bowl, and their fourth matchup with the Gamecocks.  The Huskers have won all three meetings.

****Update**** It is now official as the Capitol One selection committee has announced Nebraska vs. South Carolina as the 2012 Capitol One Bowl game.

This is a huge accomplishment for Nebraska. Capitol One ranks among the top and one of the best non-BCS bowl games.  The Huskers will be receiving a whopping payout of $4,250,000, the highest of any non-BC bowl.  This is a great way to end a disappointing season that left Nebraska out of the Big Ten championship game.

Nebraska will get to play an old friend in this game, Steve Spurrier.  Spurrier coached his Florida Gators against Nebraska in the 1996 National Championship game, in which the 1995 Huskers destroyed the Florida Gators 62-24.  Spurrier would win a national title in 1996 at Florida, and would coach until the 2001 season where he took a job as the Washington Redskins head coach before returning to the SEC as the South Carolina Gamecocks head coach.

Nebraska was most likely selected because Michigan is going to the Sugar Bowl, and the Huskers jumped over Michigan State in the Capitol One Bowl as the Spartans played there last year, and Nebraska has only played one bowl game (2009 Gator) in Florida in the last decade. 

This game will provide a great matchup between the two teams. Both fell short of their goals of reaching the conference title game in consecutive years.  These teams still have a lot to play for.  South Carolina can get to 11 wins for the first time ever by beating Nebraska, while the Huskers can achieve 10 wins in three consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1999-01 seasons.  Should be a great game for both sides.