When division favorite Alabama unraveled, Ole Miss faltered as well. But the Rebels beat arch-rival Mississippi State in their final game. So Donnan gets fired, and Cutcliffe gets a raise and contract extension. No one will ever confuse the college bowls with the NCAA basketball tournament. The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee puts stock in how well a team is playing at the end of the season.
Bowls put stock in whether a school is still fielding a team at the end of the season.
The Gophers played their way into the Microphone Bowl by losing three of their last four games. That was enough to impress the Microwave Bowl scouts. Back then, the former UT offensive coordinator was the Walt Harris who didn't play cornerback for the Chicago Bears. His record at Pittsburgh was 13-21. Four months and seven victories later, he was being mentioned as a candidate for the Alabama head coaching job, proving seven victories go a long way at both Pittsburgh and Alabama.