Orange Bowl : Virginia Tech Takes On Cincinnati

Cincinnati's first bowl opponent was Virginia Tech, more than six decades ago. So maybe it's fitting that the Bearcats' first trip to the Bowl Championship Series will pit them against the Hokies once again.

The Orange Bowl slotted Big East champion and No. 12 Cincinnati (11-2) against Atlantic Coast Conference champ and 21st-ranked Virginia Tech (9-4) on Sunday night, meaning those clubs will play in the 75th edition of South Florida's showcase game on Jan. 1.

The teams last met in 2006, when Virginia Tech prevailed 29-13.

"This is truly a great story," Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said, only a few hours removed from the flight back from the Bearcats' season-ending win in Hawaii -- which ended after 3 a.m. in the Eastern time zone Sunday morning.

Virginia Tech has been to the Orange Bowl twice before, losing to Nebraska in 1996 and Kansas at the end of last season. Cincinnati beat Virginia Tech in the 1947 Sun Bowl, 18-6.

Read the full story on the match up of this year's Orange Bowl.

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