Walter Camp award finalists announced

Troy Smith of Ohio State and Brady Quinn of Notre Dame are among the five finalists for the Walter Camp Football Foundation player of the year award.

Smith and Quinn are joined by West Virginia running back Steve Slaton, Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, the foundation announced Wednesday.

The winner will be announced Dec. 7 after a vote by 119 Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors. The trophy will be presented Dec. 13.

Smith, a senior, led top-ranked Ohio State to a 12-0 record and a spot in the national championship game. He threw for 2,507 yards and 30 touchdowns with just five interceptions this season.

Quinn threw for 3,278 yards and 35 touchdowns with five interceptions while leading No. 12 Notre Dame to a 10-2 record.

Miami headed to Boise

Larry Coker’s difficult and final year at Miami will end on the blue turf of Boise.

The Hurricanes accepted an invitation to the MPC Computers Bowl, where they’ll meet Nevada (8-4) of the Western Athletic Conference on Dec. 31. It’ll be the first meeting between the programs, plus Miami’s first appearance in that bowl.

It will also be Coker’s 75th and final game at Miami. He was fired last week after a 6-6 regular season, one that dropped his six-year record with the Hurricanes to 59-15 with one national championship. The school retained him for the bowl game, while it conducts a search for his replacement.

Getting a shot at Miami is a treat for Nevada.

“We’ve never played a team of that caliber. It is a good challenge for us and we are going to be up for it,” Nevada quarterback Jeff Rowe said.

Cotton Bowl clearer

The loser of the Big 12 championship game between Oklahoma and Nebraska will play in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day, the conference announced.

The winner of the Big 12 title game receives a Bowl Championship Series bid to the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 1.

The Cotton Bowl will match the Big 12 runner-up against a team from the Southeastern Conference. Boise State is the likely opponent for the Big 12 champ in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Gator Bowl notified the Big 12 that it will wait until Sunday to choose either a Big East team or a Big 12 for its game. Texas and West Virginia appear to be the most likely options.

Holiday for Aggies

Texas A&M will play California in the Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on Dec. 28, the Aggies’ first appearance in the game since they roughed up Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer in 1990.

Both of Detmer’s shoulders were separated as the Aggies routed BYU 65-14. The 51-point victory margin remains a Holiday Bowl record.

“The majority of our guys have never been to California so they are thrilled,” Aggies coach Dennis Franchione said.

The schools have met twice before. Texas A&M beat California 29-28 at Berkeley in 1981, and the Golden Bears edged the Aggies 19-17 to open the 1983 season at College Station.

Cowan gets nod

Patrick Cowan, who has started UCLA’s last six games at quarterback, will get the call Saturday against No. 2 Southern California at the Rose Bowl.

Bruins coach Karl Dorrell made the announcement after practice – two days after saying Ben Olson would start against the Trojans if he showed he was “able and capable both mentally and physically.”

Olson, another sophomore who beat out Cowan for the starting job in preseason practice, hasn’t played since tearing a ligament in his left knee Oct. 7 in UCLA’s 27-7 victory over Arizona.

“Ben’s timing and his decision-making are getting better, but that’s the part that’s just a little behind,” Dorrell said.