Location: Boise, Idaho
Date: 28 December 2006, 8:00 PM EST
Teams: Texas A&M vs. California
Televised on: ESPN

The 2005 Holiday Bowl featured a pair of unhappy campers. Will the 2006 edition bring a happier, hungrier matchup?

After finishing the season 10-1, Oregon was hopeful of a BCS berth last year, but had to settle for the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. If people wondered whether No. 12-ranked Oregon would be cranky about missing out on a big-money BCS game, they didn’t wonder long. They played a mediocre game against a mediocre foe in the 7-4 Sooners and lost 17-14.

Oklahoma had played in the last two national title games but Coach Bob Stoops lost several starters to graduation and the NFL. The result was a mediocre season that saw the Sooners in unfamiliar, lesser-bowl territory.

The Holiday Bowl is a NCAA-sanctioned Division 1-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played in San Diego, California, since 1978.

The 2005 Holiday Bowl was played on 29 December 2005 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego and featured a battle of OU’s – Oklahoma U. and Oregon U. The Sooners picked off a pass at the 10-yard line in the final minute to preserve the victory after Brady Leaf drove Oregon into scoring position.

Holiday Bowl Prior Results

Date	Winning Team	Score	Losing Team	Score
29 Dec. 2005	Oklahoma	17	Oregon	14
30 Dec. 2004	Texas Tech	45	California	31
30 Dec. 2003	Washington State	28	Texas	20
27 Dec. 2002	Kansas State	34	Arizona State	27
28 Dec. 2001	Texas	47	Washington	43
29 Dec. 2000	Oregon	35	Texas	30
29 Dec. 1999	Kansas State	24	Washington	20
30 Dec. 1998	Arizona	23	Nebraska	20
29 Dec. 1997	Colorado State	35	Missouri	24
30 Dec. 1996	Colorado	33	Washington	21
29 Dec. 1995	Kansas State	54	Colorado State	21
30 Dec. 1994	Michigan	24	Colorado State	14
30 Dec. 1993	Ohio State	28	BYU	21
30 Dec. 1992	Hawaii	27	Illinois	17
30 Dec. 1991	BYU	13	Iowa	13
30 Dec. 1990	Texas A&M	65	BYU	14
30 Dec. 1989	Penn State	50	BYU	39
30 Dec. 1988	Oklahoma State	62	Wyoming	14
30 Dec. 1987	Iowa	20	Wyoming	19
30 Dec. 1986	Iowa	39	San Diego State	38
22 Dec. 1985	Arkansas	18	Arizona State	17
21 Dec. 1984	BYU	24	Michigan	17
23 Dec. 1983	BYU	21	Missouri	17
17 Dec. 1982	Ohio State	47	BYU	17
18 Dec. 1981	BYU	38	Washington State	36
19 Dec. 1980	BYU	46	SMU	45
21 Dec. 1979	Indiana	38	BYU	37
22 Dec. 1978	Navy	23	BYU	16

The official name of this college football bowl game is the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, after its sponsor, Pacific Life. In the past, it has been known as the Sea World Holiday Bowl and the Plymouth Holiday Bowl.

When it was started in 1978, the Holiday bowl featured the Western Athletic Conference champion against an at-large opponent. BYU dominated early Holiday bowl appearances, present in the first seven Holiday Bowls (1978-1884), and 11 in total.

In 1984 the Brigham Young University Cougars entered into the Holiday Bowl with an undefeated record, which they maintained in their 24-17 victory against the University of Michigan. The situation, which saw the top-ranked team forced to play in a mid-tier bowl game against an inferior opponent, led to changes in the college bowl structure. Today, the Holiday Bowl pits the second-place Pac-10 team against the third-place Big 12 team.

Texas and Washington were expected to produce big offensive numbers when they hooked up in the 2001 Holiday Bowl. But a scoreless first quarter had everyone wondering. Then came the second quarter and the Huskies and Longhorns combined for 37 points. Then in the fourth, Major Applewhite directed scoring drives that outscored Washington 27-7, good for a 47-43 comeback victory.

Kansas State was a huge favorite in the 2002 Holiday Bowl, but got behind early to Arizona State. But Eli Roberson led the Wildcats back with 20 fourth-quarter points against a defense spearheaded by Terrell Suggs.

The 2003 Holiday Bowl was a defensive battle between Washington State and Texas, with the Longhorns setting a bowl record with 39 minutes of possession. But the Cougars made seven QB sacks and forced three turnovers in winning 28-20.

The 2004 Holiday Bowl saw No. 4-ranked California face an unheralded Texas Tech squad. But the Raiders had the nation’s leading QB and Sonny Crumbie threw for 520 yards as Texas Tech won 45-31.

In 2005, Oklahoma’s defense withstood a late march by Oregon and the No. 22 Sooners upset the No. 12 Oregon Ducks. Clint Ingram picked off Brady Leaf in the final minute to preserve a 17-14 victory for Oklahoma.

Betting on the Holiday Bowl 2006