No. 9 FSU (10-2) received an invitation Sunday to play in the Chick-fil-AP each Bowl in Atlanta. The Seminoles will face No. 18 Houston (12-1) at noon on Dec. 31 in the Georgia Dome. ESPN will broadcast the contest.
The Peach Bowl is part of the prestigious New Year’s Six rotation. Two of the six bowls in the New Year’s Six serve as semifinal games in the College Football Playoff, while the other four contests feature the next tier of teams that missed the playoffs, as determined by the selection committee.
Making an appearance in a New Year’s Six bowl is a significant victory for FSU. The Seminoles were in a rebuilding year after losing more than a dozen starters from a squad that made the national semifinal the previous season.
FSU endured growing pains in the middle of the season, narrowly losing to Georgia Tech and Clemson, and fell out of playoff contention. The young squad, however, exhibited signs of maturity by then winning its final three games of the regular season, including a convincing 27-2 road win over rival Florida. The strong finish ultimately propelled FSU to the New Year’s Six contest.
FSU coach Jimbo Fisher will receive a $100,000 bonus for guiding his team to a New Year’s Six bowl game. Fisher, who has a base salary of $500,000, would have received a $50,000 bonus if FSU went to a less esteemed bowl.