Clemson headed to Peach Bowl

ATLANTA - The Peach Bowl picked Clemson over North Carolina State as the Atlantic Coast Conference representative for the Jan. 2 game.

Matt Garvey, a bowl spokesman, said the decision was reached late Monday night and officials were heading to Clemson on Tuesday to formally invite the Tigers.

Clemson (8-4) began its season with a 30-0 loss to Georgia and was only 5-4 after a 45-17 loss to Wake Forest. With speculation mounting over the future of coach Tommy Bowden, the Tigers finished strong: a 26-10 upset of Florida State, a 40-7 victory over Duke and a 63-17 rout of rival South Carolina.

The Peach Bowl had the third pick among ACC schools. Florida State will play in a BCS bowl after winning the conference championship, and the Gator Bowl selected Maryland (8-3) to play in Jacksonville.

N.C. State (7-5) also was considered by the Peach Bowl. The Wolfpack has record-setting quarterback Phillip Rivers and defeated Clemson 17-15, but the Tigers' overall record, strong finish and proximity to Atlanta about a two-hour drive from the South Carolina school won out.

Clemson won't learn its opponent for nearly two weeks. The Peach Bowl has the fourth selection among Southeastern Conference schools, but will have to wait until after the league's Dec. 6 championship game to make its pick.

Clemson is making its first appearance in the Peach Bowl since the 1999 season, but the Tigers have been a postseason regular in Atlanta.

From the 1993-99 seasons, Clemson played in the Peach Bowl four times, beating Kentucky and losing to LSU, Auburn and Mississippi State.

This will be the 12th year the Peach Bowl has matched team from the ACC and SEC.

The Peach Bowl's selection of Clemson will clear the way for at least three other games to make their selections. The Tangerine Bowl has the fourth pick among ACC schools, followed by the Continental Tire Bowl and the Humanitarian Bowl.

The ACC also has a seventh tie-in to the Silicon Valley Football Classic if enough schools are bowl eligible.

Georgia Tech (6-5) and Virginia Tech (6-5) have locked up bowl eligibility with one game remaining, while Wake Forest (5-6) must beat Maryland this weekend to reached the six-win threshold.