Bowl selection 2012: USC to face Georgia Tech in Sun Bowl

Matt Barkley and the USC Trojans once had national championship aspirations. Following a couple of tough losses, the Trojans will be relegated to the 2012 Sun Bowl in El Paso. They will take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, which had to appeal to the NCAA after finishing the year with a losing 6-7 record.

The Sun Bowl will be played on Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. ET. CBS will televise the game nationally.

"We are pleased to have two storied programs coming to El Paso for another exciting Hyundai Sun Bowl," said Gary Hanson, Sun Bowl Association President. "USC is one of the most prestigious college football programs in the country and Georgia Tech is coming off a narrow loss in the ACC title game. It should be another Sun Bowl classic."

As for the Trojans, their high-flying offense figures to give the Yellow Jackets plenty of problems on defense. Marqise Lee was arguably the best wide receiver in the country this year, hauling in 112 receptions for 1,680 yards and 14 touchdowns. Assuming Barkley is able to play, USC should enter the game as pretty substantial favorites.

Georgia Tech employs a triple option offense, which leads to a lot of running plays. Tailback Tevin Washington had 161 carries for 638 yards and 19 touchdowns this past season, with a lot of his touches coming inside the red zone. The offense is not easy to prepare for, although the Trojans should have plenty of time to study film before playing on New Years Eve.