It’s official: Colorado officials learned Sunday afternoon that the Buffs will face Alabama in the Dec. 30 Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
The game will begin at 6 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN. It is the only bowl game on Dec. 30.
Dan Hawkins’ 6-6 Buffs earned a bowl bid by beating Nebraska in the final game of the season.
The Crimson Tide, in its first year under Nick Saban, finished 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the SEC. The Tide lost its last four games, a streak that included a defeat at the hands of Louisiana-Monroe and a regular season-ending loss to Auburn.
Joe Darwin, Independence Bowl chairman, said, “We historically get teams on the way up and I think that is definitely the case this year with these two teams. The most intriguing thing about it for us is that we’ve never had Colorado here. From a television standpoint, it’s a great matchup. ESPN is very excited about it.”