ALAMO BOWL

Site: San Antonio.

Series history: First meeting.

Bowl records: Purdue 4-1, Oklahoma State 9-3.

How teams got there: The young Cowboys were one of the more surprising teams in the country this season under Big 12 Coach of the Year Bob Simmons. They got off to a fast start, winning their first six games, but dropped a two overtime decisions midway through the year. They rebounded to win two of their last three games. In his first season, Joe Tiller, the Big Ten coach of the year, brought his wide-open offensive philosophy over from Wyoming, leading the school to its first winning season since 1984 and tying for second in arguably the nation’s toughest conference.

The game: Oklahoma State will have to make do without first team All-America tight end Alonzo Mayes, the team’s leading receiver (29 receptions, 429 yards) and red-zone threat (seven touchdowns), who underwent shoulder surgery in November. The freshman backfield of quarterback Tony Lindsay and tailback Jamaal Fobbs give the Cowboys a promising future. Quarterback Billy Dicken and wide receiver Brian Alford were the biggest beneficiaries of Tiller’s pass-happy attack that contributed heavily to Purdue’s school-record 363 points.

OKLAHOMA ST. (8-3)

at Iowa State: W 21-14

at SW Louisiana: W 31-7

Fresno St.: W 35-0

NE Louisiana: W 38-7

Texas: W 42-16

Colorado: W 33-29

Missouri: L 51-50 (2OT)

at Texas A&M;: L 28-25 (OT)

at Oklahoma: W 30-7

Texas Tech: L 27-3

at Baylor: W 24-14

PURDUE (8-3)

at Toledo: L 36-22

Notre Dame: W 28-17

Ball State: W 28-14

Northwestern: W 21-9

at Minnesota: W 59-43

Wisconsin: W 45-20

at Illinois: W 48-3

at Iowa: L 35-17

Michigan State: W 22-21

Penn State: L 42-17

at Indiana: W 56-7