The Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana will host the Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1 overall, 8-0 SEC) from Southeastern Conference and the undefeated Utah Utes (12-0 overall, 8-0 SEC) from the Mountain West Conference. The game is scheduled for January 2 at 8:00 p.m. and will be televised live on FOX. This will be the first meeting between the schools. Utah is 0-6 against SEC teams, although it hasn’t played one since a loss at Tennessee in 1984.

Alabama surprised the nation in 2008 starting out the season 12-0 and coming only a quarter short of going undefeated and making it to the BCS Championship Game. They ultimately lost the SEC Championship Game to Florida, but still managed to make the Sugar Bowl. “Our players are certainly disappointed,” coach Nick Saban said. “But this is an opportunity. If you’re going to be a great team, when you lose, you want to come back and play your best the next time you play.”

Utah on the other hand did manage to go undefeated in 2008. They play in a weaker Mountain West Conference, but still put up strong numbers and good wins. They are 10-3 all-time in Bowl games, so don’t think for a minute they’ll be scared of Alabama (remember the 2005 Fiesta Bowl?) Utah, sixth in the BCS standings, is the first school from a non-BCS conference to play in a second BCS game since the format was created in 1998.

A quick note about the game from ESPN:

Alabama (12-1) had hoped to spend its break in Miami at the BCS National Championship Game, but the Allstate Sugar Bowl isn’t a shabby consolation prize. The Crimson Tide have fond memories of the Big Easy, too. Their last national championship, in 1992, came after they knocked off Miami in the Sugar Bowl. Nothing about Utah will be easy. The Utes (12-0) are looking to earn some more respect after mowing through their Mountain West Conference schedule. — Chris Low

Any predictions for the Sugar Bowl?