Peach Bowl picks Florida

ATLANTA - The Peach Bowl wants Florida to play in the Dec. 31 game - and hopes Ron Zook will hang around to coach the Gators for a few more weeks.

Bowl president Gary Stokan said Tuesday that the selection committee voted for Florida over Alabama as its choice from the Southeastern Conference, assuming the Gators are available.

There's one caveat: An Auburn loss in the Southeastern Conference championship game could force the Peach Bowl to go in a different direction, though that scenario is highly unlikely.

Even so, the Peach Bowl is not expected to formally announce Florida as one of its teams until after Saturday's SEC title game between the Tigers and Tennessee.

No. 20 Florida (7-4) is expected to play the loser of Saturday's Miami-Virginia Tech game. The winner will get the Atlantic Coast Conference's automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series.

Either way, the Peach Bowl winds up with a very attractive matchup.

"Virginia Tech is arguably two plays away from being undefeated," Stokan said, referring to close losses against No. 1 Southern California and North Carolina State. "Obviously, to match Miami and Florida up would be a huge game."

Florida and Miami are bitter rivals that no longer play during the regular season.

Zook was fired last month but agreed to finish out his third season. Florida closed with three straight victories under its lame-duck coach, including a road victory over Florida State.

Zook hasn't said whether he will coach in the bowl, though Stokan is hoping for a decision by Wednesday.

"I have talked to Ron personally," Stokan said. "We would love to have Ron Zook coach the team. The way they reacted positively (to his firing) against Georgia, even though they lost, and then to beat Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Florida State. But we would also understand if Ron feels he has to move forward with his career."

Stokan said he was told by Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley that an interim coach from the current staff would work the bowl game if Zook decides to leave.

"Sure, we would love to have Ron coach the team," Stokan said. "But either way, we think those kids deserve an opportunity to play in this game."

The Peach Bowl committee chose the Gators over Alabama based on several factors: a stronger finish, a national ranking, one more win than the Crimson Tide and an exciting offense.

Alabama (6-5) is expected to play in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.

The Gator Bowl has the second pick among ACC schools and planned to invite Florida State on Tuesday. The Seminoles will meet West Virginia.