 Though the Gator Bowl offered to pay $115 million for the right to become a Bowl Alliance game, the Orange Bowl was selected in place of the Gator Bowl.This event had repercussions at the end of the season, when the bowl was passed over by high-ranked teams that elected to accept bids to bowls in the new Bowl Alliance.During the annual preseason poll of media members covering the Big East conference, Virginia Tech was picked to finish second among Big East teams, behind only Miami.