NCAA Football buffalo Bulls

ORLANDO -- The longest bowl trip in college football history closed Saturday night when Buffalo took the field.

The players ambled out to midfield. One of them needed a cane. The rest just needed hair dye to look like they did when the bowl bid arrived.

It was 1958, and the Bulls promptly rejected it. They could have come to Orlando, but their African-American players would not have been allowed on the field.

Fifty-one years later, they were given a standing ovation.

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the International Bowl (Toronto, Canada), which pits Buffalo against Connecticut

Overview/Matchup: Buffalo registered a completely inexplicable win over Ball State in the MAC Championship to find itself in the school's first bowl game. Ever. Given that Connecticut is actually a decent squad -- with a strong rushing attack -- things could get awkward if the Buffs don't play like they did against Ball State on national television this time around.

Hotels: One of Toronto's newer hotels, the InterContinental Toronto Centre offers stylish design, luxurious guest rooms and great starting rates for the quality. The Metropolitan Hotel Toronto offers excellent service and surprisingly posh accommodation for the rates. If you're looking for a midrange room and you can't get booked at the InterContinental, The Metropolitan is a more than worthy alternative. Budget travelers should stay at the Alexandra Hotel. Although accommodations are meager, it has good proximity to the stadium and rooms for less than US$100.

Restaurants: When it comes to dining, downtown Toronto is packed. There are more than 150 restaurants, clubs and bars within three blocks of the InterContinental, so you'll have plenty of options if you stay anywhere downtown. For a delicious steak try the Harbour Sixty Steakhouse. This family-owned restaurant is putting Canada on the international beefeater's map. Mandarin is a great mid-priced Chinese buffet with honey-garlic ribs that are out of this world. If you need a late night snack look no further than Fran's. Depending on what time you go you may see blue-haired seniors or green-haired punks, but this Toronto institution serves a good bacon-and-eggs breakfast around the clock.

That crashing sound from Detroit tonight, actually had nothing to do with the American car industry. That was Ball State's perfect season, the MAC Championship and manufactured outrage at being excluded from the BCS bowls all getting the index card from David Letterman through a window sound effect. The Bulls of Buffalo took out Ball State 42-24.

From the beginning, Buffalo came right at Ball State on defense. They kept Ball State's offense off-balance and on the sidelines. Despite the low scoring game, the Cardinals held a 10-7 halftime lead.

Ball State, and there is no other way to put it, gave this game away in the third quarter. The two teams exchanged scores to start the second half and Ball State seemed to be getting the game under control. They had forced a Buffalo turnover and were poised to take a two score lead. Instead, QB Nate Davis got stood up at the 1-yard line and stripped of the ball. Buffalo DB Mike Newton picked it up at the 8 and took it all the way back for a touchdown.