2012 BBVA Compass Bowl , the sixth edition of the game , was a post-season American college football bowl game , held on January 7 , 2012 , at Legion Field in Birmingham , Alabama , as part of the 2011 – 12 NCAA Bowl season . The game , which was telecast at 12:00 p.m. CT on ESPN , featured the SMU Mustangs of Conference USA versus the Pittsburgh Panthers of the Big East Conference . This was Pittsburgh 's second consecutive appearance in the game , and just as in the previous contest the Panthers were led by an interim head coach , Keith Patterson , after Todd Graham resigned on December 13 , 2011
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
2012 BBVA Compass Bowl