For the January 2011 games , the Sugar Bowl selected first , followed by the Orange Bowl and Fiesta Bowl . The Sugar Bowl picked Ohio State , which left the Orange Bowl to decide between two teams contractually bound to appear in a BCS bowl game . These were Stanford , which was guaranteed a BCS bid by its No. 4 national ranking , and Connecticut , champion of the Big East Conference . Favoring Stanford 's potential to draw a large television audience , the Orange Bowl selected the Cardinal , leaving Connecticut to the Fiesta Bowl
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
2011 Orange Bowl