Las Vegas Bowl: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the Washington and Boise State mascots, suspended from the canopy at Fremont Street. This is not a metaphor for anything. (R. Marsh Starks/MAACO Bowl

Here are the Washington and Boise State mascots, suspended from the canopy at Fremont Street. This is not a metaphor for anything. (R. Marsh Starks/MAACO Bowl Las Vegas)

The 2012 Las Vegas Bowl is just hours away. We’re sure you have so many questions. We’re here to help. (For an X's and O's breakdown, click through to Matt Dollinger's game preview.)

• What’s all this, then? The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas affords teams and fans a wintertime trip to Las Vegas and used to be sponsored by Sega, so it is all right with us, in case you were wondering.

• Where will this game be played? Sam Boyd Stadium, home to the UNLV Rebels and the UFL's Las Vegas Locomotives.

• When is it on television? Coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit and Tom Rinaldi providing commentary. Is there a pregame show that just consists of a camera crew following Herbie and Musby around casinos and seeing where the night takes them? Regrettably, there is not.

• Whom does it feature? The Las Vegas Bowl gets the first crack at teams out of the Mountain West versus a Pac-12 opponent.

• What about this year? Boise State returns to Vegas for the third consecutive season to face the Washington Huskies. The Broncos are undefeated in this game.

• Does the bowl have a social media presence? Did we engineer this question specifically so we could repost this tweet?

• What wacky activities will be on offer during bowl week? Here's a quote directly from the bowl's media guide that contains at least two made-up words that we can detect: "Team competitions will be staged in dancing and eating along with stage performances by MO5AIC and Jabbawockeez." Are the dancing and eating contests simultaneous?Hope so!

• What's the pick? Stewart Mandel calls this one for the Huskies, 20-14.

• Please impart any miscellaneous knowledge you might have concerning the 2012 Las Vegas Bowl.

Didn't think we'd leave you without an equal-opportunity shot of Chris Petsersen and a showgirl, did you? (R. Marsh Starks/MAACO Bowl Las Vegas)