Marshall and Buffalo have experienced similar football seasons.
Both started with long winning streaks that thrust them into the Top 25 and led to dreams of playing in more lucrative bowl games.
However, the Thundering Herd and Bulls picked the wrong time to stumble, leading to their convergence at Montgomery, Ala., on Christmas Day in the Camellia Bowl.
Marshall (7-2) was ranked as high as 15th after jumping out to a 7-0 start behind a staunch defense and the poised play of freshman quarterback Grant Wells. But the defense slipped just a bit and Wells struggled with turnovers and inconsistency.