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DALLAS(AP) Houston Nutt didn't get to coach Arkansas in last year's Cotton Bowl.

Now with a new program, the Mississippi coach is making that trip to Dallas.

Mississippi and Texas Tech accepted bids Sunday to play in the Cotton Bowl, creating a matchup of teams responsible for the only losses by a pair of BCS powers.

Nutt coached his last game with Arkansas on Nov. 23, 2007, and resigned three days later. Reggie Herring, now the linebackers coach for the Dallas Cowboys, was the interim coach when the Razorbacks lost to Missouri in last season's Cotton Bowl.

"It's just a dream come true," said Nutt, who guided the Rebels to an 8-4 record in his first season and agreed to a contract extension Friday. "I didn't get a chance to come last year. I'm definitely coming this year."

The No. 8 Red Raiders (11-1) ended the regular season in a tie for the Big 12 South title with Oklahoma and Texas. The Sooners advanced to the Big 12 championship game on a tiebreaker and will be playing for the BCS national championship, but Texas Tech handed the Longhorns their only loss this season.

The Red Raiders are dealing with uncertainty regarding the future of coach Mike Leach, who interviewed with the University of Washington before withdrawing his name from consideration.

Athletic director Gerald Myers, who spoke to reporters in a conference call to announce the Cotton Bowl teams, said Leach has been offered a five-year contract extension with a "substantial pay raise."

Leach, who Myers said was flying to a postseason awards ceremony, did not participate in Sunday's conference call.

"We hope to get that signed and behind us," Myers said. "I don't think it will be a distraction at all."

No. 20 Ole Miss stumbled to a 3-4 start despite an early 31-30 victory at Southeastern Conference champion Florida, which will be playing the Sooners in the title game.

The turning point for the Rebels came in Nutt's return to Arkansas, a game that Ole Miss won 23-21 and started its current five-game winning streak.

"We were very charitable the first few weeks giving things away," Nutt said. "It was tough to flip the switch in making them believe they're good enough. Things took off when we went to Arkansas. We knew we had something special when we won that game."

Texas Tech was in the running for the BCS national title game until losing 65-21 to Oklahoma on Nov. 22. Texas, which will be playing Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, is the other Big 12 team in a BCS game.

"We're coming from one of the two toughest conferences in the country," Red Raiders defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said. "We feel good about our season and progress. We understand the conference is going to put out two top teams in the BCS. We're giddy and happy about going to the Cotton Bowl."

Ole Miss and Texas Tech have twice met in bowl games, the Rebels winning the 1986 and 1998 Independence Bowls.

The teams last met in the 2003 regular season when B.J. Symons threw for 661 yards in a 49-45 Red Raiders victory.

Texas Tech still has that prolific passing game with quarterback Graham Harrell and receiver Michael Crabtree, a Dallas native.

"They easily could have played for the championship of the Big 12," Nutt said. "They're a very tough challenge."

It is the first bowl game for Ole Miss since the 2004 Cotton Bowl, when Eli Manning led the Rebels to a 31-28 victory over Oklahoma State. That was their first Cotton Bowl in 42 years.

Texas Tech lost 13-10 to Alabama in the 2006 Cotton Bowl. It is the Red Raiders' fourth Cotton Bowl.

The 73rd Cotton Bowl will be played Jan. 2. It will be final time the game will be in the Cotton Bowl before moving to the Dallas Cowboys' new $1 billion-plus stadium next year.

"Playing the last game in that bowl is very special," Nutt said.