(AP photo)

By Tyler Barto
Twitter: @Tyler_Barto
tbarto@trentonian.com

PISCATAWAY — Rutgers has accepted an invitation to the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl, the Baltimore Sun Media Group reported Sunday..

The Scarlet Knights will face Louisiana Tech, the team's third Group of Five opponent in a bowl game since 2008.

Rutgers (7-5) finished the season with a 41-38 comeback victory against Maryland that all but secured the school's ninth bowl berth in 10 seasons. The Big Ten will have all 10 its eligible teams in bowl games.

Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood will hold a press conference Sunday at 7 p.m., followed by the team's captains.

Led by former USF coach Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech lost, 26-23, to Marshall in the Conference USA title game. Running back Kenneth Dixon finished with 1,500-plus all-purpose yards and 26 total TDs.

In the new College Football Playoff era, New Year's Day bowl committees could make their selections after the top-four pairings were announced early Sunday afternoon.

Then athletic directors and athletic department administrators could lobby bowl committees based on their conference affiliation to determine berths. In the Big Ten, that likely meant at least a stamp of approval from Commissioner Jim Delany.

Ohio State will represent the Big Ten in the CFP, while Michigan State will play in the Cotton Bowl Bowl on Jan. 1.  That preserved the Big Ten's tie-in with the Citrus Bowl and promised a slot for all eight bowl-eligible league teams.

Former Nebraska coach and AD Tom Osborne and Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez represented the Big Ten on the CFP committee.