At Mississippi State, bowl appearances are an annual occurrence.
No. 24 Tulsa, meanwhile, is set to end a brief postseason hiatus.
The Bulldogs (3-7) will make a school-record 11th consecutive bowl appearance, while the Golden Hurricane (6-2) will play in their first bowl since 2016 when they meet on New Year's Eve in the Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth, Texas.
Tulsa beat Central Michigan 55-10 in the Miami Beach Bowl in 2016. Then the Golden Hurricane went 2-10, 3-9 and 4-8 before having a breakout season this year.
"Throughout this time I've seen a lot of ups and downs," senior running back Corey Taylor II said.