It's a phrase associated with winning championships.

But after falling short of reaching the ACC title game, Florida State players should soon be declaring: "I'm going to Disney World."

The Dec. 27 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando is the likely destination for FSU, which over the weekend seemed to be a lock to face Nebraska in the Gator Bowl. That would have been a matchup of two traditional powerhouses trying to make their way back to the top.

But Clemson became bowl eligible with an impressive victory over South Carolina to win four of its last five games.

The Greenville News reported on Tuesday that Clemson has been extended an invitation by the Gator Bowl to play Nebraska in a rematch of the 1982 Orange Bowl that gave the Tigers their only national title in football. The invite comes a day after Clemson, a 41-27 loser to FSU during the regular season, named Dabo Swinney as its head coach on Monday.

Citrus Sports Executive Director Steve Hogan said Tuesday evening that he did not have confirmation of a bid being extended by the Gator Bowl to Clemson. He still thought it would be Sunday before the Champs Sports Bowl would officially extend its bids.

"I didn't know anybody would be moving forward with official bids," Hogan said. "In general terms, if that happened, we would certainly look favorably upon Florida State as we will North Carolina and potentially the loser in the (ACC) championship game."

But he also noted that an FSU-Wisconsin match-up would be attractive. That game, interestingly, would feature two of the first football programs to put in place a head-coach-in-waiting plan for replacing their head coaches.

"I think Florida State made a lot of strides this year in the right direction," Hogan said. "I know they didn't finish the season against Florida the way wanted to but I don't think it takes away from a year where they beat Clemson, they beat Maryland in their division, a resurgent N.C. State, Virginia Tech and Miami. That's a pretty strong year.'

Gator Bowl President Rick Catlett could not be reached and there were media reports he was en route to South Carolina on Tuesday.

While an FSU-Nebraska matchup was expected to have national appeal, Clemson's fan base was also important to the New Year's Day bowl's thinking.

Clemson has been to eight Gator Bowls, tying Florida for the most appearances, and attendance has averaged more than 75,000 in the six most recent appearances for the Tigers. FSU has played in Jacksonville twice over the past two seasons.

The Orange Bowl gets the ACC champion. The Chick-fil-A Bowl is next and is expected to take Georgia Tech. The Gator follows that selection and then the Champs Sports Bowl.

FSU and the Florida Citrus Sports Association are working together for a regular-season game to be played in a renovated Citrus Bowl in 2012. FSU last played a bowl game in Orlando in the 1984 Citrus Bowl that ended in a 17-17 tie with Georgia.