The Outback Bowl

Spartans and Bulldogs face after loosing championship games

On January 2nd 2012 in Tampa FL, # 17 Michigan State will be facing # 16 Georgia. This game on paper looks like an even match up The Bulldogs are fresh off a loss to #1 LSU, and The Spartans lost their last game to Wisconsin. The Outback bowl has not seen two ten win teams in its entire history But lets break down both of these teams.

In the air: Both teams are even on passing yards. The Bulldogs are 49th overall with a total of 241.2 Yards per game in the air. Lead by quarterback Aaron Murray. This sophomore is up for some all SEC honors and with his help the Bulldogs created a 10 game winning streak, taking on heavy hitting SEC opponents. The Spartans lead by the senior Kirk Cousins have the benefit of experience. They edge out the Bulldogs by being ranked 44th with a total of 247.5 yards per game. Cousins lead the Spartans to an impressive 10 wins over the season.

On the ground: This is where Georgia might have an advantage. Georgia can grind out the yard on the ground. They are ranked 41st on the ground with a total 172.7 yards per game. The player to look out for on the Bulldog squad is Carlton Thomas who had over 15 carries against Auburn.

Michigan State is improving their ground game, they are only ranked 76th with 142.9 yards on the ground a game. The Spartans will try to keep the ball in the air. They can run, but with twice as many passing yards as rushing yards, Senior Kirk Cousins will be getting lots of work.

Defenses: This is what this game will be about. Georgia has the 3rd ranked defense in the country and The Spartans have the 5th ranked defense. Having the two defenses match up will be one of the best parts of the game. With two top ranked defenses going up against each other makes for a fight in the trenches. Both defenses have the ability to stop the rush. Both defenses have turnovers in their record. Both defenses have the ability to completely stop the other teams offense.

Hangups- Georgia has issues with penalties. Georgia is one the most penalized football teams in the nation. The Spartans have issues with going into Florida, the middle of SEC country and compete as an away team.

Both teams are even in points for and points against. Both teams went to their conference championship game and lost. This game is not only for each school to end their already winning seasons on a win before they put their uniforms up for the year.

This game will feature a pair of hometown heroes. Two of the Georgia players Aaron Murray and Orson Charles went to high school in tamps. The Spartans have never made the trip to the Outback bowl. Both teams want to finish out the season with 11 wins. Georgia has been to the Outback bowl five times, and aims to be the first 4 time champion of the Outback bowl.

The Outback Bowl will be a Big Ten SEC match-up. It will be another game which will attempt to answer the question which conference is better? The SEC or the Big Ten. And since both teams have 10 wins, it might get answered with this game.

Outback Bowl Guide

The Outback Bowl is an annual college football bowl game. The bowl game began in 1986. Starting in 1987, the game has been played on New Year's Day. If New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on the following Monday. The Outback Bowl has been played in Tampa, Florida every year. It is currently played at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. From 1986 until 1998, the game was played at Tampa Stadium.

The Outback Bowl is named for Outback Steakhouse, the corporation that sponsors the game. When it first began, it was known as the Hall of Fame Bowl. The bowl held this name until 1994. Prior to the Tampa game, there was another Hall of Fame Bowl held in Alabama. However, the College Football Hall of Fame cut their ties with that game and started the new game in Tampa.

It was the first college bowl game in the city since 1954 when the Cigar Bowl ended. Since 1996, the game has pitted a team from Big Ten against a team from the Southeastern Conference. The Outback Bowl usually has third pick among bowl games for each conference, making it a well respected game. As a result, the game attracts at lot of fans as schools from those leagues generally travel well. The Tampa Bay Bowl Association organizes the game. The payout for each school was $3.4 million, a very good payout among non-BCS games.

The events for the Outback Bowl start in the summer with a weekend geared towards sponsors for the game. When the teams arrive, they are treated to an Outback Steakhouse dinner. Other events include players visiting an area hospital as well as various other events including a visit to Busch Gardens and other area hotspots. A New Year's Eve parade is among the festivities leading up to the game. Overall, the Outback Bowl week raises a significant amount of money for charities in the Tampa area, mostly geared toward helping children.

Georgia, and Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin (from the Big 10) have each played in the Outback Bowl four times. Georgia and Michigan have three wins. Penn State also has three wins here, winning each time they have played. The Outback Bowl has been the site of many thrilling bowl games, including last season when Auburn defeated Northwestern 38-35 in overtime. Outback Bowl MVP winners include Drew Brees, Courtney Brown, Bobby Engram, Heath Shuler, Shonn Greene, and Tyrone Wheatly.

In the 2010 Outback Bowl, quarterback Mike Kafka set bowl records with 47 completions and 78 passing attempts. Kafka threw for four touchdowns and ran for one more. He also threw five interceptions, which helped result in the Northwestern loss.

The Outback Bowl will be aired on ABC after an 18 year run on ESPN. Prior to that, the game was aired on NBC. Bob Costas called the first game in 1986. The game is also broadcast on ESPN Radio.

If you like our college football bowl game previews you should check out our previews for the NFL like the Lions vs Packers, the Patriots vs Dolphins or the Steelers vs Browns. Our Outback Bowl Odds and the Outback Bowl preview will be released the initial Outback Bowl betting lines in the beginning of December.