The big-time rushing offense from the SEC meets the big-time rushing offense in the Big Ten as the Auburn Tigers (19) meet the Wisconsin Badgers (18) in the Outback Bowl.
Auburn averaged 258 yards on the ground a season after riding their relentless rushing attack to the National Championship Game. After suffering some big losses on both sides of the ball, Auburn was not able to get back to National Title contention.
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Led by Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin averaged 314 yards on the ground this season, but their rushing attack was completely shut down in their dismal 59-0 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.
Wisconsin also saw their head coach, Gary Andersen, abruptly leave to take the same job at Oregon State. Barry Alvarez, a former Badgers coach and the current athletic director, said he did not see the move coming, but he responded quickly and hired a permanent replacement.
Even with Paul Chryst, a Wisconsin alum and former player, hired and formally introduced, Alvarez needed someone to coach the Outback Bowl.
"I just couldn't tell those kids no," Alvarez said in a pregame press conference of the Badgers' request for him to coach the game, according to ESPN. "It bothers me that the kids have to go through this. Change is difficult for them."
With losses to Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama in the second part of their season, Auburn's season came to a disappointing end. Still, a New Year's Day bowl game is nothing to frown about. To repair their defensive shortcomings from this season, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn hired Will Muschamp, who was just recently fired by Florida, as their defensive coordinator.
"Our defensive players have responded. He's just trying to get to know our players, evaluate our current guys and our players have responded extremely well," Malzahn said at the presser. "They're trying to impress him, trying to show what they can do. They're in evaluation mode and he's trying to evaluate what we have and thinking about next year and putting his pieces of the puzzle."
