Michigan Football: Outback Bowl preview vs South Carolina

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 01: Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 01: Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney

Michigan football earned a New Year’s Six bid and will square off with South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. Here’s everything you need to know.

More: Complete 2017-2018 bowl schedule

An extremely youthful Michigan football team fought their way to a fourth place finish in the Big Ten East. Despite a head-to-head loss to rival Michigan State and finishing behind the Spartans in the standings the Wolverines were selected for a spot in a coveted New Year’s Six bowl game.

Their opponent, South Carolina, quietly put together a strong 2017 season. The Gamecocks didn’t receiver the fanfare that Georgia or even 4-7 Florida did and still managed a second place finish in the SEC East.

Both squads enter the Outback Bowl with identical 8-4 records, each ending their regular season with a rivalry game loss. The Wolverines fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes while South Carolina lost to Clemson. Which school can salvage a positive ending to their 2017 season?

Here’s how to watch the Michigan take on South Carolina in the Outback Bowl:

Date: Monday, Jan. 1
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Tampa, FL
Venue: Raymond James Stadium
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

Both of these squads rely on strong defenses but each unit has their own strengths. The Wolverines pride themselves on their pass rush. Michigan finished 10th in the nation with 39 sacks. Whether it’s Rashan Gary, Chase Winovich or Maurice Hurst Jr., somebody from the maize and blue tends to find themselves in the opposing backfield quite frequently.

Michigan has six players that tallied more than four sacks in 2017. South Carolina has just one, defensive end D.J. Wonnum. That’s not how the Gamecocks win the defensive battle though. Their game is predicated on forcing turnovers. South Carolina had 23 takeaways this season – 11 fumble recoveries and 12 interceptions. They’ve found ways to keep themselves in the game by coming away with key takeaways in big moments.

Both defenses are going to come out firing. It will be the quarterbacks, however, that decide this game. Michigan’s Brandon Peters and South Carolina’s Jake Bentley haven’t been stellar, and with defenses as good as they have, they don’t have to be. Whichever passer manages to play mistake free football will be able to do enough to put his team in position to win.

Next: SMQ: Are we really seeing more bowl blowouts in 2017?

Prediction

Michigan has the bigger brand, but they also have more offensive issues. The Wolverines have played roulette at the quarterback position all season and their current starter, a freshman, has a limited amount of reps under his belt. An inexperienced quarterback against a veteran SEC defense will not end well. The Gamecocks pull off the upset.

Final Score: Michigan 19, South Carolina 21