Orange Bowl 2017: Wisconsin vs. Miami TV Schedule, Time and Odds
The Wisconsin Badgers and Miami Hurricanes are polar opposites in college football.
The Hurricanes embrace the spotlight every time it hovers over the program, while the Badgers are more than willing to grind out games in the ugliest way possible.
Wisconsin and Miami will line up against each other Saturday in the Orange Bowl at the home of the Hurricanes, Hard Rock Stadium.
Although there are plenty of differences in program culture between the teams, they carry the same motivation into the third of the New Year's Six games.
Both Miami and Wisconsin are looking to rebound from defeats in their respective conference championship games to enter 2018 with a ton of momentum.
Date: Saturday, December 30
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Odds: Wisconsin (-4.5); over/under: 45.5
How Wisconsin Will Win
The foundation of Wisconsin's offensive game plan hasn't changed much over the past few decades.
The Badgers will try to run opponents to death and hope their quarterback comes up with a few big plays to solidify the victory.
Freshman Jonathan Taylor is the workhorse for Wisconsin after bursting on to the college football scene with 1,847 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
The fourth-best rusher in the nation will receive the ball multiple times in every set of downs, especially with the unreliable Alex Hornibrook under center.
Hornibrook could either be Wisconsin's X-factor or worst nightmare, which he was in the Big Ten Championship Game as he completed under 50 percent of his passes and threw a pair of interceptions.
The often-criticized sophomore quarterback has the potential to be the big-game player the Badgers need him to be, but he's only shown flashes of brilliance, such as his three-touchdown outing against Minnesota on November 25.
It comes as no surprise to anyone that the key players for the Badgers on defense come from the linebacker position. Ryan Connelly and T.J. Edwards both recorded 11 tackles for loss in the regular season. Edwards is also one of the Badgers' best players in pass coverage, as he tied with Joe Ferguson for the team lead in interceptions with four.
With a few of Miami's receivers out because of injury, the Hurricanes may try to wear down the Badgers defense by way of the run game. If that's the case, they will be met by the stonewall of Wisconsin linebackers led by the team's two leading tacklers.
How Miami Will Win
Playing at home is about the only advantage the Hurricanes have entering the Orange Bowl.
Mark Richt's team is decimated by injuries, especially on the offensive side of the ball, as Christopher Herndon IV and Ahmmon Richards are out with knee injuries.
Quarterback Malik Rosier still has leading receiver Braxton Berrios in his arsenal, but the Wisconsin secondary will carefully watch the senior wideout.
The Wisconsin defense could also have its way with the Miami rushing game, led by Travis Homer, who struggled in the ACC Championship Game with 41 yards on 14 carries.
The one thing the Hurricanes have the Badgers don't is the turnover chain. Everyone's favorite piece of college football jewelry could make a few appearances if Hornibrook decides to throw more than 20 passes.
Miami's best bet to win Saturday is to stuff the box and quell the threat of Taylor, which would force Hornibrook to break down the secondary that features Jaquan Johnson and Michael Jackson, who each picked off four passes in the regular season.
If the Hurricanes are able to force a turnover or two in the first quarter, it would create a wave of momentum and, more importantly, a short field for Rosier and the offense to work with.
However, if Taylor is able to make Miami's defense look as foolish as the other teams he's left in the dust this season, it could be a long night for the Hurricanes.
Prediction
The Hurricanes' health may hamper the competitiveness of the home team on offense. Miami will be able to stay in the game if it creates a few turnovers, but that will only happen if it contains Taylor.
Wisconsin will smother Berrios in pass coverage, which will put all the pressure on Rosier and the other wide receivers to come up with big plays, which we don't see happening much.
Wisconsin 27, Miami 16
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from ESPN.com and Sports Reference. Odds obtained from OddsShark.
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