Outback Bowl 2015: Auburn vs. Wisconsin TV Info, Spread, Time and Injury News
The Outback Bowl may not carry the same prestige as the New Year’s Six games, but it certainly has plenty of intriguing storylines.
When Wisconsin and Auburn square off, it will be the Big Ten vs. the SEC, Melvin Gordon vs. Nick Marshall and Cameron Artis-Payne and the grinding style of the Badgers against the high-octane attack of the Tigers.
Here is a look at the essential information for this season’s Outback Bowl.
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2015 Outback Bowl
Matchup: Auburn vs. Wisconsin
Date: Thursday, Jan. 1
Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN 2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Spread: Auburn -6.5, via Odds Shark, as of Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. ET
Injury Report (via USA Today)
| Gage Batten | FB | 08/31/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Jordan Diamond | G | 09/26/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | undisclosed |
| Alex Kozan | G | 08/02/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | back |
| DaVonte Lambert | DE | 12/26/2014 | is questionable for the Outback Bowl Thursday against Wisconsin | Questionable | leg |
| Carl Lawson | DE | 07/15/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Jeffrey Whitaker | DT | 12/26/2014 | is questionable for the Outback Bowl Thursday against Wisconsin | Questionable | back |
| D'haquille Williams | WR | 12/29/2014 | will miss the Outback Bowl Thursday against Wisconsin | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Patrick Young | FB | 08/31/2014 | is expected to miss the entire season | Out | knee |
| Taiwan Deal | RB | 09/16/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | hand |
| Trent Denlinger | G | 12/26/2014 | is questionable for the Outback Bowl Thursday against Auburn | Questionable | undisclosed |
| D'Cota Dixon | LB | 09/25/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | shoulder |
| Vonte Jackson | RB | 08/22/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | knee |
| Austin Ramesh | FB | 12/26/2014 | is questionable for the Outback Bowl Thursday against Auburn | Questionable | leg |
| Eric Steffes | TE | 11/05/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Dan Voltz | C | 12/26/2014 | is questionable for the Outback Bowl Thursday against Auburn | Questionable | ankle |
| Konrad Zagzebski | DE | 12/26/2014 | is expected to miss the Outback Bowl Thursday against Auburn | Out | knee |
Preview/Prediction
Wisconsin will clearly have its attention focused on the Outback Bowl matchup with Auburn, but the instability at the coaching position has to be something of a distraction.
Coach Gary Andersen took the Oregon State job after losing the Big Ten Championship Game in a move that reminded many of Bret Bielema’s sudden exit for the Arkansas job after the 2012 season. Athletic director Barry Alvarez will coach against Auburn just like he coached against Oregon in the Rose Bowl after Bielema left.
Regardless of the coaching situation, the Badgers’ best chance in this game is riding superstar running back Gordon. He led the nation in rushing yards with 2,336, won the Doak Walker Award as the country’s best running back, led the nation in rushing yards per game (179.7) and rushing touchdowns (26) and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up.
He is also only 292 rushing yards shy of Barry Sanders’ single-season record.
Michael Rothstein of ESPN believes that Gordon is the most pro-ready running back this year:
Gordon was more concerned with his team leading up to this game, though, and discussed Wisconsin’s four-year bowl drought, according to STATS LLC, via ESPN.com: "This is important to me, my teammates, the seniors and the university. No one knows how it feels to win a bowl game. We went through a lot of adversity, and we're just hoping this bowl game can change the way we look at the season."
Auburn allowed 516 rushing yards in its last two losses to Alabama and Georgia, so Gordon could be salivating at the chance to break that curse against a porous defensive front.
The Badgers aren’t the only team that runs the ball effectively in this game. Auburn was 12th in the nation at 258.5 yards per game on the ground and will rely on running back Cameron Artis-Payne and his 1,482 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns and quarterback Nick Marshall and his 780 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
The Tigers better be able to run the ball because wide receiver D’haquille Williams is suspended for the Outback Bowl. At least Marshall will have big-play threat Sammie Coates and his 717 receiving yards and four touchdown catches.
Statistically, Wisconsin is built to stop the run. The Badgers were 17th in the country against the run this season, but it is perfectly fine to question the validity of those defensive stats considering they only played two top-50 scoring offenses and got their doors blown off by Ohio State in a 59-0 loss in the Big Ten Championship Game.
While the defense may be a legitimate concern for the Badgers, especially against the Tigers, they do get a break with Williams’ suspension.
Wisconsin will be able to devote more defenders to the box to stop the run without worrying about Williams beating the defense on a deep route. Yes, Coates is still there, but it is easier to contain one elite receiver with safety coverage than two.
As long as the Badgers defense doesn’t let Auburn run wild, Gordon and company should be able to put up enough points against a reeling Tigers front seven to win this game. Gordon will control the clock and keep the Auburn offense on the sidelines, which could also open up some play-action passes for the Badgers against the Tigers secondary that ranked a measly 86th in the country against the pass.
Look for Wisconsin’s offense to win this one.
Prediction: Wisconsin 27, Auburn 21
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