Outback Bowl 2016: Northwestern vs. Tennessee TV Schedule, Time and Odds

Streaking programs kick off the new year when the No. 13 Northwestern Wildcats encounter the No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers in the Outback Bowl.

Like any good Big Ten-SEC showdown, both programs will look to run the ball well and play solid defense to secure a much-needed win.

Pat Fitzgerald has the Wildcats thinking about the program's first 11-win season, a completion of one of the nation's most impressive turnarounds. The Volunteers' Butch Jones knows a thing or two about turnarounds after rattling off eight wins and playing some of the best teams on the planet close.

Here's a look at everything to know about two programs on the cusp of taking another drastic step up the ladder.

Game Details

When: Friday, January 1, at noon ET

Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Television: ESPN2

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Over/Under: 47

Spread: Tennessee (-8.5)

Team Injury Reports

NAME	POS	STATUS
Nick VanHoose	CB	Out Fri
Jaylen Prater	LB	Out for season
Adam DePietro	OL	Out for season
Jayme Taylor	SB	Out for season

NAME	POS	STATUS
Trevarris Saulsberry	DL	Out for season
Kyle Phillips	DL	Out for season
Quart'e Sapp	LB	Out indefinitely
Shy Tuttle	DL	Out for season
Curt Maggitt	LB	Out for season
Andrew Butcher	DL	Out indefinitely
Jason Croom	WR	Out indefinitely
Vincent Perry	WR	Out for season
Austin Sanders	OL	Out for season
Rashaan Gaulden	DB	Out for season
Marcus Jackson	OL	Out for season

Injury reports courtesy of USA Today.

Running for 11

The Wildcats ride a five-game streak into Friday's game, having grabbed two wins against ranked opponents on the season. 

Ranked 11th in the nation at 310.5 yards per game surrendered, Fitzgerald has the Wildcats playing traditional Big Ten football behind the dual-threat capabilities of quarterback Clayton Thorson.

The freshman has as many touchdowns as interceptions this year at seven, but also ranks second on the team in rushing with 374 yards and five touchdowns. Justin Jackson leads the team with a 4.5 per-carry average on 298 totes for 1,344 yards and four scores.

Despite the potentially historic season, Fitzgerald understands the perception surrounding this impending contest, according to Adam Hoge of WGN Radio: 

Great season or not, the Wildcats clearly have something to prove to the globe. It makes sense considering the team lost to then-No. 18 Michigan in horrific 38-0 fashion in October and followed with a 40-10 thrashing at the hands of then-No. 17 Iowa.

Northwestern has to prove its big-game struggles—minus the season-opening win against then-No. 21 Stanford—aren't worth dwelling on. The only way to do that is to take down a game SEC opponent.

The Next Step

Jones has improved Tennessee in each of his three seasons, with Friday looking like a chance to take the program into the "heavyweight" category of the SEC.

Tennessee leans on an elite rushing attack that, even in the SEC, averaged 223.5 rushing yards per game behind the talented legs of Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara:

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Jalen Hurd	253	1158	4.6	11
Alvin Kamara	96	645	6.7	6

Against a defense specializing in shutting down the run, though, the Volunteers will need a strong performance from junior quarterback Joshua Dobbs.

Dobbs also boasts dual-threat traits, having thrown 15 touchdowns to five interceptions this year with another 623 yards and nine scores on the ground.

"I think that the experiences that he has gained over time has helped in the maturation process as a leader, as a quarterback," Jones said, according to Jeff Bartl of STATS LLC (via Yahoo.com). "This year, he has continued to progress and get better and better. He defines what a student-athlete is all about."

Unlike Northwestern, Tennessee isn't a stranger to playing well on the big stage. Jones and Co. upset Georgia this year and took then-No. 19 Oklahoma to two overtimes, and came up just short in Alabama against the then-No. 8 and College Football Playoff-bound Crimson tide 19-14 thanks to a late touchdown.

Those experiences will go a long way toward helping Tennessee Friday.

Prediction

John Raoux/Associated Press

Though Northwestern has put on quite the season, Las Vegas has every right to keep this line as is.

There's a clear disparity here when it comes to quality of competition, with Northwestern struggling against Big Ten teams in absolute blowouts and Tennessee taking on top programs from the SEC and Big 12 well.

Tennessee might not find much in the way of room on the ground in a traditional sense, but Dobbs' ability to keep Northwestern honest through various avenues will make all the difference.

Look for the Volunteers to pull away by halftime and sit on the lead.

Prediction: Tennessee 28, Northwestern 21

Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.