Outback Bowl 2016: Final Odds and Prediction for Northwestern vs. Tennessee

The 2016 Outback Bowl pits two teams with drastically different histories against each other. 

Tennessee will be playing after New Year's for the eighth time since 2000. Northwestern, on the other hand, is playing after New Year's for just the seventh time in school history. 

According to Odds Shark, the advantage goes to the school with more experience, as Tennessee is favored by 8.5 points.

Here's a look at all the info you'll need for game day, followed by a breakdown of the matchup. 

Date	Time (E.T)	Matchup (Spread)	TV	Location
Fri., Jan. 1	12 p.m.	Northwestern vs. Tennessee (-8.5)	ESPN2	Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

When Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald arrived in Evanston in 2006, the Wildcats had been to just six bowl games in school history. The Outback Bowl will now be their sixth bowl appearance under Fitzgerald, a remarkable accomplishment for the former Northwestern linebacker. 

If Fitzgerald's crew is going to pick up the third bowl victory in school history, the Wildcats defense will need to find a way to stop one of the nation's top rushing attacks. 

It won't be an easy task, as even Fitzgerald has acknowledged the challenge ahead, according to Adam Hoge of WGN Radio:

"

#Northwestern HC Pat Fitzgerald on matchup vs Tennessee: "I think the only person that has picked us to win is my 6-year-old son."

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) December 29, 2015"

Led by running back Jalen Hurd and quarterback Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee is averaging over 200 rushing yards per game. 

The Northwestern rushing defense has been wildly inconsistent this season, making this matchup a difficult one to predict. 

In the season opener, the Wildcats shut down Stanford, holding Heisman runner-up Christian McCaffrey to just 66 yards on the ground. However, Northwestern also imploded against Iowa, surrendering 294 yards on the ground to the Hawkeyes in a 40-10 blowout loss. 

The key for Tennessee will be finding a way to close out the game, assuming they gain an early lead. 

The Volunteers held fourth-quarter leads in three of their four losses this season, including late losses against Alabama and Oklahoma. 

If the Vols have learned from those early-season mistakes and close out the game against the Northwestern, it could set the momentum for Tennessee to be mentioned among the sleeper contenders for next season's national title. 

Prediction: Tennessee 38, Northwestern 24