Georgia to the Outback Bowl: A Guide to the Matchup vs. Michigan State

The Georgia Bulldogs had a rough outing against the LSU Tigers in the SEC Championship game, but they did win 10 games for the first time since 2008.

Because of that, they will play in the Outback Bowl against Michigan State on Jan 2.

Michigan State also won 10 games and also lost their conference championship game. The Spartans lost to Wisconsin in a game that went back and forth and will can't wait to get back on the field.

Should be a very compelling game between two very good football teams.

Bowl Information

Here's a little info about this year's Outback Bowl:

Location: Tampa, Fla.

Date: 1/2/11

Time: 1 p.m.

Payout: $3.5 million

Last year's result: Florida defeated Penn State 37-24

Last time Georgia was in the Outback Bowl: 2004; the Bulldogs defeated Wisconsin 24-21.

Last time Michigan State was in the Outback Bowl: This will be the first time the Spartans play in the Outback Bowl.

The Bulldogs' Strength

One of the reasons the Bulldogs had success this year was they were very stout on defense.

They are ranked third in the nation in total defense and are led by linebacker Jarvis Jones who leads the SEC in sacks (13.5).

They are also led by safety Bacarri Rambo who leads the SEC in interceptions (7).

Other players to watch are CB Brandon Boykin, S Shawn Williams, LB Alec Ogletree and DE DeAngelo Tyson.

The Spartans' Strength

As good as the Bulldogs are on defense, the Spartans are no slouches themselves.

The Spartans are ranked fifth in the nation in total defense and are led by LB Denicos Allen who has 14.5 sacks.

Isaiah Lewis is another player to watch for the Spartans on defense. He has intercepted four passes and two have been returned for touchdowns.

The Spartans have only surrendered 17 points a game and 104 rushing yards per game this season.

The Bulldogs' Weakness

Believe it or not, the Bulldogs' biggest weakness could be the running game.

They have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2008, and the lack of a running game against LSU really hurt the Bulldogs' chances of winning the SEC.

Isaiah Crowell had over 800 rushing yards this season but has been injury-prone this year and tends to take himself out of games.

Other than that, the depth at running back is really thin, and it could really hurt the Bulldogs in this game.

The Spartans' Weakness

This is not a joke, but the Spartans' biggest weakness is also the running game.

The Spartans rushed for 142 yards per game this year and had 19 rushing touchdowns; both numbers put them at the bottom of the conference.

Le'Von  Bell has rushed for 900 yards but does not get as many carries as some of his Big Ten counterparts.

And with the Bulldogs ranked near the top of the country when it comes to run defense, don't expect Bell to have a big game.

How the Bulldogs Got Here

It looked as if the Bulldogs were going to have another subpar season because they fell to Boise State and South Carolina at the start.

But the Bulldogs settled down and won 10 straight games including Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech.

They earned a spot in the SEC title game but got hammered by LSU.

But 10 wins is good enough to get you to a January bowl, and the Outback Bowl committee seems to agree.

How the Spartans Got Here

The Spartans won their first two games of the season with ease before losing a tough contest to Notre Dame.

They went on to win four straight games including a improbable last-second win against Wisconsin.

After that, they were dominated by Nebraska, won their last last four regular-season games and fell to the Badgers in the conference championship game.

Like the Bulldogs, the Spartans were consistent, and that's why they won 10 games.

The Bulldogs' Key Player

In order for the Bulldogs to win, quarterback Aaron Murray will have to have a big day.

Murray had a great 2011 season, throwing for over 2,800 yards and a SEC-best 33 touchdowns.

He has a great arm and and makes plays with his leg is he needs to. He will look to play a lot better than he did against LSU.

The Spartans' Key Player

Like the Bulldogs, the Spartans' key player will be their quarterback Kirk Cousins.

The senior quarterback has thrown for 3,016 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

He has made tremendous plays with his arm, but none bigger than the Hail-Mary touchdown pass against Wisconsin in the regular season to win the game.

He's the team's emotional leader, and the Spartans will go as far as Cousins will take them.

Prediction

This should be one of the better Jan. 2 games. Both teams play great defense, have very good quarterbacks and had tough losses in their respective conference championship games.

What this game is going to come down to is who makes the most mistakes. The Spartans had fits with Alabama in the Capital One Bowl last year because of the speed on defense.

I think the same thing will happen this year, and Murray will make enough plays to lead the Bulldogs to their 11th win of the year.

FINAL SCORE: Bulldogs 28, Spartans 20