Michigan and South Carolina will play in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 in Tampa, Fla.
Matchup: Michigan (8-4) vs. South Carolina (8-4) in the Outback Bowl.
Where: Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla.
TV/radio: ESPN2; WWJ-AM (950), WTKA-AM (1050).
Know the foe: Michigan gets an Outback Bowl rematch with South Carolina after suffering a 33-28 last-minute loss to the Gamecocks back in 2012. Things are quite a bit different now. Steve Spurrier is gone. So is Brady Hoke. It'll be Jim Harbaugh vs. Will Muschamp in Tampa on New Year's Day as the Wolverines will battle one of the SEC's worst offenses, as the Gamecocks finished 12th in the league at 340.2 yards per game. Defensively, South Carolina was a bit better, allowing 374.6 yards per game.
The QB: South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley has had an up and down year with turnovers (11 interceptions), but he has throw for 2,555 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also holds a completion rate of 64.2 percent. He's not known as a dangerous runner, though he's rushed for six touchdowns this season. The Gamecocks haven't been good in the passing game, though, as 27.9 percent of all South Carolina's pass attempts have resulted in either a pass breakup, an interception or a sack.
Iffy offense: This probably won't be a battle of elite offenses, as both South Carolina (108th in nation in total yards) and Michigan (101st) have struggled to move the ball this season. The Gamecocks have made it to the red zone on just 24 percent of their possessions, ranking No. 107 nationally. In four losses this season, South Carolina has averaged 50.3 rushing yards per game on 22 attempts. The offense averages just 5.49 yards per play. U-M's defense is still one of the best in the country and only allowed 400 yards or more once this season.
Turnovers: South Carolina's defense has been opportunistic, as the Gamecocks have picked off 12 passes and recovered 11 fumbles this season. The 23 turnovers gained ties South Carolina for No. 21 nationally. The Gamecocks have been stingy overall on the scoreboard, the most important stat. Opponents averaged 20.8 points per game this season.