Tampa Bay, FL -- (Sports Network) - The 18th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers and 16th- ranked Tennessee Volunteers will square off in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida on New Year's Day.

Wisconsin last played in the 2005 Outback Bowl, falling to Georgia by a 24-21 final. As for Tennessee, it participated in this game last season, dropping a 20-10 decision to Penn State. Wisconsin finished 9-3 during the regular season, including 5-3 against Big Ten competition. The Badgers won two straight games and four of their last five to close out the campaign, and the lone loss during that span came against an Ohio State squad that has earned a berth in the BCS National Championship Game. All three of the losses for Wisconsin have come in true road games.

As for Tennessee, the SEC Eastern Division champ, it owns a 9-4 record and is coming off a loss to LSU in the conference title game. The Vols have a tremendous football tradition with six national championships and 46 bowl appearances. They are 24-22 all-time in bowl games, and the 24 wins place Tennessee third among all collegiate teams.

The only previous meeting between Wisconsin and Tennessee took place in 1981, and the Vols won that game by a 28-21 final.

Wisconsin is scoring 30.5 ppg to go along with 413.9 total ypg, solid numbers for a team that has proven capable of moving the ball effectively both on the ground and through the air. The Badgers are posting 201.5 rushing ypg on 4.4 ypc, and 28 of their 44 offensive touchdowns have come on the ground. Unfortunately, the club will likely have to play this Outback Bowl without bruising tailback P.J. Hill, who is listed as doubtful with a foot injury. Hill played just 10 games during the regular season and finished with 1,080 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.0 ypc. Zach Brown is the team's second- leading rusher with 539 yards and five touchdowns, and he will likely have to carry the load. Quarterback Tyler Donovan is a running threat, as he has posted four touchdowns on the ground. As a passer, Donovan has connected on 57.9 percent of his throws for 2,452 yards and 16 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. The top receiver on the roster is Travis Beckum, as he has made 73 grabs for 960 yards and six touchdowns.

Opponents are scoring 23.3 ppg while gaining 350.4 total ypg against Wisconsin, which has been inconsistent defensively this season. The fact that the Badgers are yielding 4.3 yards per rushing attempt and 12.0 yards per pass completion suggest that there is room for improvement against both means of attack. They have surrendered 34 touchdowns to opposing offenses, 19 of which have been passing scores. A solid total of 28 sacks have been registered by Wisconsin, which has come up with only 18 takeaways. There are a few Badger defenders who deserve mention for their strong play during the regular season. Start with Jonathan Casillas, as he leads the club with 86 total tackles. Matt Shaughnessy checks in with 16 TFLs, and Shane Carter has registered seven interceptions.

Offensively, Tennessee is led by quarterback Erik Ainge, one of the top signal callers in the talent-packed SEC. Ainge has thrown for 3,157 yards and 29 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions this season. The play of the team's offensive line has been tremendous, as the group has only given up four sacks on the year, tops in the nation. Not only has the line been superb when it comes to pass protection, it has excelled at run blocking as well. With the help of the line, RB Arian Foster has racked up 1,162 yards and 14 total touchdowns. Among the receivers, Lucas Taylor is tops with 73 catches for 1,000 yards and five scores, but he will miss this bowl game because of academic problems. Tight end Chris Brown has reached the end zone six times, and he may become a bigger part of the offense in the absence of Lucas. Tennessee is averaging 33.4 ppg and 399.2 total ypg, and 31 of the team's 49 offensive touchdowns have come through the air. This will be the final game at Tennessee for offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe, who has accepted the head coach position at Duke.

The strength of the Tennessee defense has been its linebackers, and Jerod Mayo has been the most active of the three. Mayo has made a team-high 127 tackles, fourth best in the SEC, and seven of his stops have come in the backfield. Rico McCoy checks in with 106 tackles, including 3.5 TFLs, but he has been ruled academically ineligible for this contest and will be sorely missed. Ryan Karl has posted 82 total tackles, and he will help Mayo pick up the slack. In the defensive backfield, safety Eric Berry has five interceptions and 83 stops to his credit. Opponents are scoring 28.1 ppg while gaining 407.6 total ypg against a Tennessee defensive unit that can best be described as inconsistent. The club is yielding 4.2 yards per rushing attempt and 11.5 yards per pass completion, so there is room for improvement in both areas. The Vols looked helpless defensively in a few games this season against the likes of Cal, Florida and Kentucky, but the squad was also tough against Georgia and Arkansas, permitting only 27 combined points to those two talented teams.