Mississippi State vs. No. 21 Northwestern
Tues., Jan. 1 – Noon ET, ESPN2
Jacksonville, Fla. – EverBank Field
Excellent season by Northwestern. Really great job, Pat Fitzgerald.
OK, enough of that.
On to the annual storyline.
Northwestern (9-3) hasn’t won in the postseason since the 1949 Rose Bowl. Granted, there were a few seasons (decades?) where Northwestern couldn’t even make a bowl game. But the Wildcats have dropped nine straight bowl games and it’s getting time to break that dubious streak, wouldn’t you say?
Even going into the Gator Bowl, Northwestern was tweaked by South Carolina coach South Carolina, who said he was happy to be playing Michigan in the Outback Bowl (and not Northwestern) because the Wolverines had much more prestige.
Mississippi State (8-4) is a worthy opponent. The Bulldogs are making their third straight bowl appearance for only the second time in school history. But after a 7-0 start, they lost four of their last five games.
Northwestern’s streak? It’s time.
Opening point spread: Mississippi State by 2
The pick: Northwestern 28, Mississippi State 23
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