Bowl Buzz: A sunny New Year in Florida?
November 11, 2021 | Football, Andy Baggot, Bowl Central
Taking a first look at bowl projections and where the Badgers might be traveling
BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
Each week leading up to the announcement of the Badgers' bowl destination on Dec. 5, Andy Baggot will take a look at Wisconsin's potential destinations. More information is available at UWBowlCentral.com.
MADISON, Wis. — When you've played in 19 consecutive bowl games like the Wisconsin football team has, chances are there's going to be some overlap in sites and assignments.
For example, the Badgers have made nine appearances in various Florida bowls since the streak began in 2002. They've played five times in Orlando, three times in Tampa and once in Miami as a representative of the Big Ten Conference. They've also been assigned on four occasions to Pasadena, California.
During that time frame, UW has faced Auburn and Miami (Fla.) three times and Georgia and Oregon twice.
Bowling for 20-straight years #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/8rZJWzHZzG
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 6, 2021
Wisconsin fans looking for something new will like the first round of unofficial bowl projections for this season.
The Badgers, ranked 18th in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, became bowl eligible last week with their 52-3 thumping of Rutgers. In the process of picking up their sixth victory, they extended the third-longest streak of postseason eligibility to 20 years. Only Georgia (25) and Oklahoma (23) have longer runs among the 130 Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
UW (6-3 overall) has won five straight games entering its duel with Northwestern on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
As long as the Badgers continue to control their own destiny in the Big Ten West Division over the last three regular-season games — after Northwestern they host Nebraska before finishing at Minnesota — their chances of getting a prime bowl assignment remain high.
For now, bowl forecasters have Wisconsin headed back to Florida for a Jan. 1 matchup. Instead of taking issue with where the Badgers might be headed — again — fans should consider the potential matchups.
UW has never faced Texas A&M out of the Southeastern Conference, but that's the projected opponent for the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, according to The Athletic.
The Aggies (7-2) own one of the biggest victories of the season, a 41-38 decision over defending national champion Alabama.
Two other prominent projections, from CBS Sports and Actionnetwork.com, have the Badgers matched up with Kentucky (6-3) of the SEC in the Outback Bowl in Tampa.
Curiously, Wisconsin's only previous football encounter with the Wildcats came in a bowl game. That was the 1984 Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama, won by Kentucky 20-19.
