Michigan Football: 4 Things to know about South Carolina, Outback Bowl

Both teams want to win this game badly

One thing that’s always key in bowl season is motivation. But when it comes to Michigan and South Carolina in the Outback Bowl, that won’t be an issue.

The Gamecocks were 3-9 two years ago and last season, they finished 6-7 and played in a second tier bowl game. Now, for the first time in a few years, they are on the national stage again against Michigan, a team with plenty of name recognition, especially because of Harbaugh.

Michigan Wolverines Football

Michigan needs a signature win this season and so does South Carolina. A win for either team would lead to a 9-4 finish and most likely a top-25 ranking in the final AP and coaches polls.

For the Wolverines, a win also means avoiding a three-game losing streak to end the season. Last year, UM lost three of the last four games, so a win could help avoid that from becoming a trend.

Both teams are also young and will have underclassmen quarterbacks. For the Wolverines, a win can not only give the team confidence and momentum going into next season, but it can do the same for Peters. If he plays well and the Wolverines win, it would be hard not to view him as the starter going into spring practice.

A win would also help Michigan do something it hasn’t done since Lloyd Carr was the head coach and that’s win nine games in three consecutive seasons. The Wolverines haven’t done that since 2002-2004, making it a worthy ambition.

South Carolina, on the other hand, would love to notch a big win for the SEC and announce itself as a program on the rise in the eastern division. SEC coaches also have no love for Harbaugh, so that could be a motivating factor too, at least for Muschamp and crew.

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At the end of the day, these two teams have a lot of similarities and a lot of reasons for wanting to play in the Outback Bowl, as well as win it. That sets the stage for a competitive game that will should be a great way for both programs to ring in the new year.