At 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, the Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten) will face one of the SEC's finest teams, the LSU Tigers (9-3, 5-3 SEC) in the Outback Bowl coming live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. Watch the game on ESPN or live stream it for free by clicking this link. Iowa fans can follow the game on 1460 KXno, while LSU fans may do the same by listening to Eagle 98.1.
While LSU played all year in the rough-and-tumble SEC, few teams in the nation are as physical and stout defensively as the Iowa Hawkeyes, who surrendered just 18 points per game in 2013. They hope to continue that as the calendar changes.
In today's Outback Bowl they will catch a break, as starting LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger is out of action with a knee injury, leaving Anthony Jennings to lead the Tigers' offense.
"The good news is that the quarterback has been preparing all along," coach Les Miles told the school's website. "We're not in a position that we have to change a lot. We will run our offense just the way it is. That will benefit him because that is what he has been doing the entire year anyways."
Jennings will have explosive wide receivers at his disposal; Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. are the first wide receivers in LSU history to surpass 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. Combined, that pair has caught 132 passes, 18 of which were touchdowns.
Iowa has reason to be confident though, with three of the Big Ten's top 10 tacklers in tow, and picked up their play in a big way down the stretch of the season. "They did not get dismayed when we were 4-3; they improved and turned the corner and had a good season, a very enjoyable season," coach Kirk Ferentz said.
"Our guys have a lot of fun together, they take a lot of pride in what they do, and that is the type of team that is fun to coach."
The only time these schools have faced each other was in 2005 in the Capital One Bowl, which Iowa won 30-25.
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