Tennessee likely headed to Outback Bowl against Northwestern

Northwestern played in the 2009 Outback Bowl and fell to Auburn in overtime, 38-35.

The 2016 Outback Bowl will feature a matchup between the Tennessee Volunteers and Northwestern Wildcats..

The Vols finished 23rd in the College Football Playoff poll released Sunday.

The Wildcats fell against Big Ten opponents Iowa and MI during the regular season, but posted an impressive 16-6 victory against Stanford, the Pac-12 Conference champion that will face Iowa in the Rose Bowl.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones will receive a $200,000 bonus for the Vols’ appearance in the Outback Bowl. Pat Fitzgerald will travel to Tampa on December 10 for the bowl’s contract signing party. After watching Alabama and Oklahoma earn bids to the College Football Playoff this year, two teams the Vols led in the fourth quarter, it’s worth noting for a young, eager, and capable Tennessee team that next season’s National Championship Game will also be played in Tampa, Florida.

Leading up to the Outback Bowl, there will be a number of events that Northwestern will participate in.

Three hours prior to kickoff on the day of the game, at 9 a.m. ET, fans of both teams will be able to attend a pep rally outside the stadium.

The October win over the Dawgs was transformational for Tennessee’s season, and a win over Northwestern would serve as a bridge to the future. An 11th win against Tennessee would mean the first-ever 11-win season for a Northwestern team.