Thursday night's Gator Bowl matchup between Tennessee and Indiana features two of the bigger surprises from the 2019 season. The Vols struggled out of the gate, losing to Georgia State and BYU at home, but really turned things around in the back half of the year. The Hoosiers, meanwhile, were one of the biggest shockers out of the Big Ten, winning eight games for the first time since 1993.
The Volunteers enter the game at 7-5 with a defense that has come of age over the last month-and-a-half of the season. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has emerged as a weapon under center after some hiccups during his junior season on Rocky Top. The Hoosiers have withstood an injury to quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. thanks to the play of dual-threat weapon Peyton Ramsey.
This will also be just the second time these two schools have met on the football field with the last coming all the way back in 1988 with the Vols winning 27-22.
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So who wins this showdown between SEC and Big Ten foes? Let's take a closer look at the matchup and storylines to follow before making some expert picks both straight up and against the spread.
Viewing information
Event: Gator Bowl
Date: Thursday, Jan. 2 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: TIAA Bank Field -- Jacksonville, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN.com
Storylines
Tennessee: Guarantano was benched after erratic play and injuries nagged him during the first half of the season, but he has come back with a vengeance. He threw eight touchdowns during the five-game winning streak to close out the regular season, and has re-established himself as the unquestioned No. 1 atop the depth chart. A big reason for his success has been a wide receiving corps that has been money throughout the season. Veteran Jauan Jennings has 57 catches for 942 yards and eight touchdowns. He will miss the first half of the bowl game due to a suspension stemming from an incident in the season finale vs. Vanderbilt, which will allow senior Marquez Callaway and junior Josh Brown plenty of opportunities to step up early. The defense finally figured it out down the stretch. The Vols gave up just 280.8 yards per game and 4.35 yards per play in the months of November.
Indiana: The Hoosiers won five of their last seven games to close out the regular season, which included a 44-41 win over rival Purdue in which Ramsey went off. The junior threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns while adding 42 yards and two scores on the ground. Wide receiver Whop Philyor has been the star outside with 69 catches for 1,001 yards and five touchdowns, and the rushing attack is in good hands with Stevie Scott III leading the charge. The defense hasn't been great, but when it matters -- especially on third downs (34.78%) -- the Hoosiers have gotten the job down.
Gator Bowl prediction, picks
Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt was fighting for his job three months ago, and now he finds himself in a bowl in just his second year as a head coach. That speaks volumes toward his ability to keep his team motivated and his maturation as a head coach. That will continue on Saturday. There's nobody on Indiana's defense that can hang with Callaway and Jennings, so expect Tennessee to establish the run, work off play-action and run away late. Pick: Tennessee (-2.5)
Who will win Tennessee vs. Indiana, and what critical factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you should be all over, all from the football expert who's 14-5 on picks involving these teams.
