MICHIGAN (8-4) VS. SOUTH CAROLINA (8-4)
Site: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Kickoff: Monday, noon. TV: ESPN2.
Line: Michigan by 7 ½.
All-time series: South Carolina leads 2-1.
Last meeting: South Carolina 33, Michigan 28 (2013 Outback Bowl).
MICHIGAN
Coach: Jim Harbaugh (3rd season, 28-10; overall 7th season, 57-31).
All-time postseason: 21-24.
Last postseason appearance: Lost to Florida State 33-32 in 2016 Orange Bowl.
Draft spotlight: NT Maurice Hurst. So fast off the snap that he’s often into the backfield while offensive linemen are still getting out of their stances. If Hurst were bigger, he would be a sure-fire first-rounder. He still might be, though a lack of weight and length could cause him to go lower.
Other Wolverines to watch: OL Mason Cole, FB Henry Poggi, *DL Chase Winovich, LB Mike McCray.
Wolverine Tracks: Michigan makes its 6th bowl trip to Tampa, the most of any Big Ten team. … Freshman Brandon Peters starts at QB, with John O’Korn as the backup. Wilton Speight is eyeing a transfer. … Carolina is one of just three SEC teams that hold a series advantage over the Wolverines. Tennessee and Mississippi State are the others (both 1-0).
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Will Muschamp (2nd season, 14-11; overall 6th season, 42-32).
All-time postseason: 8-13.
Last postseason appearance: Lost to South Florida 46-39 (OT) in 2016 Birmingham Bowl.
Draft spotlight: LB Skai Moore. Set to become just the 15th player in FBS history to lead his team in tackles all four years, he’d need to almost be shut out in the bowl game to lose his team lead. Sat out all of 2016 to recover from a herniated disc, but coming back for his senior season appears to have paid off big.
Other Gamecocks to watch: *TE Hayden Hurst, OL Alan Knott, DE Dante Sawyer, CB Jamarcus King.
Gamecock Scratch: Before last year’s loss to USF, Carolina had won its previous four bowl games going to 2012. Three of those also were played in Florida. … The Gamecocks are 7-4 all-time against Big Ten competition, with Michigan the most common foe. They’re also 2-0 vs. Ohio State. … Bryan McClendon will call plays after Kurt Roper was fired after the regular season.
* underclass draft prospect