One of the more underrated matchups down the stretch during bowl season, the Music City Bowl between No. 21 Northwestern and Kentucky is a game for you if you love to watch great running backs.
Northwestern (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) is led by one of the program's all-time greats in senior Justin Jackson, who rushed for 1,154 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season -- the fourth 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. He was a big part of the Wildcats' success during the seven-game winning streak to close out the year. Benny Snell has been awesome for Kentucky (7-5, 4-4 SEC) in his second season with the program. He rushed for 1,318 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore and capped it off with 211 to close out the regular season in a loss to Louisville.
Viewing information
Date: Friday, Dec. 29 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Nissan Stadium -- Nashville, Tennessee
TV: ESPN | Live stream: Watch ESPN, Watch ESPN apps
Storylines
Northwestern: The Wildcats have been awesome on the ground with Jackson leading the way, but junior quarterback Clayton Thorson hasn't been as consistent as many hoped in 2017. He has tossed 15 touchdown passes, but the 12 picks don't suggest that he has matured in a way that makes him a threat to do big things. That run defense, though, is legit. Northwestern is giving up just 111.25 rushing yards per game (No. 11 in the nation) and 3.26 yards per attempt (10th). The multi-dimensional Kentucky offense will be a big test for this crew.
Kentucky: It'll be up to Snell and quarterback Stephen Johnson to solve the Northwestern riddle. In addition to Snell's stellar season, Johnson added 358 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground to serve as a nice compliment. Through the air, he's been good enough, throwing 10 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Defensively, the inconsistency in Lexington has been stunning. The Wildcats in the blue and white finished eighth in the SEC in run defense (162.17 YPG) and a whopping 201.78 yards per game on the ground against Power Five opponents.
Prediction
Kentucky will hang, but Northwestern will get a big performance from Jackson and one late stop to win late in the Music City. There's nothing to suggest that Kentucky will be able to slow down Northwestern's rushing attack for a full four quarters, and coach Pat Fitzgerald will make sure that the game stays within his comfort zone. A late Jackson touchdown will make Kentucky desperate, and a Johnson pick will seal it late. It will be within a touchdown, though. Pick: Kentucky Wildcats (+7.5)
So what side do you need to be all over in the Music City Bowl? Visit SportsLine now to get a strong pick for Kentucky vs. Northwestern from insider Emory Hunt, who's on a 14-5 run in college football against the spread picks.
