Outback Bowl Indiana vs. Ole Miss: Top NFL Draft prospects to watch
By Evan Orris
The Outback Bowl features 11th-ranked Indiana taking on Ole Miss. The game should have a plethora of young NFL Draft prospects who could be playing on Sunday.
The Indiana Hoosiers will meet the Ole Miss Rebels in the Outback Bowl in Tampa on January 2nd. The Hoosiers, led by Big Ten Coach of the Year Tom Allen, come in to the game with one of the best defenses in the country. They are second in the nation in interceptions (17), eighth in the nation in sacks (23) and the best defense in the red zone.
Allen has done a tremendous job of building up the program, but the team feels disrespected by not receiving a New Year’s Day bowl. A team with something to prove is always dangerous. However, with their star quarterback Michael Penix going down, this team has been able to rally behind backup quarterback Jack Tuttle.
Meanwhile, Ole Miss is led by first-year head coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin is known for his explosive offensive attacks. He was the offensive coordinator for Alabama for a couple years and boasted a high scoring offense that led them to win the national championship in 2015.
Both teams feature tons of talent on both sides of the ball. Some players are ready for the NFL Draft now, while others need to improve a bit before the next level, but we will for sure be seeing them down the road. And unlike many bowl games, it isn’t ravaged by opt-outs (only two players on Ole Miss have opted out).
The game itself should be a memorable one. It will be interesting to see how Coach Allen schemes the defense to counter the explosiveness and speed of Kiffin’s high octane offense.