The USC Trojans are taking on the Wisconsin Badgers in the National Funding Holiday Bowl. The game is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Trojans favored to pick up the victory in this one.

USC is making its second straight trip to the Holiday Bowl in this one, the game is being played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Last year the Trojans beat Nebraska 45-42 in the bowl game, a game that was crazy with swings. 

This year the Trojans finished with eight wins on the regular season, they won the Pac-12 South Division and got to the title game, but eventually lost to a bigger, better Stanford team. Wisconsin won nine games in what was considered a down year, the Badgers finished third in the Big Ten West. Playing in this bowl game, Wisconsin will be in its 14th straight bowl game, which is the longest streak in the Big Ten. The 14 straight bowl games also ranks sixth-best in the country.

Defensively Wisconsin is very good. The Badgers led the country by holding opponents to just 13.1 points per game this season. Playing in the Big Ten certainly helps with that as several of the offenses aren't very good. Two of the Badger losses came to Iowa (10-6) and Northwestern (13-7), a pair of one-score defeats where Wisconsin had a legitimate chance to win. Had they picked up those victories Wisconsin would certainly be in Iowa's spot in a New Year's Six bowl, potentially the playoffs. Even so, can the Badgers get the motivation necessary to play well in this game?

USC has a great quarterback in Cody Kessler, who threw for 28 touchdowns on the year. Kessler led the Trojans to five wins the last eight games under new head coach Clay Helton, who took over midway through the season. Kessler's top target is JuJu Smith-Schuster, an 85-catch performance with 10 touchdowns has him as one of the best in the country. 

The Trojans can run the football well, too — both Ronald Jones II and Justin Davis had great seasons. They combined for better than 1,800 yards and 13 touchdowns, giving the Trojans a couple of options offensively against a stout Badger defense. USC is better on the offensive side of the football for sure, playing close to home will be an advantage for the Trojans.

Free Pick: USC

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