Hosted annually at the Florida Citrus Bowl, the Champs Sports Bowl is an NCAA bowl mainstay, featuring a battle between two top teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Big Ten, both looking to end their seasons with a victory. The game has been held at the legendary Citrus Bowl – which holds 70,000 rowdy fans – every year since 1990, and always just prior to New Year's Day.
As is always the case when the ACC meets the Big Ten, the competition is sure to be just as fierce as ever, no matter which teams were to take the field. Last season, the Florida State Seminoles took down the Wisconsin Badgers in a convincing 42-13 decision. The 2009 Champs Sports Bowl will see Wisconsin returning to Orlando in an attempt to avenge that loss, both for themselves and on behalf of their conference, against the Miami Hurricanes on December 29.
The #15 Hurricanes (9-3) rely on one of the better passing offenses in the nation – ranked 27th and averaging 268.1 yards a game with sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris at the wheel. The 'Canes also possess a stout defense, which is ranked 26th nationally, while allowing an average of 321.3 yards per game. Interestingly, Miami's Champs Sports Bowl appearance is their first ever in an Orlando bowl game. The U played in earlier editions of the Champs Sports Bowl – the 1996 Carquest Bowl and 1998 MicronPC Bowl – but those games were at the Champs' original home in Miami. While the 'Canes have never played in an Orlando bowl, this game will mark the second time this year that they have played a game in Orlando, and the 10th game played inside their home Sunshine State this year!
Ready to deem it their "home away from home", this is the fourth time in five years that the #25 Badgers (9-3) are headed to Orlando. After finishing with a better record than many had predicted, Wisconsin is entering the postseason on the wings of a 51-10 win over Hawaii in the season finale. The Badgers, led by QB Scott Tolzien, were atop the Big Ten in scoring offense with nearly 33 points per game, due also in part to their having the conference's top runner and Offensive Player of the Year, John Clay, who rushed for 116 yards a game.
