Hoosiers Now

GameDay Prediction: Who's Your Pick, Candy Stripes or Checkerboards?

It's the Indiana Hoosiers and the Tennessee Volunteers in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, so proper dress is optional.

Tom Brew

GameDay Prediction: Who's Your Pick, Candy Stripes or Checkerboards?
GameDay Prediction: Who's Your Pick, Candy Stripes or Checkerboards? /

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The college bowl season is winding down, and Thursday night's TaxSlayer Gator Bowl is the last game between Power 5 schools before the Jan. 13 national title game between LSU and Clemson.

Indiana and Tennessee fans have represented well in and around Jacksonville all week, spending serious dollars and having lots of laughs. The picture tells the whole story, though. So we have to ask:

What's the better look? Is it Indiana candy stripes or Tennessee checkerboards? Is it red or orange?

Feel free to cast your vote here and give me your prediction for the game. Trash talking is allowed!!

Last minute gambling news: According to VegasInsider.com, the line on the game is now up to 3.5 points for Tennessee an hour before kickoff. A total of 69 percent of the money bet in Vegas so far has been on Tennessee.

Injury updates: It's still a guess on Indiana running back Stevie Scott. He's warming up in full pads. Offensive lineman Simon Stepaniak, who got hurt in practice last week, is in shorts, though, and will not play.

My prediction: It's going to be tight the whole way, with Indiana winning 27-24 on a last-second Logan Justus field goal. The would be a fitting way for the season to end since he was perfect all year until missing three times in the Old Oaken Bucket game.

Here's the last-minute particulars:

  • Who: Indiana Hoosiers (8-4 overall, 5-4 in Big Ten) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (7-5 overall, 5-3 in the SEC)
  • When: 7 p.m. ET, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020
  • Where: TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Line: Tennessee is a 3.5-point favorite. The game opened as pick 'em, and 69 percent of the money has been bet on Tennessee thus far, per VegasInsider.com at 6 p.m. ET
  • AP poll rankings: Neither team in ranked
  • TV: ESPN
  • Announcers: Dave O'Brien, Tim Hasselbeck, and Katie George
  • Radio: Indiana Radio Network
  • Announcers: Don Fischer, Buck Suhr, Joe Smith

There are plenty of former IU players here, including Antwaan Randle-El, Terry Tallen, and more. 

The two Peytons, Ramsey and Hendershot, stayed true to their early ritual of getting throws in first.

Published
Tom Brew
TOM BREW

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as a reporter and editor, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the Indianapolis Star and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered college sports in the digital platform for the past six years, including the last five years as publisher of HoosiersNow on the FanNation/Sports Illustrated network.

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