Why is Wisconsin playing LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl? List of players opting out, favorites, and more

Modified Dec 29, 2023 19:16 GMT

The Wisconsin Badgers will face the LSU Tigers in the ReliaQuest Bowl. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers and the Louisiana State University Tigers will cap off their 2023 college football season by playing in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl.

The game will be held at Raymond James Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This annual college football bowl game started in 1986 and was previously known as the Outback Bowl.

Brian Kelly led LSU to a bowl game in his first season as head coach and two years after the school’s self-imposed bowl ban. Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell has the same narrative, but the Badgers will compete in their 22nd consecutive bowl game.

Here are more details about the ReliaQuest Bowl matchup between the Badgers and the Tigers.

Why is Wisconsin playing LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl?

A Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) team is eligible for a bowl game if they have at least six wins and a .500 winning percentage. Out of the six wins, FBS teams can only count one win against a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) in their bowl-eligible wins.

Meanwhile, the ReliaQuest Bowl has tie-ins with the NCAA’s Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences. However, they can only select participants from both conferences after slots for College Football Playoff Bowls or New Year’s Six have been filled.

On those conditions, Wisconsin became bowl-eligible after finishing with a 7-5 regular-season record, third in the Big Ten’s West Division. The six wins that qualified them for a bowl game were against Purdue, Rutgers, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Buffalo (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference).

Conversely, LSU finished the regular season at 9-3, third in the SEC’s West Division. They qualified for the ReliaQuest Bowl with victories over Florida, Texas A&M, Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Missouri.

In the Big Ten, top-ranked Michigan will play in the Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal), while seventh-ranked Ohio State will compete in the Cotton Bowl. Number ten-ranked Penn State will play in the Peach Bowl, while 17th-ranked Iowa gets the Citrus Bowl.

Meanwhile, Northwestern played the Utah Utes in the 2023 Las Vegas Bowl. With those slots filled, Wisconsin will be the conference’s representative in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

As for the SEC, conference champions and fourth-ranked Alabama will play Michigan in the Rose Bowl, while sixth-ranked Georgia will play in the Orange Bowl. Number nine Missouri and number 11 Ole Miss will compete in the Cotton and Peach Bowls, respectively.

Tennessee faces Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, leaving 13th-ranked LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Wisconsin.

Who is favored to win the ReliaQuest Bowl 2024?

LSU is projected to win over Wisconsin. BetMGM’s betting odds reveal the Tigers to be a 10.5-point favorite over the Badgers. That’s a reasonable spread, considering the Tigers have the better record and are nationally ranked.

Meanwhile, ESPN and Bleacher Nation both predicted the Tigers would win. However, the Badgers could put up a good fight, especially with Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels not suiting up for LSU.