The No. 18 Mississippi State Bulldogs (9-3, SEC) will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4, Big Ten), at Noon on Jan. 1st, during the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida. It’s the first meeting for both teams. Mississippi at No. 18 has its best final playoff ranking since ending at No. 7 in 2014. Iowa’s four losses came by a combined 23 points. Beat Illinois and Nebraska to end the regular season.

Joe Moorhead joins Jackie Sherrill as only MSU coaches to make bowl game in first season. Notable players for the game: Mississippi State: DE Montez Sweat, 51 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks; Iowa: TE T.J. Hockenson, 46 catches, 717 yards, six touchdowns. Mississippi State is one of only five SEC schools to go to a bowl every season in this decade; 13-8 in bowl games. Iowa lost 30-3 to Florida two years ago in Outback Bowl, falling to 2-3 in Tampa game; 15-15-1 all time in bowl games.