Wisconsin +9.5 (-110) over LSU
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- LSU is going to be without Heisman Trophy winning QB Jayden Daniels in this game.
- Wisconsin’s philosophy of playing defense and running the football will help them to keep this game within a possession on Monday afternoon.
The Reliaquest Bowl is not exactly a major matchup on the college football schedule, as it usually goes up against much larger New Year’s Six matchups. But there are still great games that come out of this bowl matchup as this contest typically features big-name programs late in the season. Here, we break down this year’s Reliaquest Bowl and look at the history of this entry into the college football bowl schedule.
2023 Reliaquest Bowl Analysis
This year’s Reliaquest Bowl pits LSU up against Wisconsin in a battle of Big Ten and SEC opponents. The big story coming into this game is that this year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels of LSU, will not be playing in this contest. But the level of talent for the LSU Tigers is still so high that they are near-double-digit favorites anyway.
For Wisconsin, the key to this game will be controlling the line of scrimmage and finding ways to maintain possession with their running game. If they can do that, they can limit the number of possessions in the game and prevent LSU from winning by a large margin. But that will be easier said than done against a stout LSU defensive front.
Reliaquest Bowl History
The Reliaquest Bowl has existed since the 1980s, though it went by the Hall of Fame Bowl or Outback Bowl until 2023. This bowl game features tie-ins with the Big Ten and SEC, making it an intriguing matchup every year no matter which teams from those leagues make it in. Here, we look at the previous editions of this bowl game and which teams have come out on top each time.
| Date | Winning team | Losing team |
| 12/23/86 | Boston College | Georgia |
| 1/2/88 | Michigan | Alabama |
| 1/2/89 | #17 Syracuse | #16 LSU |
| 1/1/90 | #9 Auburn | #21 Ohio State |
| 1/1/91 | #14 Clemson | #16 Illinois |
| 1/1/92 | #16 Syracuse | #25 Ohio State |
| 1/1/93 | #17 Tennessee | #16 Boston College |
| 1/1/94 | #23 Michigan | NC State |
| 1/2/95 | Wisconsin | #25 Duke |
| 1/1/96 | #15 Penn State | #16 Auburn |
| 1/1/97 | #16 Alabama | #15 Michigan |
| 1/1/98 | #12 Georgia | Wisconsin |
| 1/1/99 | #22 Penn State | Kentucky |
| 1/1/00 | #21 Georgia | #19 Purdue |
| 1/1/01 | South Carolina | #19 Ohio State |
| 1/1/02 | #14 South Carolina | #22 Ohio State |
| 1/1/03 | #12 Michigan | #22 Florida |
| 1/1/04 | #13 Iowa | #17 Florida |
| 1/1/05 | #8 Georgia | #16 Wisconsin |
| 1/2/06 | #16 Florida | #25 Iowa |
| 1/1/07 | Penn State | #17 Tennessee |
| 1/1/08 | #16 Tennessee | #18 Wisconsin |
| 1/1/09 | Iowa | South Carolina |
| 1/1/10 | Auburn | Northwestern |
| 1/1/11 | Florida | Penn State |
| 1/2/12 | #12 Michigan State | #18 Georgia |
| 1/1/13 | #11 South Carolina | #19 Michigan |
| 1/1/14 | #14 LSU† | Iowa |
| 1/1/15 | #17 Wisconsin | #19 Auburn |
| 1/1/16 | Tennessee | #12 Northwestern |
| 1/2/17 | #20 Florida | #21 Iowa |
| 1/1/18 | South Carolina | Michigan |
| 1/1/19 | Iowa | #18 Mississippi State |
| 1/1/20 | #16 Minnesota | #9 Auburn |
| 1/2/21 | Ole Miss | #7 Indiana |
| 1/1/22 | #22 Arkansas | Penn State |
| 1/2/23 | #24 Mississippi State | Illinois |
Bowl Game MVPs
The list of MVPs for this bowl game have featured some names that have gone pro after their collegiate careers. Players like Tyrone Wheatley, Melvin Gordon, and Drew Brees are among those who have played well beyond their time in this bowl contest. Below is the full list of MVPs from the Reliaquest Bowl and the bowl games that have gone by previous names before it.
| Date | MVP | Team |
| 12/23/86 | James Jackson | Georgia |
| 12/23/86 | Garry Moss | Georgia |
| 1/2/88 | Jamie Morris | Michigan |
| 1/2/89 | Robert Drummond | Syracuse |
| 1/1/90 | Reggie Slack | Auburn |
| 1/1/91 | DeChane Cameron | Clemson |
| 1/1/92 | Marvin Graves | Syracuse |
| 1/1/93 | Heath Shuler | Tennessee |
| 1/1/94 | Tyrone Wheatley | Michigan |
| 1/2/95 | Terrell Fletcher | Wisconsin |
| 1/1/96 | Bobby Engram | Penn State |
| 1/1/97 | Dwayne Rudd | Alabama |
| 1/1/98 | Mike Bobo | Georgia |
| 1/1/99 | Courtney Brown | Penn State |
| 1/1/00 | Drew Brees | Purdue |
| 1/1/01 | Ryan Brewer | South Carolina |
| 1/1/02 | Phil Petty | South Carolina |
| 1/1/03 | Chris Perry | Michigan |
| 1/1/04 | Fred Russell | Iowa |
| 1/1/05 | David Pollack | Georgia |
| 1/2/06 | Dallas Baker | Florida |
| 1/1/07 | Tony Hunt | Penn State |
| 1/1/08 | Erik Ainge | Tennessee |
| 1/1/09 | Shonn Greene | Iowa |
| 1/1/10 | Darvin Adams | Auburn |
| 1/1/11 | Ahmad Black | Florida |
| 1/2/12 | Brandon Boykin | Georgia |
| 1/1/13 | Ace Sanders | South Carolina |
| 1/1/14 | Jeremy Hill | LSU |
| 1/1/15 | Melvin Gordon | Wisconsin |
| 1/1/16 | Jalen Hurd | Tennessee |
| 1/2/17 | Chauncey Gardner | Florida |
| 1/1/18 | Jake Bentley | South Carolina |
| 1/1/19 | Nick Easley | Iowa |
| 1/1/20 | Tyler Johnson | Minnesota |
| 1/2/21 | Matt Corral | Ole Miss |
| 1/1/22 | KJ Jefferson | Arkansas |
| 1/2/23 | Justin Robinson | Mississippi State |
