TAMPA (MV) – Hey sports fans, Mac VerStandig here, guest blogging the game under Ben Voelkel’s name. Since he’s sitting next to me, also cranking out updates live from the Outback Bowl, you can distinguish the two of us by my dateline – I’ll use a Tampa tag with my initials immediately following. Sorry for any confusion.

Fans are starting to pour into the stands here, with red and orange garb roughly evenly divided thus far. The forecast calls for some notable gusts of wind, though the goalpost flags are fairly stagnant at the moment. If things do start blowing around, look for the Badgers to pick up a marginal advantage, with their ground-heavy assault likely unaffected, juxtaposed to a modified spread offense on Tennessee’s end.

In terms of that Badger running game, word in the press box is that Zach Brown will be getting the start. But all three backs have been working the practice field this week, and Bret Bielema tells me to expect action from the full trio during the course of the game. With Tennessee minus a major defensive lineman due to academic issues, this matchup sets up well for Wisconsin – look for the Badgers to pound the line hard early and often, attempting to wear down the Volunteers as the game goes on and staying fresh by rotating backs on and off of the field.

The other matchup to watch for is Wisconsin’s cornerbacks covering the Volunteer receivers. This isn’t a West Virginia-style spread offense – Ainge isn’t likely to run very often and there are still some questions about his ability to accurately toss the ball deep downfield. So look for a variety of screens, shovel passes and short routes from Tennessee. Yards after the catch will be key to the Volunteer offense, and for the Wisconsin defense to have some success today this will mean its roster of safeties and cornerbacks need to be sharp with open field tackles.

Kickoff is at 10:00 AM Badger time, 11:00 AM here in Tampa – I’ll be back with you once things are underway.