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Miami and Wisconsin both missed out on a spot in the college football playoff thanks to losses in their respective conference championship games, but a spot in the Orange Bowl isn’t a bad consolation prize. And considering the contrast of style of these two teams, it makes for one of the most compelling matchups of the season.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch:
Live Stream Info
The Orange Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, December 30, at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN. That means you can watch a live stream via WatchESPN if you have a cable log-in, but if you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch ESPN online, on your phone or on another streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services. They cost a monthly fee but all come with a free trial, so you can watch Wisconsin vs Miami at no cost:
DirecTV Now: ESPN is included in all four channel packages. It comes with a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, plus you can get $25 off your first month if you enter promo code “BDAY2017”. You can watch on your computer via your browser, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app
Sling TV: ESPN is included in the “Sling Orange” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here. You can watch on your computer via the Sling website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app
PlayStation Vue: ESPN is included in all four channel packages. You can sign up for a free 5-day trial right here. You can watch on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the PlayStation Vue app
Also note: You can also watch on your computer via the WatchESPN website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the WatchESPN app. When you’re asked to verify your cable provider, you’ll just use your DirecTV Now, Sling TV or PS Vue credentials to sign in
Preview
Fueled by the now famed Turnover Chain, Miami has been a dangerous playmaking machine this season, as the Hurricanes rank third in the nation in takeaways per game (2.5), fourth in sack percentage (9.86) and 12th in interception percentage (4.27). Their ability to make a handful of game-changing plays per game is a large reason why they allowed just 20.5 points per contest.
“I think a lot of their takeaways are kind of team defense takeaways,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said. “A lot of their picks — whoever gets them is finishing that, but there is also pressure on the quarterback. They are playing fast and running to the ball. It’s a good defense.”
It’s a daunting task for the Badgers’ offense, which has piled up a healthy 33.8 points per game but has oftentimes been mistake-prone. They haven’t protected the quarterback all that well (79th in sack percentage), and that has led to an interception on 5.15 percent of their throws, which ranks a miserable 124th in the league. Overall, they’ve committed 1.8 giveaways a game, which isn’t a good sign before a matchup against Miami’s ball-hawking unit.
That said, when the Badgers do take care of the ball, they have a strong running game (21st in the country with 229.5 rushing yards per contest) and an efficient-when-it-needs-to-be passing attack (22nd in the nation in yards per pass but just 117th in passes per game). And with a dominant defensive unit that ranks first nationally in opponent yards per game and second in opponent points per game, it doesn’t often take a much from the offense to secure wins.
Put it all together, and we’re likely headed for a defensive battle–the over/under is set at just 45 points, and nine of Miami’s last 10 games have hit the under. Nevetheless, even if scoring is hard to come by, this still should be a highly entertaining game between two teams that were just a game shy of the playoffs.