Week 3 Bowl Projections: Wisconsin makes first appearance in media picks

College football season is well underway, and the countdown to the 2019 Citrus Bowl continues in Orlando.

Though the Citrus Bowl has been a traditional Big Ten/SEC match-up for more than two decades, last season’s game featured the Notre Dame fighting Irish, the second participant affiliated with the ACC since 1992. Notre Dame’s appearance against LSU (a 21-17 Fighting Irish victory) was the result of the Citrus Bowl’s unique relationship with the Orange Bowl in Miami.

In years where the Orange Bowl hosts a Big Ten team (like last season, when it featured Wisconsin), the Citrus Bowl replaces its traditional Big Ten pick with the top non-Playoff selection from the ACC. This season, the Orange Bowl is hosting a CFP semifinal game, meaning the Citrus Bowl is guaranteed to host a Big Ten-SEC matchup.

Here’s a look at the media’s Citrus Bowl picks after Week 3:

Mitch Sherman (ESPN): Wisconsin vs. Mississippi State
Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): Michigan vs. Mississippi State
Eric Single (Sports Illustrated):  Auburn vs. Iowa
Jason Kirk (SBNation): Michigan vs. Mississippi State
Jerry Palm (CBS Sports): Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel): Wisconsin vs. Mississippi State
CollegeFootballNews.com: Michigan State vs. vs. Auburn
247 Sports: Iowa vs. Texas A&M

Michigan vs. Mississippi State

• Michigan and Mississippi State have met once, in the 2011 Progressive Gator Bowl.
• Mississippi State won the game 52-14.
• The Wolverines have made five Citrus Bowl appearances with the most recent coming in a 41-7 win over Florida on New Year’s Day 2016.
• A Mississippi State Citrus Bowl appearance would be the first in program history.

Michigan State vs. Auburn

• The Spartans and the Tigers met once, in the fourth Orange Bowl in 1938. The Tigers won the game 6-0.
• This would mark Auburn’s sixth appearance in the Citrus Bowl. The Tigers are 3-2 all-time in the game.
• The Spartans have played in three previous Citrus Bowl games, including a 37-34 victory over Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators in 2000.
• Michigan State also played in the 2007 Camping World Bowl, known at the time as the Champs Sports Bowl; the Spartans and first-year head coach Mark Dantonio lost to Boston College 24-21.

Iowa vs. Texas A&M

• Texas A&M and Iowa have not met since a 29-0 Aggies win during the 1931 season.
• This matchup would be the Aggies’ first Citrus Bowl appearance.
• Iowa has only made one previous appearance in the Citrus Bowl – a 30-25 victory over LSU thanks to a last-second hail mary in the 2005 Citrus Bowl.

Wisconsin vs. Auburn

• The Badgers and the Tigers have faced each other on four previous occasions, with Wisconsin leading the series 2-1-1.
• The two team faced off in the 2006 Citrus Bowl. The Badgers won the game, beating the Tigers 24-10.
• Wisconsin has won two of three previous trips to the Citrus Bowl overall.

Wisconsin vs. Mississippi State

• The Badgers and Bulldogs have never met before.
• The Badgers hold a 10-12-1 record all time against current SEC teams
• The Bulldogs have not fared well against the Big Ten, with a 2-7 all-time record against teams currently in the conference.

Auburn vs. Iowa

• This matchup would be the first meeting between the two programs
• The Hawkeyes are 11-14 all-time against current SEC teams while the Tigers are 11-8-2 against teams currently in the Big Ten