2012 bowl projections: Northwestern headed to Outback Bowl?

In the latest 2012 bowl projections from SB Nation's Jason Kirk, the Northwestern Wildcats are slotted into the Outback Bowl in Tampa for a matchup with South Carolina. The Wildcats finished their regular season with a 50-14 blowout of in-state rival Illinois. It was the team's second win in a row and moved its overall record to 9-3.

The Wildcats will be playing in their fifth consecutive bowl game, which is a school record. The Wildcats have not had success in postseason games recently; they lost by a touchdown or less in three of their last four bowl appearances, and two of those defeats came in overtime.

South Carolina is 10-2 this season, with a 6-2 record in SEC games. The Gamecocks finished their regular season on a four-game winning streak, including a 27-17 road win over rival Clemson on Saturday.

The Outback Bowl is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Jan. 1, 2013.