Bowl Matchup Set: South Carolina Gamecocks will play the Michigan Wolverines.

Nov 24, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson (16) runs the ball in the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

I expect a huge, collective, satisfied gasp left the mouths of everyone in Gamecock Nation when they found out their team wasn’t playing Northwestern. No offense to the Wildcats, but a matchup between Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks and the storied Michigan Wolverines in the Outback Bowl will be a much bigger draw nationally.

We’ll get into the head to heads and other storylines as the game draws nearer.

For now, here’s an overview of the Maize and Blue:

Michigan sits at 18th nationally, after posting an 8-4 record. Three of their four losses came to one, or no, loss teams like Alabama, Notre Dame and Ohio State. Their other loss was to 10-3 Nebraska (who did just get their clock cleaned by Wisconsin in the Big 10 championship).

Their only win over a top 25 team this year came against Northwestern in overtime. Other than that they don’t have many impressive wins.

They’ve used two quarterbacks this season, because Denard Robinson has been dealing with injuries the latter half of the season.

Combined, he and Devin Gardner 2324 yards and 17 touchdowns. Both QBs are equally deadly on the ground; Robinson is the team’s leading rusher at 1166 yards and seven touchdowns. Gardner has 77 yards on 35 carries and seven touchdowns.

Fitzgerald Toussaint is the team’s best running back. He’s rushed for 514 yards and five touchdowns on 130 carries.

Through the air the Wolverines like to target Jeremy Gallon and Roy Roundtree, who have 684 and 553 yards receiving respectively. Devin Funchess, though, is the team’s leading receiver when it comes to touchdowns. He has five on the year.

Defensively Michigan has held its opponents to 18 points per game, 156 yards per game on the ground and just 155 yards per game through the air.

Their field goal kicker, Brendan Gibbons, is pretty accurate and he has a long of 52 yards this year.