Wisconsin football rings in the New Year on Tuesday on Tuesday morning, when they will be taking on the Tennessee Volunteers at the 2008 Outback Bowl in Tampa. This is the fourth consecutive New Year's Day game for the Badgers, as well as the fourth appearance in this particular bowl. If they win this particular game, the team will make that streak four in a row, as well.
Kickoff is at 10:00 a.m. CDT at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN. As is the case at all bowls hosting Wisconsin, the bleachers will be packed with masses of Badgers fans, all helping to bring the atmosphere of Camp Randall to the much balmier climes of the Gulf Coast. One tradition that attendees will hopefully continue at this home away from home on Tuesday is the third quarter-closing rendition of "Jump Around," when thousands bounce en masse to the 1993 House of Pain hit and rock the stadium for the final 15 minutes of play.
The last time this cheer was made in Madison was on November 10, when the Badgers convincingly defeated Michigan to salvage their season and set themselves up for this New Year's Day bowl game. A video clip of this final stomp of the home season was captured by Andrew Bauhs, a Wisconsin alumni and fan. He is attempting to attend home games at all 120 Divison-I collegiate football stadiums in his Michigan game follows.
Another clip from that game finds another burgeoning Wisconsin home game musical tradition, a mass sing-along to "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations. Hopefully this 1968 hit will be heard in Tampa too.
The Wisconsin Athletic Department is providing intensive coverage of the Outback Bowl experience with their Bowl Central collection of live reports, photo galleries, and video clips. And whatever happens in the game, the stands of Camp Randall will be booming once again through 2008.
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