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Byline: Josh Kendall
TAMPA, Fla. _ Apparently, the expert's view of today's Outback Bowl isn't much different than the layman's.
"I see two very fierce defenses getting after two offenses that have been good, but maybe not great," Georgia coach Mark Richt said.
The No. 8 Bulldogs (9-2) have the nation's 12th-ranked defense. That might intimidate some opponents, but not No. 16 Wisconsin (9-2), which boasts the country's eighth-best defense in Saturday's 11 a.m. EST game at Raymond James Stadium.
"I'd say their defense would be one of the top two or three in our league this year," Richt said. "They're as good as any of them and better than most. I really haven't seen anybody have a whole lot of success against them."
The Badgers are led by defensive end Erasmus James, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, who has eight sacks on the season. The Badgers led the Big Ten with 33 sacks, and Richt said their front four is the best Georgia will have faced this year.
"In a lot of ways, Wisconsin's defense is very similar to LSU's in that they like to crowd you, they like to smother you," Richt said. "They like to play things tight (in pass coverage) and see if you can execute in the passing game."