[3] It was one of the 2015–16 bowl games that concluded the 2015 FBS football season, with kickoff at noon EST on ESPN2.

Northwestern was led by quarterback Clayton Thorson, with support from runningback Justin Jackson.

[4] After starting the season ranked as high as #23 in the country, Tennessee went 3–4, losing two of three close games to higher-ranked teams and having fourth-quarter leads in all four losses, before winning their last five games of the season.

The Volunteers won against then-ranked #19 Georgia and lost only one game in the remainder of the SEC schedule, which was to eventual National Champion Alabama.

Tennessee is led by quarterback Joshua Dobbs, with support from running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, as well as Evan Berry and Cameron Sutton on special teams.