Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt: What You Need to Know About the 2011 Liberty Bowl

The AutoZone Liberty Bowl is only days away and will be a battle between the Big East and SEC when Cincinnati and Vanderbilt square off.

The Liberty Bowl is one of the oldest bowl games that is currently played, and this year it will pit the tri-Big East champion Cincinnati Bearcats (9-3) against the Vanderbilt Commodores (6-6).

The city of Memphis is certain to be rocking on New Year's Eve.

Here is everything you need to know in preparation for the Liberty Bowl.

Time: 3:30 p.m.

Location: Liberty Bowl Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee

Television: ABC

Inaugural game: 1959

The Cincinnati Bearcats and Vanderbilt Commodores had two common opponents this season that may make it easier to decipher how they will play against one another.

Both teams defeated Connecticut. Vanderbilt beat the Huskies 24-21 and Cincinnati defeated Connecticut 35-27.

Vanderbilt and Cincinnati were both defeated by Tennessee.

Cincinnati lost 45-23 and Vanderbilt lost 27-21 in overtime.

The key to victory for both teams may be which running back can help their team control the ball.

Vanderbilt junior Zac Stacy has 1,136 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. He is averaging 6.2 yards a carry and will be a load for the Cincinnati defense to try and stop.

The Bearcats counter with a talented running back of their own.

Isaiah Pead is the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and has rushed for 1,110 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has also caught 36 passes for 304 yards and three more touchdowns.

Whichever running back can help his team control time of possession should come out victorious.

It is almost a certainty now, barring a setback in the next couple days, that Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros will be healthy enough to play after ankle surgery in November.

He is a month ahead of schedule and has recovered quicker than most people expected.

That will be a big boost for Cincinnati, who will get their team leader back.

Cincinnati has only lost one game all season that Collaros has played from start to finish.

When it comes to good bloodlines, very few college players have it better than Vanderbilt junior quarterback Jordan Rodgers.

Rodgers is the younger brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

He stepped into the starting role midway through the season and has played well.

Rodgers has passed for 1,498 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with nine interceptions on the season.

The Liberty Bowl will pit two of the best young coaches in college football.

Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin is in his first season and has taken a Vanderbilt squad that struggles to qualify for bowl games every year to the Liberty Bowl.

Franklin previously served as offensive coordinator for Maryland from 2008-2010.

Cincinnati head coach Butch Jones has a career record of 40-24 in his five seasons.

The first three of those seasons were spent at Central Michigan. He has taken his team to a bowl game four of the five seasons he has been a head coach.

Vanderbilt has clearly played much better competition than Cincinnati—and it has showed in their numbers.

The Commodores have been very impressive on defense all season, allowing only 20.8 points per game. That number is good for 28th in the country.

On offense Vanderbilt is more middle of the pack, ranking 61st in the country at 26.9 points a game.

Cincinnati ranks in the top 30 in both offensive and defensive scoring.

The Bearcats average 33.5 points a game, good for 27th in the country and allow only 20.0, which ranks 19th in the nation.