Outback Bowl Parade takes over Ybor

The Outback Bowl Parade and Pep Rally took over 7th Avenue in Ybor on New Year’s Eve.

Dozens of marching bands and floats were busy getting fans excited for Monday’s match-up between the University of South Carolina and the University of Michigan.

“If you’d a told me at the beginning of the season that come January 1 we’d a been playing in a bowl game, I woulda told you that there’s no possible way,” said Kevin Lancaster from South Carolina.

“It’s gonna be a tighter game, I think we’ll pull it out at the end, but it will be a tight game,” John Gatti from Michigan said.

More than half the country has been in the grips of a brutal cold snap, and those lower temps are on their way to Florida.  Here in Tampa, we could be shivering for the start of the new year.

“You just get used to the weather here and once you get used to it this is actually pretty cold,” said local Kitty Boeger.

However, many of our visitors from the north see it differently.

“This is a heat wave for us, let me tell ya, we’re sub-zero right now,” said Joe Grusling from Michigan.

“A lot of Floridians are spoiled with temperature and weather,” Lancaster said.  “If you want to see cold you need to move up the south and experience what we experience all the winter time.”

“For you guys it's cold, for us this is as good as it gets,” said Gatti.

“It’s still pleasant, it’s still better than being at home in 30-degree weather,” South Carolinian Tiffany Lancaster said.

The Outback Bowl kicks off at Raymond James Stadium on New Year Day at noon.