Bloomin’ Onion or Coconut Shrimp? Outback Bowl to Decide Which Will Be Free

Update: The South Carolina Gamecocks won the Outback Bowl, which means we get free Bloomin’ Onions from Outback Steakhouse on Jan. 2.

On New Year’s Day, the top college football team from the Big Ten Conference squares off against the top team in the Southeastern Conference for the Outback Bowl. This year, it’s the Michigan Wolverines vs. the South Carolina Gamecocks — and everybody should care.

Why? Because the winner determines which free appetizer you can get at Outback Steakhouse on Jan. 2.

There’s a lot on the line here, folks.

Outback Bowl Winner Determines Free Outback Steakhouse Appetizer

It’s an annual event at Outback Steakhouse: To honor its namesake bowl game, the restaurant chain offers up a free appetizer on Jan. 2. Just which appetizer is determined by the game itself.

It’s not just Michigan vs. South Carolina; it’s coconut shrimp vs. the Bloomin’ Onion.

If Michigan wins, you can get a free order of coconut shrimp on Jan. 2 with any purchase. If the Gamecocks come out on top, the offer is valid for a Bloomin’ Onion instead.

If you’ve never had a Bloomin’ Onion, you’re missing one of the most iconic 1,950-calorie appetizers out there. SB Nation football writer Ryan Nanni likes them so much, he campaigned for nearly a year on Twitter to win the job of being the Bloomin’ Onion mascot for the game this year. Gotta love a man with a dream.

There’s no real hitch to this deal. You can watch the game at your local Outback if you want, but the deal doesn’t take effect until Jan. 2. Just make any purchase and you’ll get to enjoy your free appetizer, whichever one it is.

Bloomin’ Onion or coconut shrimp? Which is your winner?

Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. Catch him on Twitter at @Tyomoth.