Tar Heels to take on No. 17 Panthers in Meineke Car Care Bowl
The North Carolina Tar Heels will get a chance to kick a team when it’s down this postseason (a ranked team, no less), as it takes on the No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers in the Meineki Car Care Bowl on Dec. 26.
The Panthers are coming off a regular season-ending loss that can be best described as devastating. In what amounted to the Big East title game, with the winner earning the conference crown and a BCS bowl bid, Pittsburgh blew a 21-point lead to the Cincinnati Bearcats, losing on a touchdown in the final minute at home. It’s anybody’s guess as to how mentally focused Dave Wannstedt’s group is heading into this game.
The Tar Heels, meanwhile, get to play in its backyard, with the game being played in nearby Charlotte. As advantageous as this might seem, however, the numbers suggest otherwise; UNC has twice played in Charlotte-hosted bowl games, and twice it lost, including last year’s 31-30 thriller against West Virginia.
The game will feature a talented North Carolina defense trying to contain a versatile Pittsburgh offense. If Butch Davis and his team want to start earning respect nationally, this is a game it must win; success in the ACC isn’t going to do it.
