Carolina back to Charlotte, will face Pitt

Meineke Car Care Bowl

Last night the football gods (or computers or whatever) decided who went where when it comes to the bowl games. For North Carolina (8-4) it’s another trip to close by Charlotte where they will face #17 Pittsburgh (9-3) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl on December 26, 2009 (kickoff at 4:30 p.m. EST – televised by ESPN). Both UNC and Pitt come off season finale losses, with Carolina losing to N.C. State and the Panthers going down to Cincy. And while for the Tar Heels this isn’t the greatest match up for head coach Butch Davis and his team it’s has to be great to go to back to back bowl games, something that has not happened in Chapel Hill since the `97-`98 seasons.

But before I go on with this small initial post about the bowl game let me just say that the Orange Bowl, who took a 6 and 6 Florida State team because it’s Bobby Bowden’s last game, just proved how dumb these post season games are. Between this charade, where the bowl officials say they have nothing to apologize for, and where I hope the Mountaineers take the `Noles by 50, and the fact that the Heels should have beaten the Wolfpack, Carolina is going back to Charlotte for it’s second Meineke Car Care Bowl in two seasons. In the end, like it or not, want it or not, this is what the match up is and there isn’t anything anyone can do about it now.

I will have much more to talk about this game, but for now let me give you the one stat that is weighing the most on me. Thanks to the loss to N.C. State the Heels are going to play in this bowl game, against a team that N.C. State beat this season (the final score was 38 to 31). So, if you want something to fire up Carolina, there you have it. On the other hand, I have to believe that this will also fire up Pittsburgh, since I doubt they want to go 0 and 2 against teams in North Carolina this year. And needless to say, neither squads wants to end the season with a two game losing streak. The other thing that the Heels need to have on their side is the fan base. With the game being so close to Chapel Hill and with a big local fan base in Charlotte, Bank of America Stadium better be overwhelming on Carolina’s side!

Just one more thing: I would love to say more about how the BCS showed its bias when it comes to big schools/programs compared to the little guys, but I have a limit of one rant per post and I have used it up on the FSU to the Orange Bowl BS!

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