Pittsburgh Panthers
Pittsburgh Panthers Not since the days of Dan Marino, have the Pittsburgh Panthers been able to muster a 10-win season. However that is exactly what they are looking to accomplish when they take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in this year's Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Coach Dave Wannstedt's team could have pulled it off after a 9-1 start, but a couple of late season losses to West Virginia and Cincinnati have the Panthers sitting at 9-3. The Tar Heels come in at 8-4 after winning four of their last five.

NCAA odds makers see this one as a close one. The spread in Vegas is at less than a field goal. With the line sitting at Pitt 1.5 and the total set at 45.5, the Panthers are a slight favorite.

North Carolina had a chance to improve its bowl destination
with a victory in its regular-season finale, but like the Panthers, suffered a crushing defeat. With a chance for its first five-game winning streak in more than eight years, the Tar Heels blew a 10-point halftime lead in Raleigh, falling 28-27 to rival N.C. State despite gaining 481 total yards.

"Everybody wants to point a finger and say we should have been in a better bowl game, but we did that to ourselves," cornerback Kendric Burney said. "We're happy with the fact we're playing a good Pittsburgh team."

Burney is right. This should be a very good game. Both of these teams showed flashes of dominance this season. They are each extremely well coached. This should be a good one.

Expect tough defensive battle in this one. This will be low scoring.

Take the under 45.5 points.