Tuesday, December 1, 2009

UNC, Florida State top Meineke bowl list

A return visit by North Carolina or hosting Bobby Bowden’s likely last game as the Florida State coach are the most likely scenarios for the ACC side of the Meineke Car Care Bowl, executive director Will Webb said today.

Bowl pairings won’t become official until Sunday but Webb said he’s optimistic the Dec. 27 game at Bank of America Stadium will have either the Tar Heels or the Seminoles as the ACC representative in the game.

“We feel very good regardless of who we have,” Webb said.

The Big East representative will likely come from among Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, West Virginia or Rutgers.

Cincinnati and Pittsburgh will meet Saturday to determine the Big East championship while West Virginia faces Rutgers.

After the Clemson-Georgia Tech ACC championship game Saturday night in Tampa, the bowl scenario should become clearer. The winner will be the ACC representative in the Orange Bowl.

Webb said he anticipates Virginia Tech playing in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta and Miami playing in the Gator Bowl. Under ACC bowl rules, Miami’s 9-3 record would not allow the Hurricanes to slip farther down the bowl list.

The loser of the ACC championship game, Webb said, could wind up in the Music City Bowl in Nashville while the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando may pick Florida State. That would allow the Meineke Car Care Bowl to pick the Tar Heels for a second straight year.

“Everybody would love to have North Carolina,” Webb said.

It’s all conjecture at this point, however.

“If the Chick-Fil-A Bowl decides to take the ACC championship loser, it throws all of this into disarray,” Webb said.

The Orange, Gator, Chick-Fil-A and Champs bowls have the first four choices among ACC teams. The Music City, Meineke and Emerald Bowls then work with league officials to fit teams into bowl slots. If no agreement can be reached, the Music City Bowl will have the first choice among the three this year with the Charlotte bowl getting first choice next year.

If Cincinnati, ranked fifth nationally, were to lose to Pittsburgh on Saturday, it’s possible the Bearcats could wind up in Charlotte. If both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are unavailable, West Virginia or Rutgers become the most likely Big East representatives.

“We feel very good regardless of who we have,” Webb said.
-- Ron Green Jr.

9 comments:

JP said...

No UNC fans want to go to the Car Crap Bowl, except for the Wal-Mart fans that have no real ties to the school. Would much rather travel to the Music City Bowl.

Anonymous said...

Im a fan would love the oppurtunity to see them in Charlotte....

Anonymous said...

I too am a fan and alumni of UNC. I would much prefer to play Cincy, Pittsburgh, or WVU in the Car Care Bowl. Why in the heck would I rather travel all the way to Nashville to watch us play a really crappy Kentucky team...?

Anonymous said...

"Im a fan would love the oppurtunity to see them in Charlotte...."

UNC-CH did a great service to America educating this gifted graduate.

MB said...

^Spoken like a pack fan that's home for the Holidays! We may have lost Saturday, but we managed to win enough games to be bowl eligible... How 'bout y'all?

Anonymous said...

I would love the chance to go to the game if UNC is in Charlotte I went last year against WV and would jump at the chance to go to the game again!!!

Anonymous said...

A really crappy Kentucky team? This is coming from a UNC fan? Wow. How can you say that when they play in a vastly superior conference (look at what happened Saturday)? To the best of my knowledge they didn't play TWO FCS teams like UNC did, their losses were to decent teams (none comparable to UVA or NCSU), and they beat Georgia. Didn't Georgia just spank a team that's playing for the ACC "Championship"?

Anonymous said...

As a UNC football season ticket holder, I would love to see the Heels play in Charlotte. All I want for Xmas is a bowl win. The only bowl NC State fans will see is the one they vomit up their Milwaukee's Best in.

Anonymous said...

They did what they should have...stick the regional team (UNC) in their Charlotte backyard, stick the national program with the heralded coach in a real bowl...AND send him out a winner.