2010 Bowl Season Preview: Part VIII

The guru is back for today's second segment. After Kansas State and Syracuse wrap up their Pinstripe Bowl, North Carolina will do battle with Tennessee. Following that matchup will be Nebraska and Washington.

After having seven players suspended for the entire season, the Tar Heels season took a nosedive. The lone bright spot was senior QB TJ Yates, who holds 31 school records. UNC completed 67.5% of their passes this season, a very impressive number. Tennessee has been known to yield yardage through the air, but they have picked off 17 passes against just 13 TDs in 2010. If the Volunteers can limit the damage done by Yates, they will be in a position to succeed as the Tar Heels struggle in the rushing game. UNC totaled the second fewest rushing yards in the ACC and average a paltry 3.6 YPC.

At the helm of the Volunteer offense is freshman QB Tyler Bray, who has thrown for more yards than any freshman in school history, including Peyton Manning. The Vols 56.4% completion percentage is the third lowest in the SEC, but they still manage to accumulate 250 yards per game through the air. UNC has a decent secondary, allowing 19 TDs against 16 INTs. If the Tar Heels defensive backs are sharp, the team should have success because Tennessee also has a weak rushing attack. Their 116.1 rushing yards per game and 3.7 YPC are both by far the worst in the SEC.

In a game with two strong passing attacks and two anemic rushing offenses, the winner may be decided on special teams. UNC averages 9.2 yards per punt return, while Tennessee averages just 3.6. This may be the deciding factor of the game.

The guru selects UNC with 21 confidence points.

Tonight's Holiday Bowl between Nebraska and Washington should be one-sided. The Cornhuskers were one win away from a BCS bid, while Washington became bowl-eligible only after scraping past Pac-10 bottom-dweller Washington State 35-28 in their season finale. Nebraska defeated Washington 56-21 in Seattle earlier this season. Two seasons after going 0-12, the Huskies will be no match for the 'Huskers.

The guru selects Nebraska with 35 confidence points.