Predicted yesterday the Fighting Irish to defeat Rugters  in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl today @ noon ET/11 AM CT on ESPN, 31-27.

Here is a look at today’s game with predictions:

Bowls: 6-5; Against spread, Bowls: 6-5: Overall: 131-48 (73%)

Rough day yesterday going 0-3. Will get better.

Belk Bowl

North Carolina Tar Heels (6-6) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (9-3)

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. (73,298)

3:20 PM ET/2:20 CT

ESPN

Talent: Carter Blackburn, Danny Kanell, Allison Williams

Refs: C-USA: Steve Barth, head stripe

Surface: Grass

Weather: 56 @ kickoff Cloudy, 10% rain, with a 30% chance of showers later in the second half, wind, minimal, 2 MPH

Line: UNC by 2 1/2

Cincy is led by a good quarterback, Brendon Kay, who has completed 247-of-360 passes (69%) for 3,121 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 ints. He took over for Munchie Legeaux, who was injured and out for the year in game two. Kay has done an excellent job; highly confident in his abilities. Hosey Williams is the Bearcats leading rusher having rushed for 609 yards and four TDs. Tion Green has rushed for 409 yards and seven TDs. The Bearcats leading receiver is Shaq Washington, who has caught 75 passes for 747 yards and one TD. Anthony McClung has caught 68 passes for 908 yards and 5 TDs, and wideout Chris Moore has caught 43 passes for 599 yards and 9 TDs. The Bearcats leading tackler is linebacker Greg Blair (6’2″, 252, senior), who’s posted 96 on the season with 6.5 for loss of 33 yards. Defensive end Silverberry Mouhon (6’4″, 248 sophomore) has 10.5 tackles for loss of -58 yards and 9.5 sacks for -56, which is good for 17th in the country. Cornerback Devin Drane leads the team in interceptions with three. The Bearcats are averaging 33.3 points per game on offense and giving up 19.5 on defense, 12th nationally.

UNC is averaging 32.2 points per game and giving up 25.1. Quarterback Marquise Williams is 107-of-184 (58.2%) for 1,765 yards, 10 TDs and five ints. His leading receiver is Eric Ebron, who has 55 catches on the season for 895 yards and three TDs. Sophomore wide receiver Quinshad Davis (6’4″, 205) has 47 receptions for 724 yards and 10 TDs. Safety Tre Boston leads the Heels with 85 tackles and  also leads them in interceptions with four. Senior defensive end Kareem Martin (6’6″, 265) is tied for sixth in the country in tackles for loss with 20 for -100 yards. Martin is tied for eighth in sacks with 11 for -82. North Carolina is 50th in the country in turnover margin having gained 19 and lost 17, while Cincy is tied for 97th, gaining 20, but giving up 26.

Final Analysis:

This should be an excellent game with two pretty high powered offenses, a solid defense in Cincy’s and a dominator on UNC’s defense in Martin. I like Cincy’s defense a little better and I also like Kay, Cincy’s signal caller, to get this done for Tubby.

Cincy 31, UNC 27

Russell Athletic Bowl

Miami Hurricanes (9-3) vs. No.18 Louisville Cardinals (11-1)

Rankings are BCS rankings.

The Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, Florida ( 70,000)

6:45 PM ET/5:45 CT

ESPN

Talent: Bob Wischusen, Rod Gilmore and Quint Kessenich

Refs: Big Ten: Mike Cannon, lead ref

Surface: Artificial

Weather: 73 @ kickoff, mostly cloudy, 10% rain throughout game, wind ESE 10 MPH

Line: Louisville by 4 1/2

Louisville is third in the country in scoring defense, allowing only 12.4 points per game. Miami is 60th, allowing 26 points per game. The Cardinals average 35 per game on offense and the Hurricanes put up 35.9 per game. The Cardinals are led by awesome signal caller Teddy Bridgewater, who has completed 268-of-382 passes (70.2%, second in the country) for 3,523 yards, 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Bridgewater, a 6’3″, 205 junior, will in all likelihood enter the draft after this season, and he has a chance to be the top player drafted, probably by the Houston Texans. He’s got a chance to be a big time quarterback at the next level. He sure has been in college. This will be another audition for Bridgewater and he also wants to lead his team to their 12th win of the season. Senior wide receiver Damian Copeland leads the team in receptions with 52 for 690 yards and five TDs, but junior DeVante Parker (6’3″, 209) has caught 46 passes for 743 yards and 11 TDs. Parker is Bridewater’s go-to guy when he wants to get it in the end zone. Junior running back Dominique Brown (6’2″, 216) leads the Cardinals in rushing with 783 yards and eight TDs. Senior linebacker Preston Brown (6’2″, 260) leads the team in tackles with 91, and has 10.5 tackles for loss of 45 yards along with 3.5 sacks. Senior defensive end Marcus Smith (6’3″, 252) has 16.5 tackles for loss of -104 yards and is second in the country in sacks with 12.5 for -95 yards. Sophomore cornerback Charles Gaines (5’11”, 174) leads the team in interceptions with five. He has returned one for  a 70 yard TD. Gaines also has a punt return and a kickoff return for TDs.

The ‘Canes really got a tough break when leading rusher Duke Johnson was lost for the season with an injury in the eighth game of the season after rushing for 920 yards and six TDs in the first eight. But Johnson is a sophomore and will be back next year. Sophomore Dallas Crawford (5’10”, 194) has taken Johnson’s place in the starting lineup and has done an excellent job running for 523 yards and 12 TDs. Quarterback Stephen Morris has completed 186-of-317 passes (58.7%) for 2,868 yards, 21 TDs and 12 interceptions. Morris can be erratic at times, but can be good too. Morris’s favorite receivers are Allen Hurns (6’3″, 195 senior), who has caught 60 passes for 1,138 yards and 6 TDs, and freshman Stacy Coley (6’1″, 180), who has caught 30 passes for 559 yards and seven TDs. Sophomore Herb Waters has caught 28 passes for 406 and five TDs. Junior linebacker Denzel Perryman (6’0″, 240) leads the Canes in tackles with 104, and has five tackles for loss. Senior defensive end Shayon Green (6’3″, 254) leads the team in tackles for loss with 10.5 for -30 yards. Cornerback Tracy Howard leads his squad in interceptions with four, one for a TD. Coley has returned a kick for an 88-yard TD and also has a punt return for a TD. Exciting player.

Final Analysis:

This is another excellent matchup between two offensive juggernauts and a good defense in Louisville’s. I can’t go against Bridgewater and the ‘Ville defense in this one. A good quarterback and a good defense are hard to beat.

Louisville 41, Miami 34

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl

Kansas State Wildcats (7-5) vs. Michigan Wolverines (7-5)

Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona (71,706)

10:15 PM ET/9:15 CT

ESPN

Talent: Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman, Shannon Spake

Refs: Pac-12, Land Clark, lead ref

Surface: Grass

Weather: 60 @ kickoff, 0% rain, wind WNW @ 2 MPH

Line: K State by 6

Michigan will be without starting quarterback Devin Gardiner who broke his foot in the Ohio State game but still threw for 451 yards and four touchdowns as the Wolverines came close to knocking off the Buckeyes, losing 42-41. Freshman Shane Morris will get his first start. The Wolverines will count on running back Fitz Toussaint (646 yards 11 TDs) and wide out Jeremy Gallon (80 catches, 1,284 yards and nine TDs) to help out the freshman signal caller. Michigan is led on defense by junior defensive end Frank Clark (6’2″, 273) who has 12 tackles for loss of -38 yards and 4.5 sacks. Cornerback Blake Countess is tied for sixth in the country with six interceptions, one of those for a TD. For Kansas State, which hasn’t won a bowl game since 2002, they’ll employ a two quarterback system with Jake Waters as the passer (138-of-233, 59.2%, 15 TDs, nine ints) and Daniel Sams as the runner (764 yards rushing, 11 TDs). Running back John Hubbert has rushed for 968 yards and nine TDs, and wide receiver Tyler Lockett has 71 receptions for 1,146 yards and eight TDs. Senior linebacker Blake Slaughter leads the team with 103 tackles, six for a loss of -23. Slaughter also has three sacks. Junior defensive end Ryan Mueller (6’2″, 245) is seventh in the country in sacks with 11.5 and 11th in tackles for loss with 18.5 for -82 yards. Defensive backs, Dante Barnett, Dorrian Roberts and Ty Zimmerman each have three interceptions to lead the team.

Final analysis:

Both teams haven’t had the type years these programs have been used to through the years, but this should be a nice matchup of traditional programs. Like 74-year old Bill Snyder and his Wildcats to get it done with a more potent offense and a solid defense.

K State 35, Michigan 24