The 83rd annual Sun Bowl features an intriguing matchup this season as No. 18 Stanford takes on North Carolina. It's a showdown of two teams that won at least 11 games last season and came into 2016 with high hopes, though both ultimately took a slight step backward.
Neither team is unfamiliar with the Sun Bowl, however, as this will be Stanford's fourth appearance (first since 2009) and North Carolina's fifth (last in 1994). In fact, the fifth appearance for the Tar Heels ties them with Arizona State for third-most Sun Bowl appearances of all time. Only Texas Tech (nine) and UTEP (eight) have played in more Sun Bowls.
This will be only the third time Stanford and North Carolina have played. They've split the first two meetings with Stanford winning the last game 37-34 in 1998.
Viewing information
Date: Friday, Dec. 30
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Sun Bowl -- El Paso, Texas
TV: CBS
Live streams: CBSSports.com / CBS Sports Apps
Storylines
Stanford: A lot of the focus the last few weeks has been on the fact that running back Christian McCaffery will not be playing in this game, as he's instead chosen to focus on preparing himself for the NFL Draft. It's understandable considering how important McCaffery is to this Stanford team. It's no coincidence that as McCaffery got himself going down the stretch, so did Stanford, overcoming a shaky 4-3 start to the season to win its final five games and finish the regular season at 9-3. A win over North Carolina would give the Cardinal its fifth season of at least 10 wins in David Shaw's six years at the school.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels were a couple of games -- hell, plays -- away from being in a much bigger bowl game this season. While they were blown out 34-3 by Virginia Tech earlier in the season, it was losses to Duke and NC State in November that cost the Heels a chance at Clemson in the ACC title game. The problem for North Carolina this season has been its defense, particularly a run defense that's allowed over 235 yards per game this season. So you can be sure the Tar Heels are perfectly fine with McCaffery sitting this one out.
Players to watch
Stanford: Without McCaffery, we'll get a glimpse at the future of the Stanford offense in this game. Keller Chryst took hold of the starting quarterback job toward the end of the season, and he handled himself well. He finished with only 837 yards passing but had nine touchdowns to go with only two interceptions. Bryce Love will replace McCaffery at running back, and the sophomore rushed for 664 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry in a reserve role this year.
Defensively, it's not often you see a defensive linemen lead the team in tackles, but that's what Solomon Thomas has done this year. Thomas has 55 tackles on the season, including seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss. He also has seven QB hurries, as well as a 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown against UCLA to his name this season. Elsewhere, Harrison Phillips and Joey Alfieri combined for 11.5 sacks, while defensive back Dallas Lloyd had three interceptions.
North Carolina: If you're an NFL fan whose team is looking for a quarterback, you'll want to watch North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky. While it isn't yet official that he's leaving, many project Trubisky as a possible first-round pick this spring, if not the first QB off the board. Trubisky threw for 3,468 yards this year with 28 touchdowns and four interceptions. That's pretty good! His favorite targets have been Ryan Switzer (91 receptions, 1,027 yards, five touchdowns) and Bug Howard (48 catches, 768 yards, seven touchdowns). Running back Elijah Hood will not play, but T.J. Logan rushed for 578 yards and seven touchdowns this year.
Defensively, the Tar Heels have three players who finished with at least 100 tackles this season in Andre Smith (110), Cole Holcomb (105) and Donnie Miles (100). In fact, that trio combined to make 33 percent of the team's tackles this season. On the defensive line there's Malik Carney, who finished with 4.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss.
Prediction
While I believe North Carolina has the edge at quarterback, and that can take you a long way in any football game, I can't help but believe this is a bit of a bad matchup for the Tar Heels. Even without McCaffery playing, I just have a hard time believing the North Carolina defense will be able to make enough stops against a tough Stanford offense. On the flip side, as potent as the Tar Heels' attack can be, Stanford's defense is strong enough to get some stops here and there, and possibly force a few turnovers. That's why I'm taking the Cardinal to win this game and cover the spread. Pick: Stanford -3.5