Miami and Rutgers will square off Thursday afternoon in the Big Apple in a critical game for the direction of both programs. The Hurricanes have had an up-and-down season that began with a four-game winning streak. However, an incredible clock-management failure against Georgia Tech on Oct. 7 is when the rollercoaster really began; back-to-back overtime wins in the middle of the season made way for four-game losing streak in November. Coach Mario Cristobal has struggled during his two-year stint rebuilding a once-proud program back to national prominence.
The Scarlet Knights, meanwhile, have been one of the more impressive stories of the season. They achieved bowl eligibility before the calendar switched to November but lost four straight games to close things out once their schedule cranked up a notch.
What should you expect Thursday afternoon? Let's break the game down and make a pick.
How to watch Pinstripe Bowl live
Date: Thursday, December 28 | Time: 2:15 p.m. ET
Location: Yankee Stadium -- Bronx, New York
TV: ESPN | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
For a limited time, new subscribers can save $20 on Fubo's Pro, Elite and Premier plans.
Miami vs. Rutgers: Need to know
What will Miami's offense look like? The Hurricanes will start third-string quarterback Jacurri Brown under center even though the freshman has yet to attempt a pass this season. However, he started two games last season as a freshman with three touchdowns and three picks. The former four-star prospect out of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, is the only available scholarship player on the Hurricanes' roster after Tyler Van Dyke transferred and Emory Williams suffered an arm injury during the regular season.
Ground and pound: Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai has been an absolute monster this year. The junior currently leads the Big Ten in rushing with 1,099 yards on the season. The All-Big Ten selection announced earlier this month that he will return to the program in a sign that this team wants to be here to take on the Hurricanes. Miami's rushing defense tops the ACC allowing fewer than 100 yards per game; however, that defense has numerous opt outs and transfers to navigate through in this one.
How aggressive will the Rutgers defense be? The Scarlet Knights have been awesome in the red zone, holding opponents to points on 73.81% of their trips -- second in the Big Ten behind Michigan. They won't be impacted much by roster attrition, so that success will have a good chance of continuing Thursday afternoon.
Pinstripe Bowl prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
It's hard to trust Miami in normal situations, much less in a bowl game in the Northeast with roster issues. The Scarlet Knights will wear down the Hurricanes, take advantage of a thin defense in the second half and run away for a big win that will further establish coach Greg Schiano's crew as a competitive program that is no longer a pushover in the Big Ten. Pick: Rutgers +1
Which college football picks can you make with confidence during bowl season? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned well over $2,000 in profit over the past seven-plus seasons -- and find out.
