The ACC may have been the worst overall Power Five conference in 2019, but few individual teams matched the week-by-week intensity of North Carolina; on the regular, the Tar Heels were one of the most thrilling teams to watch. Now, they will finish their season against a quality Temple team that will try to notch its third win against a Power Five team this year.
How will these pair of surprising teams finish their season? Let's take a closer look at the matchup and storylines to follow before making some expert picks both straight up and against the spread.
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Viewing information
Event: Military Bowl
Date: Friday, Dec. 27 | Time: Noon ET
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium -- Annapolis, Maryland
TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN.com
Storylines
North Carolina: If you haven't had a chance to watch freshman quarterback Sam Howell much (or at all) this season, now's your chance before the long offseason. The ACC's Rookie of the Year led the ACC with 35 touchdown passes and 278 yards passing per game. He's also been a strong fourth-quarter player, as has been documented all year, with 11 touchdown passes in the final 15 minutes of games. He's must-see TV and someone to watch closely over the next two or three years.
Temple: Conversely, how will the Owls defense hold up against the Tar Heels' passing attack? Temple finished second in the AAC in yards per passing attempt allowed, and really only had two bad games all year (vs. SMU and UCF). The Owls have also been a decent team at creating turnovers. In their biggest win of the season against Memphis -- the Tigers' lone loss on the year -- the Owls had four takeaways. Replicating those numbers against the Tar Heels will be key.
Military Bowl prediction, picks
Nine of North Carolina's 12 games have been decided by a touchdown or less. The numbers say the Tar Heels will be in another tight one here, but can the Owls cover the spread? They're 4-2 as a dog this season, and the AAC's best defense in red zone conversions should keep this one close even if UNC is leading. Pick: Temple +4.5
Who wins the Military Bowl between Temple and North Carolina? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you should be all over, all from the expert who is up almost $3,300 on college football picks this season.
