Busy bowl weekend: Eight games on the slate

Previewing this weekend's bowl games:

Friday

Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl

Louisiana Tech (8-5) vs. Illinois (6-6)

Time/TV: 1 p.m. ET/ESPN. Surface: Grass.

Glantz-Culver line: Louisiana Tech by 6. Sagarin difference: La. Tech by 9.03.

Bowl records: Illinois 8-9, La. Tech 2-3-1. Series: Louisiana Tech 1-0 (52-24 in 2012).

Synopsis: Kicking off the second weekend of college football's postseason is this contest at the Cotton Bowl stadium. But it's not the Cotton Bowl — that's at another venue now. Got that? In any case, it's the first action in the 2014 bowl slate for the Big Ten. It took closing victories against Penn State and Northwestern for the Fighting Illini to qualify, but they now hope to take advantage of the opportunity and stamp a winning record in the historical log. But the Bulldogs are just as motivated, seeking a win against a power-five conference member after coming up just short in the Conference USA title game against Marshall. Illinois has a productive if not explosive ground attack that relies heavily on TB Josh Ferguson and QB Reilly O'Toole finding room to operate. Any big plays in the passing game are generally the result of busted tackles, so it will be up to Louisiana Tech safeties Kentrell Brice and Xavier Woods to make their hits stick. The Bulldogs also do a lot of their offensive work by land, primarily because of TB Kenneth Dixon with his 1,236 rushing yards and 21 TDs. QB Cody Sokol and WR Trent Taylor must provide air cover. Expect to see Illinois LB Mason Monheim and FS Zane Petty around the ball often.

Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit

Rutgers (7-5) vs. North Carolina (6-6)

Time/TV: 4:30 p.m. ET/ESPN. Surface: Artificial.

Glantz-Culver line: North Carolina by 3. Sagarin difference: North Carolina by 2.49.

Bowl records: Rutgers 5-4, North Carolina 14-16. Series: 3-3 (UNC won last meeting 24-22 in 2011).

Synopsis: This could come down to which team's struggling unit performs better. The North Carolina defense has been its Achilles' heel all season, surrendering 47 points or more in four of its losses. The Scarlet Knights by contrast were limited to 17 points or fewer in four of their defeats. But when Rutgers was winning, QB Gary Nova and WR Leonte Carroo were connecting for big plays early and often. Tar Heels CB Brian Walker, however, is capable of making Nova pay for errant tosses or questionable decisions. The Rutgers defense has been more sound, with DT Darius Hamilton and DE David Milewski providing a constant pass rush threat. That's bad news for UNC QB Marquise Williams, who has excellent weapons in WRs Ryan Switzer and Mack Hollins when he has the time to find them but is often trying to escape pressure.

Bitcoin Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Central Florida (9-3) vs. North Carolina State (7-5)

Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET/ESPN. Surface: Artificial.

Glantz-Culver line: Central Florida by 2. Sagarin difference: Central Florida by 1.24.

Bowl records: NC State 14-12-1, Central Florida 3-3. Series: 1-1 (NC State won last meeting 28-21 in 2010).

Synopsis: UCF rebounded from a 0-2 start to turn in a solid season. It could have been even better if not for a puzzling loss at Connecticut, but the regular campaign ended in thrilling fashion with a win against East Carolina on a last-second TD pass. The Wolfpack overcame a four-game midseason skid and finished strong, culminating in a rout of North Carolina in the finale. The Knights don't put up eye-popping numbers, especially on the ground, but QB Justin Holman and WR Breshad Perriman of Hail Mary fame have shown they can make things happen at any time. Perriman will receive added attention from Wolfpack S Hakim Jones. UCF's real strength is its defensive back seven, featuring LB Terrance Plummer and SS Clayton Geathers. They'll be facing dual-threat NC State QB Jacoby Brissett, who has 22 TD throws to only five picks this season but might have to rely more on TB Shadrach Thornton to keep the sticks moving.

Saturday

Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md.

Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Virginia Tech (6-6)

Time/TV: 1 p.m. ET/ESPN. Surface: Artificial.

Glantz-Culver line: Cincinnati by 3. Sagarin difference: Cincinnati by 0.28.

Bowl records: Cincinnati 7-7, Virginia Tech 10-17. Series: 5-5 (Cincinnati won last meeting 27-24 in 2012).

Synopsis: The Bearcats, the last of the American Athletic Conference's tri-champions to take the field in the postseason, begin the day against the Hokies, who've had one of the strangest seasons in recent memory but managed to extend their streak of bowl appearances to 22. Cincinnati enters on a seven-game winning streak, and QB Gunner Kiel is having a solid campaign with 30 TD passes. His primary targets are WRs Mekale McKay and Shaq Washington, but he also has Chris Moore and Max Morrison in his deep arsenal. But Virginia Tech can still put a stout pass defense on the field, with DEs Ken Ekanem and Dadi Nicolas bringing the heat and CB Kendall Fuller providing superb coverage. But the Hokies' offensive inconsistency has produced incongruous results like a win at playoff-bound Ohio State and a loss in, essentially, penalty kicks to Wake Forest. QB Michael Brewer has struggled with less than stellar pass protection, and Bearcats LB Jeff Luc and Co. will try to keep the Tech ground game in neutral.

Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso

No. 16 Arizona State (9-3) vs. Duke (9-3)

Time/TV: 2 p.m. ET/CBS. Surface: Artificial.

Glantz-Culver line: Arizona State by 7½. Sagarin difference: Arizona State by 7.85.

Bowl records: Arizona State 13-13-1, Duke 3-7. Series: First meeting.

Synopsis: Break out the pitchforks for this devilish matchup in west Texas. The Sun Devils came up just short in the highly competitive Pac-12 South but still have a chance to make it a 10-win season. Duke for its part is no longer happy just to be in a bowl. The Blue Devils are now looking to earn their first postseason win since the 1961 Cotton Bowl. But there are three significant obstacles in the way, and their names are ASU QB Taylor Kelly, WR Jaelen Strong and TB D.J. Foster. It will be up to Blue Devils LB David Helton and S DeVon Edwards to keep the big plays to a minimum. Duke QB Anthony Boone and WR Jamison Crowder have made their share of long hook-ups as well, but Sun Devils' DE Marcus Hardison and LB Salamo Fiso will try to disrupt their timing.

Duck Commander Independence Bowl in Shreveport. La.

South Carolina (6-6) vs. Miami (Fla.) (6-6)

Time/TV: 3:30 p.m. ET/ABC. Surface: Artificial.

Glantz-Culver line: Miami by 3½. Sagarin difference: South Carolina by 0.22.

Bowl records: Miami 18-17, South Carolina 7-12. Series: Miami 8-5-2 (won last meeting 20-16 in 1987).

Synopsis: With all due respect to Tim Brando's hometown, Shreveport is not the destination either of these major conference members were hoping for when the season began. Both teams started slowly: the Gamecocks were dismantled by Texas A&M, and the Hurricanes were outplayed at Louisville in Week 1. The ups and downs continued for Miami, but freshman QB Brad Kaaya made tangible strides as the season progressed. This game, however, could belong to Hurricanes' TB Duke Johnson as he looks to exploit the suspect South Carolina ground defense. Miami will want to avoid obvious passing downs; Gamecocks SS Brison Williams has brought two of his four picks all the way to the end zone. Gamecocks QB Dylan Thompson has had his moments, and he's going to have to be at his best to give TB Mike Davis room to work against Miami LB Denzel Perryman.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl in Bronx, N.Y.

Boston College (7-5) vs. Penn State (6-6)

Time/TV: 4:30 p.m. ET/ESPN. Surface: Grass.

Glantz-Culver line: Boston College by 2½. Sagarin difference: Boston College by 2.57.

Bowl records: Penn State 21-15-2*, Boston College 13-10. Series: Penn State 19-4 (Boston College won last meeting 21-7 in 2004).

Synopsis: This matchup at the world's most famous baseball stadium might have a final result that resembles a baseball score. The conditions for a winter football game in the Big Apple might not be conducive to aerial fireworks regardless of the participants. But beyond that, the defenses are the better units for both teams. Eagles LBs Justin Simmons and Josh Keyes are likely to make the day difficult for mistake-prone Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg, but the Nittany Lions have do-everything LB Mike Hull on their side to keep BC's dual-threat QB Tyler Murphy in check.

*Official bowl record; six other Penn State bowl wins were vacated.

National University Holiday Bowl in San Diego

No. 22 Nebraska (9-3) vs. Southern California (8-4)

Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET/ESPN. Surface: Grass.

Glantz-Culver line: USC by 7. Sagarin difference: USC by 2.77.

Bowl records: USC 32-17, Nebraska 25-25. Series: USC 3-0-1 (won last meeting 49-31 in 2007).

Synopsis: The day concludes with this second of San Diego's postseason showcase contests. It finds both these programs accustomed to competing for higher stakes at something of a crossroads. The Trojans hope the first year of the Steve Sarkisian era ends with a continuation of the momentum they gathered from their convincing win against Notre Dame in the regular-season finale. The Cornhuskers also closed with a win against Iowa, but it followed losses to Wisconsin and Minnesota and wasn't enough to save Bo Pelini's job. Nebraska will be helmed by interim coach Barney Cotton before former Oregon State head man Mike Riley takes over in Lincoln. When USC QB Cody Kessler is on, he's really on; he has 36 TD tosses with only four INTs this season. His primary playmakers are WR Nelson Agholor and TB Javorius Allen, who will try to take advantage of a Cornhuskers defense that has not performed to the level their fans grew to expect when they were competing for national championships. Regardless of down and distance, much will be asked of Nebraska LB Zaire Anderson. TB Ameer Abdullah is a terrific talent for the Cornhuskers, but he's also going to be the focus of attention for USC LB Hayes Pullard and Co. WR Kenny Bell could provide a spark if QB Tommy Armstrong is on target.

Jeff Sagarin's power ratings show the relative strength of teams.