The Meineke Car Care Bowl turns nine this year, welcoming the 6-6 Clemson Tigers and 7-5 South Florida Bulls to Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers. In a classic match-up between the Big East and ACC, two teams from less-than-stellar BCS conferences hit the field for little more than bragging rights on Dec. 31.
The South Florida Bulls finished smack-dab in the middle of the Big East with a 3-4 conference record, good for fifth place in the conference. A midseason run, with wins over Cincinnati, Rutgers and an overtime thriller against Louisville, propelled the Bulls to bowl eligibility. South Florida finished the season losing two of its last three games, but did grab an overtime win over the Miami Hurricanes.
Clemson, on the other hand, used the non-conference schedule as a launching point toward bowl eligibility. The Tigers picked-up wins over powerhouses North Texas and Presbyterian early in the year before dropping three in a row, including an overtime loss to Auburn. The Tigers finished the year with consistency, alternating wins and losses over their last six games.
Stay tuned to this StoryStream right up through game time, as we review key unit matchups, odds, bowl history and more, and connect with Clemson fans at SB Nation's Shakin' The Southland and South Florida fans at Voodoo Five. For a complete list of bowl games, browse our 2010 college football postseason schedule.