Bowl season is upon us in the ACC. Will the conference finish strong the way it did a year ago? Andrea Adelson and David M. Hale say yes.
Quick Lane Bowl: Duke (6-6) vs. Northern Illinois (8-4), 5:15 p.m., ESPN
David Hale: Maybe a month to regroup and reset is what the Duke offense needed. The Blue Devils finished the season strong, and though they lacked a breakaway receiver in ACC play, there are plenty of matchups to be won against NIU. Duke 28, Northern Illinois 21
Andrea Adelson: The Blue Devils pulled two upsets to make it into the bowl game and played much better offensively than they had during the six-game losing streak that nearly derailed their season.