Back in 2011, North Carolina accepted a bid to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, LA. It was a curious decision at the time, as the Tar Heels were moving on from their coach Everett Withers and had already announced the hiring of Larry Fedora. That edition of the Tar Heels played like the game really didn’t matter, getting whipped 41-24.
Saturday’s Fenway Bowl had a very similar feel. A new coach has already been hired, a lot of the ones coaching on Saturday won’t be on the sideline next season, and more than a few players weren’t playing for a win so much as they seemed to be hoping to make an impression for future teams and bump up their propects in the transfer portal.