Game Prediction: #15 Oregon Ducks vs North Carolina Tar Heels

Predictions for the Holiday Bowl matchup between the 15th-ranked Oregon Ducks and the North Carolina Tar Heels

The ACC is off to a 2-0 start in bowl season and will look to continue that in the Holiday Bowl matchup between the Oregon Ducks (9-3) and the North Carolina Tar Heels (9-4).

Location: Petco Park (San Diego, Calif.)
When: December 28 - 8:00 PM ET
Network: Fox
Spread: Oregon -14.0, O/U 75

IB has broken down the game and now it's time for us to make our predictions.

BRYAN DRISKELL, PUBLISHER

Prediction: North Carolina 31, Oregon 27

This is a matchup of two teams that struggled mightily down the stretch, with North Carolina losing its final three games and Oregon losing two of three. Oregon was quite sloppy in its win over Utah, which was sandwiched between losses to Washington and Oregon State.

North Carolina was awful down the stretch and the Tar Heels needed a break. Both teams are dealing with personnel departures, so that's a wash as well. Oregon has many of the matchup advantages, but I'm going with my gut a bit on this one because of two key matchups, and my gut says Drake Maye is going to rally his team around him after announcing he's returning in 2023 instead of transferring. 

When given time Maye is outstanding, and Oregon ranked 123rd this season in sacks per game and will play this game without DJ Johnson, their best pass rusher. Oregon also ranked 107th in passing yards allowed and 68th in yards allowed per attempt. If UNC gives Maye time to throw he'll shred the Oregon defense. Oregon QB Bo Nix will battle but it won't be enough.

VINCE DEDARIO, FOOTBALL ANALYST

Prediction: North Carolina 35, Oregon 21

There are always so many variables that go into predicting a bowl game and this game is no different. Oregon lost its offensive coordinator to Arizona State and will be tutoring Drew Pyne for the next few years down at Arizona State. He is not expected to be coaching in the bowl game and it is going to be a "collaborative effort" to call plays and put together the game plan. Sorry, that never works. In the meantime, UNC QB Drake Maye has doubled down on his love and loyalty for the Tar Heels after reports of him leaving for multi-million dollar deals elsewhere. It may not be the popular pick but I am taking the Heels in this one.

RYAN ROBERTS, DIRECTOR OF RECRUITING

Prediction: Oregon 37, North Carolina 21

The Tar Heels ended the season looking very uninspiring all around. The defense continues to be an issue and the offense began to make a ton of mistakes.

On the other side, Oregon is riding a ton of momentum. Quarterback Bo Nix has had a tremendous season and should be difficult for North Carolina to stop him. The Ducks hold onto momentum entering the off-season. 

SHAUN DAVIS, RECRUITING ANALYST

Prediction: Oregon 41, North Carolina 35

There should be a lot of passes thrown in this game, which means it could easily run over four hours in television time. On the Carolina side, Drake Maye still has enough weapons at his disposal to put points on the board against a Ducks defense without DJ Johnson there to rush the passer, and they struggled mightily against the pass late in the season. 

While the UNC defense can be attacked in different ways, the Oregon receivers should be able to feast on a Tar Heel secondary that will be without three key components. Bowl games often come down to which team is more motivated in this game, it has to be Oregon. While both teams have had major opt-outs and are buoyed by the knowledge that their quarterbacks will return in '23, the Ducks seem like a team determined to use a bowl win to create momentum going into year two of the Dan Lanning era.

SEAN STIRES, STAFF WRITER

Prediction: Oregon 36, North Carolina 31

North Carolina had won six straight after losing to Notre Dame, but the Tar Heels have lost three straight going into the Holiday Bowl. Oregon is the best running team UNC has seen since the loss to the Irish. The Duck run for more than 216 yards a game and will be too much for the Heels to handle. 

ANDREW MCDONOUGH, IB CONTRIBUTOR

Prediction: Oregon 44, North Carolina 28

The Holiday Bowl features an intriguing matchup between two programs that overcame September stumbles to enter November with a shot at the College Football Playoff before faltering in the season's final month. Oregon dropped 2 of its last 3 games, falling to rivals Washington and Oregon State, while North Carolina lost its final 3 games to Georgia Tech, NC State, and Clemson. However, both programs have seized momentum this offseason, with Oregon NIL dollars fueling a class that vaulted into the top-10 according to some recruiting services, while UNC's redshirt freshman QB Drake Maye announced that he would spur the rumored multi-million dollar paydays and return to Chapel Hill. 

Irish Breakdown Fans be sure to get your Notre Dame tickets from SI Tickets HERE

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

Irish Breakdown Content

Notre Dame 2022 Roster
Notre Dame 2022 Schedule

Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense

———————

Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.

BECOME A MEMBER

Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!

Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
Follow me on Gettr: @IrishBreakdown
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook

Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter