Pinstripe Bowl 2018: Miami vs. Wisconsin TV Schedule, Time and Odds

Two of the more disappointing programs in college football square off in a bowl game for the second consecutive season Thursday. 

A year ago, the Miami Hurricanes and Wisconsin Badgers took on each other in the Orange Bowl, but instead of building on their successful 2017 campaigns, both teams let themselves down and landed in the Pinstripe Bowl. 

After losing four straight, Mark Richt's Hurricanes needed wins over Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh just to become bowl eligible following their 10-3 campaign.

Wisconsin was equally as disappointing, as it alternated results from October on to land at 7-5, which is a six-win downgrade from 2017. 

Finding motivation is hard to come by for both teams, and when you add in playing an opponent for the second straight season in a bowl game and the contest taking place inside a baseball stadium, the Pinstripe Bowl could be the ugliest game of the postseason. 

Pinstripe Bowl Information

Date: Thursday, December 27

Time: 5:15 p.m. ET 

TV: ESPN 

Live Stream: Watch ESPN or ESPN app

Odds (via OddsShark): Miami -3; Over/Under: 47.5 

Preview

The steep decline of both programs can be traced to quarterback play.

Unfortunately for the Hurricanes and Badgers, they had too much faith in their starting signal-callers to get the job done in 2018. 

The latest twists in the quarterback sagas took place in the days leading up to their meeting at Yankee Stadium. 

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, quarterback N'Kosi Perry revealed on social media that he might be suspended for the Pinstripe Bowl and Malik Rosier's taken the majority of the first-team snaps in practice. 

Wisconsin's situation under center is less complicated, as head coach Paul Chryst determined Jack Coan will start over Alex Hornibrook in a move that will burn Coan's redshirt, per ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg. 

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

No matter which quarterbacks take snaps Thursday evening, Miami and Wisconsin need support on the ground to take pressure off their quarterbacks. 

Wisconsin stands a better chance of achieving that because of Jonathan Taylor, who ran for 1,989 yards and 15 touchdowns after totaling 1,977 rushing yards as a freshman. 

Taylor, who is the leading rusher in the FBS, is one of the most dynamic players in college football, and as long as Wisconsin improves throughout the 2019 season, he'll be in the mix for the Heisman Trophy. 

While they aren't as highly regarded as Taylor, Miami's Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas are capable of sustaining Miami's drives and keeping Wisconsin's offense on the sideline. 

Michael Shroyer/Getty Images

Homer and Dallas combined for 1,578 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, and Homer is coming off a 168-yard performance against Pittsburgh. 

Since neither offense can guarantee much consistency, it's worth getting excited about the defenses, especially Miami's third-ranked unit.

The Hurricanes enter Thursday's clash with plenty of motivation to turn in an impressive performance, as defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is coaching his last game before leaving to become the head coach at Temple. 

In five of their seven victories, the Hurricanes held their opponents under 20 points, and they held Pitt to three points in their ACC finale. 

Wisconsin has achieved similar success in its triumphs, as it gave up an average of 19.8 points, with a 47-44 triple-overtime win over Purdue the lone outlier. 

If you're looking for defensive stars to watch, Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Edwards and Miami linebacker Shaquille Quarterman are your best bets, and both of them should be active in silencing the opposing rushing attacks. 

Prediction

Wisconsin 16, Miami 10

There's no reason to sugar coat the reality of the Pinstripe Bowl. 

The clash between ACC and Big Ten teams will be one of the worst watches of bowl season, but if you're going to gamble on it, take the under. 

Wisconsin has enough reliable firepower in Taylor to score on a few occasions, but the play of both quarterbacks will severely limit the opportunity for either team to reach 20 points. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90