Belk Bowl 2011: 3 Reasons to Watch Louisville vs. NC State

Let's face facts. When it comes to high-profile bowl games that everybody wants to watch, the Belk Bowl is well south of, say, the Rose Bowl.

But if you're looking for a Tuesday night college football fix, it's not like you have other options. The Big East-ACC showdown between Louisville and North Carolina State in the Belk Bowl is going to be the only primetime game.

If you want to know why you should tune in to watch the Belk Bowl, you've come to the right place. There are at least three reasons you should watch it, and each one is better than the last.

Let's count them down.

The Wolfpack's Defense Is a Turnover Machine

By numbers alone, North Carolina State's defense wasn't all that great this season. They allowed over 350 total yards per game during the regular season, not to mention 24.8 points per game. The latter figure ranked 54th in the country.

However, the one thing NC State did very well this season was take the football away. The Wolfpack led the country with 24 interceptions, and Heather Dinich of ESPN.com pointed out that NC State went 7-0 this season when it forced three or more turnovers.

The player to watch is sophomore cornerback David Amerson, who led the nation with 11 picks this season. He was nominated for the Jim Thorpe Award, but it went to LSU's Morris Claiborne.

Perhaps Amerson will be a little extra motivated against Louisville? The only way you're going to find out is by watching. 

Charlie Strong Has a Strong Young Team

Charlie Strong has been at the helm at Louisville for two seasons now, and he has taken the Cardinals bowling in both of them. He's got a little something going.

The future is bright for Strong's current team. It features a total of 10 freshman starters, and Louisville's offense in particular is littered with young players. Of the bunch, freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater stands out, as he played pretty well down the stretch after struggling early.

In fact, the same is true of the entire team. The Cardinals lost four of their first six games, but finished the season with wins in five of their final six games. They very nearly snuck into a BCS bowl.

Because of this, there are reasons for Louisville fans to be excited about the 2012 seasons. A win in the Belk Bowl will be a useful springboard.

Both of These Teams Can Surprise You

Though neither of these teams are that well respected from a national perspective, they did pull of their share of surprises during the regular season.

Most notably, the Cardinals marched into West Virginia in early November and beat the Mountaineers in their own backyard. A couple weeks later, the Wolfpack beat the Clemson Tigers. 

These would be the same Mountaineers and Tigers who are due to clash in the Orange Bowl, of course.

So despite the fact Louisville and NC State have been relegated to Belk Bowl duty, you might say that both of them have shown that they know how to get revved up for big games. 

I don't know about you, but that makes me optimistic about our chances of seeing an entertaining football game. In bowl season, such things are a rarity.