The 2012 Compass Bowl was supposed to feature two of the best running backs in America, but due to injuries the fans will be cheated from watching Ray Graham and Zach Line run the ball up and down the field.
The Pitt Panthers will play their fifth consecutive game without the dynamic Ray Graham, whose 939 rushing yards accounted for 85 percent of Pitt's rushing yardage after seven games. SMU will square off against Pitt without their workhorse running back Zach Line. Line garnered first team All-Conference USA despite missing SMU's last two regular-season games. In 2010, Line's 1,494 rushing yards were the second best single-season total in school history. Only Hall-of-Famer Eric Dickerson's 1,617 yards in 1982 topped Line's total.
Get ready for Tino Sunseri versus J.P. McDermott to air it out, as the Panthers try to give the Big East a 5-1 record this bowl season.
Game date, time: Noon CT, Saturday, January 7th
Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
TV channel: ESPN/ESPN3
2010 winner and loser: Pitt, Kentucky
For more on the game and Pitt, check out SB Nation blog Cardiac Hill. For more college football news, check out SB Nation's college football news hub.