The Music City Bowl is going to be held, where else, in Nashville, Tennessee on December 31 and this year it sees an unlikely going up against a team that is looking to win its fourth straight bowl. Add in some coach drama, and the Music City Bowl is one great way to ring in the New Year!

While it’s North Carolina State’s first time to Nashville, they did go to Charlotte last year and in 2010 showed up to play in Orlando, Florida for another bowl game. After N.C. State’s head coach Tom O’Brien was fired, offensive coordinator Dana Bible will step in as interim head coach for the big bowl game.

On the other side of the ball, Vanderbilt has been to Nashville to play in the Music City Bowl game, back in 2008; and they have made it to bowl games within Tennessee lines the past three consecutive years. But they’ve only made six bowl appearances in history; and it’s the first time they’ve ever played bowls in back to back years. And while N.C. State may be looking to fix their coaching problems, Vanberbilt’s James Franklin just had his contract extended thanks to the two most recent bowl berths.

N.C. State is definitely going to be a challenge for Vanderbilt. But the Wolfpack also has some serious fire in its belly and the Commodores might just be Vanderbilt needs for people to finally start taking them as seriously as they should.