This is a crucial game for both teams, partly because of the 9-11/NYC Metro emotion wafting across the water uncontested into Piscataway, and partly because North Carolina and Rutgers are both in that weird middle ground between "darkhorse conference title contender" and "hapless bottom dweller." Neither really has a direction or any sort of identifiable vibe yet: both came into the season with high hopes, possibly irrationally high; both had lame starts, with Carolina struggling to put away I-AA punching bag McNeese State and Rutgers flaming out in the second half against Fresno State. And they can both go either way from here -- the openers could have been the start of a terrible fate on both ends, or we might witness a couple young squads pull together in anticipation of a run at their suddenly wide open conference championships.

For North Carolina, especially: is this team going to be OK, or what? Everyone seems to think so; nobody really has a clue. This is what Thursday nights were made for, frankly: it's mediocre, but at least you don't know what to expect.

What: North Carolina at Rutgers on ESPN.
When: 7:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff, 7:15-ish live blog start. Running through the gun, or until tenable.
Why: You'll learn something about a "team on the rise," which the winner here will be either way, right up until it drops three straight in October.
Who: You, sucker! Bring the kids, and at least one good Cam Sexton joke.