The 2010 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl was the 13th edition of the college football bowl game and was played at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee. The game was played on Thursday, December 30, 2010.

The game was notable for its ending, in which North Carolina rushed a field goal unit with too many players to the field in the final seconds of the game and spiked the ball to stop the clock at one second remaining by means of the ensuing penalty. This allowed the Tar Heels to make one more play and score a game-tying field goal; the team went on to win the game 30–27 in double overtime. The controversial ending resulted in an NCAA rule change for the following season, in which a 10-second runoff is assessed on clock-stopping penalties during the final minute of the game.

The North Carolina Tar Heels represented the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Tennessee Volunteers represented the Southeastern Conference, the 32nd meeting between the two schools.

Coming into the game, Tennessee held a 20–10–1 record in prior matchups with the last contest having taken place in 1961. Tennessee and UNC were actually scheduled to play one another in 2011 and 2012; however, the series was canceled by Tennessee. The two programs had never before played each other in a bowl game.

The Tar Heels came into the 2010 season ranked No. 18 in the country in the pre-season AP poll. However, the season would be marked by numerous injuries and suspensions and UNC entered the game with a 7-5 record. North Carolina was making its third straight bowl appearance. Veteran quarterback T.J. Yates was one of the most improved players in the country during the 2010 regular season and was at the heart of the team’s success. He was No. 2 in the ACC in passing efficiency and No. 2 in passing average per game. The Tar Heels were making their first appearance in the Music City Bowl.

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