Where does USA TODAY Sports project UNC to finish in 2025 college football season?
The North Carolina Tar Heels made offseason college football headlines in December, hiring Bill Belichick to be their next head football coach.
In Week 1 of the 2025 college football season, UNC will again be the focus of national attention, hosting TCU September 1 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
There's plenty of expectations for North Carolina this fall, but Belichick's hiring doesn't guarantee immediate success. That's reflected in USA TODAY Sports' preseason predictions for the ACC standings, with the Tar Heels projected to finish 12th amongst 17 teams.
UNC is one spot ahead of Boston College, which won a 41-21 matchup between the two programs in November 2024. North Carolina trails Syracuse, which won the 2024 Holiday Bowl and finished ranked for the first time since 2018, by one spot.
The Tar Heels' success will depend greatly on their new-look roster, which features a brand-new quarterback in Gio Lopez and an entirely-new defensive line. It can take time for new acquisitions to mesh, but I have a feeling Belichick will get his players focused quickly – if they aren't already.
After hosting the Horned Frogs, who appeared in the 2022 National Championship game, the Tar Heels' schedule gets easier with consecutive games against Charlotte and Richmond. UNC then faces a 2-game gauntlet in UCF and Clemson, with a bye week sandwiched in-between, followed by California, Virginia and Syracuse to close out October. Stanford and Wake Forest are beatable opponents to open North Carolina's November slate, then Duke and NC State pose significant challenges.
These are simply preseason projections, which are rarely accurate. Good news: the Tar Heels are 0-0, a mindset they'll carry into each week this fall.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
A few Notre Dame women's basketball notes on Jayda Porter and Giovanna Burress
While Notre Dame's women's basketball might be going through a transitional season even with FIBA Gold medalist Hanna Hidalgo leading the charge, there is still plenty of draw to South Bend with recruits. The Irish are off to a great start in the 2026 class, and while they just have one commitment, it's a significant one. Georgia small forward Bella Ragone decided to commit to Notre Dame at the end of May, as she's the No. 23 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Niele Ivey is looking to add another top prospect to join Ragone in power forward Jayda Porter. The 6-foot, 3-inch Missouri native is just behind her in the rankings, as the No. 31 overall player in the cycle and this weekend decided to schedule her official visit to South Bend for Sep. 13th. Porter also announced visits to Oklahoma, Nebraska and Wisconsin. She's the brother of NBA player Michael Porter Jr., and daughter to Michael Sr. who is currently the head coach at Missouri. Looking further ahead, the Irish extended an offer to 2028 New Jersey guard Giovanna Burress on Saturday. The sister of wide receiver Elijah and daughter of Plaxico, could eventually join her brother on campus as Notre Dame has offered extremely early. Giovanna is looking like a national prospect, so this could be the start of a long relationship. While the Irish are early, they are not the only big schools to offer as Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan State and others have already done so. It very much looks like Ivey is taking a page out of Marcus Freeman's recruiting playbook, offering players that have elite athletic lineages. Hopefully this strategy works as well for the women's basketball team as it has for the football team. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
Former Ohio State quarterback returns to Jets practice after injury scare
Earlier this week, former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was carted off the field at Jets practice with an apparent foot injury. It was concerning, especially since the Jets have gone all-in on Fields as the starter this year. It was especially concerning for Fields because it might be his last chance to become a franchise quarterback in the NFL after some mixed results in Chicago and Pittsburgh. However, there is some good news on that front because Fields returned to practice just a day later on Friday. The official injury update is that it was just a dislocated toe -- which would be a big deal for you or me, but not so much for the prognosis of Fields continuing to get reps and eventually being in a position to start on opening day. Fields did not participate 100% in practice on Friday, but did throw some balls on the side, and is simply day-to-day on his return in the capacity needed. There are a lot of people rooting for Fields to be a difference-maker for the Jets, including many Ohio State fans. The talent is there; it's just always seemed like the right fit for Fields to show what he can do. Many Jets fans are also bullish on what the former Heisman finalist can do in the Big Apple, so the fact that the injury isn't serious is a very good thing for all rooting interests. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
North Carolina lands Titleist retail shop
The host site for the 2024 U.S. Open Golf Championship and future host site in 2029 is giving fans of the sport another thing to do in Moore County, continuing its investment in elevating guest experiences. ALSO READ: Trump plays golf in Scotland while protesters take to the streets and decry his visit Pinehurst Resort announced July 24 that Titleist, the Massachusetts-based golf equipment brand that has come to be synonymous with professional golf, is opening 'an immersive fitting and retail experience' at the resort's main campus. The store is set to open in September. Jeremy Stone, Titleist's senior vice president of golf ball marketing and U.S. sales, said in a statement that this shop will be the 'first U.S.-based Titleist retail experience of its kind.' Read more on CBJ's website here. VIDEO: PGA Championship bringing financial boom to Charlotte
