UNC football to face SEC program in CBS Sports' first 2025 bowl projections
Can you believe the start of college football is almost here? We'll get underway with Week 0 next weekend, then UNC will host TCU to cap off Week 1 on Labor Day.
Bowl games won't be played until December, but it's never too early to start making projections. Due to North Carolina's somewhat favorable schedule, North Carolina is slated to play in a bowl game.
In CBS Sports' first bowl projections ahead of the 2025 CFB season, the Tar Heels are projected to face Florida in the Gator Bowl.
This would essentially be a road game for UNC, as the Gator Bowl is always played in Jacksonville's Everbank Stadium, which is just 90 minutes from UF. North Carolina has six-consecutive bowl appearances, but a horrible track record in those postseason contests, last winning a bowl game in 2019 against Temple.
Bill Belichick is a much-better head coach than Mack Brown, though, so the hope is he'll have his players prepared. Given their young roster, the Tar Heels also shouldn't have many opt-outs after their regular-season concludes.
If UNC ends up playing in the Gator Bowl, it'd be UNC's second trip to the Sunshine State this season. North Carolina travels to UCF on September 20.
Florida is in a similar spot to that of the Tar Heels. 2024 was the Gators' first winning season since 2020, which ended in the rankings and a Cotton Bowl loss. Last year, Florida went 8-5 and beat Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl, its first bowl victory since 2019.
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
an hour ago
- USA Today
No decision made on Notre Dame's starting quarterback as regular season nears
The starting quarterback for Notre Dame in the season opener at Miami two weeks from tonight will be... Well, we still don't know. The Fighting Irish held a news conference Sunday following a scrimmage, and the expectation was that QB1 would be acknowledged. But that didn't happen. So we continue to wait and see if CJ Carr or Kenny Minchey will be taking the field with the other 10 starters on offense in the opener against the Hurricanes. "We have to make a decision before we play, but the moment hasn't happened where a guy is clearly the starter," head coach Marcus Freeman said. One thing we do know, though: the offense will be slightly different depending upon who wins the job. "I think it's going to be important whoever wins the job, we play to the strengths of who they are and not put them in compromising situations," offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Mike Denbrock said. 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 Dave on X: Miller_Dave
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Why 2025 is a season of intrigue for Florida football quarterback DJ Lagway
Florida football finally broke out of its multi-season slump last fall thanks in large part to the efforts of then-true-freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, who led the Gators to their first bowl victory since 2019 as well as an 8-5 finish overall. Suffice it to say, Lagway's heroics ostensibly saved Billy Napier his job. However, while the pressure has lessened a tad on the head coach's hot seat, the Orange and Blue have high expectations this year while facing what is arguably the toughest schedule among FBS teams. Napier has put his full trust in his sophomore gunslinger despite some injury concerns during the preseason. "This guy's got a lot of ceiling," Florida's skipper offers. "There's a lot there, fundamentally and overall football knowledge. The impressive thing about him is the mental makeup, the humility. He just shifts into this competitor. He goes to a different space as a competitor. It's not too big for him." With that said, ESPN college football reporter Chris Low recently took on the task of evaluating the intriguing aspects of all the Southeastern Conference's 16 starting quarterbacks, offering up the following for Lagway. The intrigue behind DJ Lagway "As a freshman this past season, Lagway had moments when he was everything everybody thought he would be when he came out of Willis, Texas, as a five-star recruit. He's got a great arm, ideal size (6-3, 247 pounds) and the awareness and escapability in the pocket to extend plays," Low begins. "Lagway wasn't the Gators' full-time starter until the last part of the season, after Graham Mertz tore his left ACL in the third quarter of a 23-17 overtime loss to Tennessee. It was in that game that Lagway showed his vast potential in a very hostile road environment. His 27-yard touchdown pass on third-and-19 to Chimere Dike with 29 seconds remaining tied the game before the Vols won in overtime," he continues. "Lagway had 12 completions of 40 yards or longer this past season and was 6-1 as a starter, helping lead the Gators to four straight wins to close the season." DJ Lagway's path to success "The lingering question with Lagway is his durability and whether he can stay healthy. He battled an injury to his throwing shoulder in the spring and was limited. Most recently, a strained left calf held him back. He didn't participate in the Gators' first scrimmage, but according to insiders, has continued to throw regularly and looked good," Low offers. "He also missed a game and a half this past season with a hamstring injury. Lagway also put the ball in some dangerous spots at times, but what freshman doesn't? The bottom line is if he stays healthy, he has greatness written all over him." Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Key Alabama football starter injured. Kalen DeBoer provides latest update on lead tailback
With less than two weeks until the season opener at Florida State on Aug. 30, Alabama football will be without a key starter for an indefinite amount of time. Early Sunday, coach Kalen DeBoer confirmed a report from Will Miller of Sports Illustrated that starting tailback Jam Miller had sustained an upper-body injury during the second scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday. "Jam Miller suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday's scrimmage and went in for a procedure on Saturday evening," DeBoer said in a press release. "Jam should recover fully with a timetable for his return yet to be determined." Sports Illustrated's Miller reported late Saturday that the Crimson Tide running back was expected to miss multiple games, including the season opener at Florida State (2:30 p.m. CT, ABC). Miller is Alabama's most experienced running back and was its leading rusher out of the backfield a season ago. The senior from Tyler, Texas, ran for 668 yards and seven touchdowns on 145 carries in 2024. In three years at Alabama, he's rushed for 1,092 yards on 219 carries. Miller had two touchdown runs in Alabama's 34-0 win over Missouri on Oct. 26, and a season-high 140 yards on 15 carries in the Week 2 win over South Florida on Sept. 7. His conference-high in yardage -- 84 yards, 28 carries -- came in Alabama's 28-14 win over Auburn, its fifth straight in the series. Miller also caught 16 passes for 155 yards last season, including a 16-yard catch and run in the first quarter of Alabama's 41-34 victory over Georgia on Sept. 28. With Miller sidelined, Alabama can look to sophomore Richard Young, a former four-star recruit from Florida who's been with the program since 2023. Young had 27 carries for 146 yards (5.4 AVG) and two touchdowns a season ago. The Crimson Tide also have sophomore Daniel Hill, who saw action in six games and went for 61 yards on 21 carries in 2024. Louisiana transfer Dre Washington is another option. He rushed for 1,343 yards over three seasons in Lafayette. Follow us at @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.
