Three players make Carolina the favorite to meet Clemson again.   The Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll almost slipped by unnoticed because it was so Tiger loaded with Clemson returnees that, seemingly, no one else has a chance to win the ACC football championship. In fact, the ACC has yet to release it preseason all-conference team since that, too, may be all Orange all over again.

The Tar Heels were a slight pick over Miami and Pitt to repeat as Coastal Division champions, which they snatched away by going 8-0 in the league after a preseason fourth-place pick in 2015. Besides losing half their starters on defense and record-setting quarterback Marquise Williams, isn’t there anyone else in the Coastal who can beat Carolina? Apparently not, so say the voters.

Granted, Larry Fedora’s fifth UNC team may be the fastest and most athletic he’s had in Chapel Hill, but there are only a handful of household names ready to defend the division crown. Most of the talk centers on new starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky, his roommate and return-receiver specialist Ryan Switzer and Elijah Hood, who some think could contend for the Heisman Trophy if he played in an offense that gave him the ball 30 times a game.

Despite those playmakers and others like Mack Hollins and a veteran secondary returning, as much concern should be for the names we won’t hear anymore, like linebackers Jeff Schoettmer and Shakeel Rashad and recording breaking wide-out Quinshad Davis plus the rock of the offensive line, Landon Turner. Some players will have to quickly become household names and Trubisky must be at least as good as advertised to give UNC an attack equal to what it had in ‘15.

Is Clemson so much better than the rest of the league that the Tigers easily outpolled Florida State and Louisville in the superior Atlantic Division? All-American QB DeShaun Watson has to play one more season before he can turn pro, and they still have RB Wayne Gallman and WR Artavis Scott among nine returning offensive starters who seemingly make the Tigers unstoppable.

As training camp looms, UNC may indeed be the best in its division, but right now that says a lot more, or less, about the weak Coastal than it does about Carolina.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
Art’s Angle: Heels Have ‘A Chance’
Three take-aways from Carolina’s pleasing 41-10 win over Virginia Tech. The Hokies (along with Commonwealth cousin Virginia) may be the worst team in the ACC, a shadow of what they used to be. The ACC Coastal Division and the mythical “State Championship” are still out there for the Tar Heels to win. Drake Maye has […]
Chansky's Notebook: Building DNA
The Bill Belichick way, from New England to UNC, has always been that preparation has been more important than the games.
Upsets, Close Calls and More: Looking Back on Notable Opening Games for UNC Football
There are less than three weeks to go until UNC opens its 2025 season against TCU in Kenan Stadium. The game has been sold out for weeks, and ESPN will broadcast it live to a national audience. Dignitaries such as former Alabama head coach Nick Saban will be on-hand for a special pregame show live […]
'I Love the Challenge': UNC Football's Mike Priefer Sees Opportunity in Special Teams Overhaul
New UNC special teams coordinator Mike Priefer feels he has the pieces in place to improve what has been a mediocre unit.
Chansky's Notebook: Unacknowledged
Even with Bill Belichick installed as head coach, the Tar Heels are getting no respect in the AP's preseason Top 25 poll.
Chansky's Notebook: Man At Work
Bill Belichick may be earning $10 million a season at UNC, he sounds like his favorite place is in the trenches with his guys.
UNC's Freddie Kitchens Taking Collaborative Approach to Coordinating 'Our Offense'
UNC offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens cringes when you refer to the Tar Heel offense as “his.” “I learned from different people,” Kitchens recalled earlier this week. “It was never ‘their’ offense. It was ‘our’ offense.” This season, Kitchens will be tasked with coordinating “our” offense while relying on several positions which have been almost completely […]
On Air Today: David Glenn on Bill Belichick's Year 1 Prospects with UNC Football
Sports broadcaster and Chapelboro columnist David Glenn joins 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Thursday, August 7.
UNC Football Details New 'Chapel Thrill Game Day' Experience
The UNC athletic department and the football program have officially announced an expanded pregame experience for Tar Heel fans this fall, dubbed “Chapel Thrill Game Day.” Introducing a new way to game day 🐏🏈 We're excited to host the all new Chapel Thrill Game Day experience before @UNCFootball's six home games this fall, including the […]
Chansky's Notebook: One and Only
Mike Priefer is the only member of the new football program who has a connection to UNC's last ACC championship.
›