Chansky’s Notebook: ‘Preseason’ Over

You agree that Carolina’s preseason schedule is over?

Dissecting UNC’s first three games this season, you would have to say they were no more than a warm-up for the heart of the schedule over the next month. It may not have looked that way back in August, but it sure does now.

Georgia is perhaps the weakest 3-0 team in America. A win over the Tar Heels in which they rallied from a 9-point deficit and with the help of Carolina’s miscues down the stretch. A 26-24 win over Nicholls. Nicholls? And beating unranked Missouri on a fourth-down touchdown pass with 90 seconds remaining.

Illinois. Expected big win over Murray State; blown out by the Tar Heels; and then losing to 34-10 to Western Michigan. And James Madison, a very good College Football Subdivision team, but one that could not match the Tar Heels’ size, skill, speed and depth even though the Heels were playing without some key starters. So, what do we have – a 2-1 record that many of us expected, but many more unanswered questions due to the caliber of the competition so far?

Pitt, at Florida State, Virginia Tech and at Miami are the next four opponents for Larry Fedora’s crew, beginning with the Panthers Saturday in Kenan Stadium at 3:30. One could easily make the case that those four teams are way better than anyone Carolina has played so far.

Pitt opened with a 28-7 win over Villanova and then beat in-state rival and Big 10 foe Penn State in a high-scoring close game. The Panthers lost a lightning delayed game at Oklahoma State 45-38 but showed a serious weakness in pass defense, giving up 570 yards through the air to the Cowboys. Record-breaking Mitch Trubisky must have loved seeing those numbers.

Not getting ahead of myself, Florida State will be angry as hell after getting embarrassed by Louisville, Virginia Tech demolished BC 49-0 and Miami waltzed into App State and waltzed out with an easy win. Yep, Carolina fans, now you can really start your engines.

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