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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
The Morning News: Chatham Residents Fight Pipeline, Breadman's Shut Down, Steve Belichick on Medical Leave
Chatham County residents speak out against a proposed natural gas pipeline, and an iconic Chapel Hill restaurant is abruptly shuttered.
UNC Football Ramping Up Intensity as Fall Training Camp Hits 1-Week Mark
Thursday morning marked one week of UNC’s fall training camp, and head coach Bill Belichick said the team has been steadily ramping up the intensity of its sessions. Wednesday was the Tar Heels’ first day of practice in pads, as the “acclimation period” portion of camp comes to an end. “The competition really starts this […]
UNC Defensive Coordinator Steve Belichick on Medical Leave, Father Bill Says
UNC defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is away from the program on medical leave, head coach Bill Belichick said Thursday at the Kenan Football Center. Steve Belichick had been scheduled to address the media last Thursday following the Tar Heels’ first practice of fall camp, but did not appear at the podium. Bill Belichick said the […]
The Morning News: Legion Road, ArtsOrange, Jason Johnson, Bill Belichick
In today's news: Chapel Hill provides an update on the future of its 36-acre property on Legion Road, with a pond slated for removal.
Chansky's Notebook: The One Who Got Away
Mack Brown was a very good football coach. His father was a high school coach in Tennessee, and his older brother Watson preceded him into mid-major positions. The peripatetic Brown held nine assistant jobs and one as a head coach in 15 years before he was 35. That included being the athletic director at Tulane […]
Taking Advantage of Court Ruling, UNC Kicker Rece Verhoff Returns to Program
Kicker Rece Verhoff is returning to the UNC football program and plans to play in the 2026 season, taking advantage of a recent court ruling from U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney which granted a fifth year of eligibility to athletes who graduated high school in 2022. Welcome back Rece Verhoff pic.twitter.com/Fwk0Z4PeNB — Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) […]
The Morning News: Mike Roberson, Chatham Pipeline, Chapel Hill Vehicle Break-Ins, Dean Dome
In today's news: former Chatham County sheriff Mike Roberson steps into a new role as a Chatham County Commissioner.
The Morning News: Rani Dasi, Faith Hedgepeth, and Bobby Petrino
In today's news: Rani Dasi discusses her impending move from the CHCCS school board to the Orange County Board of Commissioners.
Shaquille O'Neal Featured Among 2026 Performers for Chapel Thrill Concert Series
UNC has announced its setlist for the 2026 Chapel Thrill Concert Series. The series is part of the school’s “Chapel Thrill Game Day,” which debuted in 2025. The concerts are the centerpiece of the festivities, with the stage located on Polk Place in front of Wilson Library in the heart of the UNC campus. Each […]
The Morning News: Expanding the Arts, Chatham Transit, Michael Lombardi
In today's news: the Eno Arts Mill is set to reopen, UNC moves to expand the Ackland Art Museum, and Michael Lombardi speaks out.
›