Bye-Week Projections: UNC’s Record Through the Last Eight Games

• Virginia (home) - October 25

• Syracuse (road) - October 31

• Stanford (home) - November 8

• Wake Forest (road) - November 15

• Duke (home) - November 22

• NC State (road) - November 29

All things considered, with the way North Carolina has played and its opponents on the schedule above, I project it to finish the season with an overall record of 4-8. Two wins over Stanford and NC State, and then losses to Clemson, California, Virginia, Syracuse, Wake Forest, and Duke. Belichick's squad has not shown enough convincing evidence that it can finish above .500.

North Carolina’s Struggles Show When Facing Tough Opponents

The outings against TCU and UCF, two Big 12 schools, exposed UNC's struggles greatly. UNC does not have much when it comes to defending the pass or the run game when playing teams with a higher skill level than schools such as Charlotte and Richmond, respectively. And the double-digit deficit losses further prove this explanation. On the offensive side, the Tar Heels do not have a recipe, besides the small batches of running back Demon June being explosive on run plays.

Quarterback Gio Lopez has not had the best start to the season either, and his backup, Max Johnson, who was the starter last year, has had shining moments when allowed to play (both of Johnson's appearances came during the TCU and UCF games — throwing a touchdown in each of them.

It should not be a question that Belichick needs to make a change, or if not, a tweak in the offensive scheme that works to the skills of Lopez. Offensive Coordinator Freddie Kitchens needs to dig deeper, too.

If UNC finishes with a record worse than its 2024 campaign, then it will be questioned whether or not Mack Brown should have been fired, or perhaps, hiring an eight-time Super Bowl champion at the tail end of his coaching career was the right call.

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