How ESPN FPI thinks UNC football will finish in 2023

Here is where the UNC football program ranks in ESPN’s updated FPI that was released on Tuesday.

The UNC football program just finished up spring practice, capping it off with the annual spring game this past weekend. For Mack Brown and his team, they are hoping to avoid having a letdown this year like they did a seasonal go when they lost four-straight games including the Holiday Bowl to Oregon.

While we still have months to go until the start of the year, ESPN has released its Football Power Index (FPI) numbers for 2023. The Tar Heels check in at No. 25 on the list and ESPN projects them to go 8-4 on the year.

For North Carolina, they have a 13.9 percent chance to win the ACC and a .5 percent chance to make the playoffs this year.

The FPI is defined as ‘a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.’

The FPI is updated daily during the season based on results.

The Tar Heels are the third-highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference program on the list, behind Clemson (No. 8) and Florida State (No. 14).

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