One analyst believes the UNC football program would be a ‘moderate surprise’ to win the ACC in 2023.
Last season, Mack Brown and the North Carolina Tar Heels took advantage of another wild season in the ACC’s Coastal Division. A 9-1 start helped the Tar Heels win the division, punch a ticket to the ACC Championship Game and even see their names come up in the College Football Playoff.
But four-straight losses including the Holiday Bowl to Oregon left what was once a promising start into a sour taste.
Going into the 2023 season, UNC are not one of the favorites in the conference to win it or even reach the title game. That belongs to Clemson and Florida State. While some are high on UNC because of Drake Maye, one analyst believes it would be a ‘moderate surprise’ if the Tar Heels did win the conference.
David Kenyon of Bleacher Report picked the winners of each conference ahead of this season including Clemson for the ACC. But he also mentioned a note about the Tar Heels in his write-up:
Florida State is a flashy and understandable pick. The roster brings back a heavy majority of its main contributors from a 10-win team and brought in several high-value transfers.
But I’m not picking against Clemson.
In a relatively down season, the Tigers were basically a one-point loss to South Carolina removed from a CFP trip. The defense should be outstanding, and quarterback Cade Klubnik has enormous potential.
Outside of Clemson and FSU, any other champion—say Pitt, Miami or North Carolina—would be a moderate surprise.
Even with Maye back for another year, most are sleeping on the Tar Heels again in the conference. But if there’s one thing we know about the ACC, it’s always a wild ride in that conference.
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