UNC Football: What Regaining the Victory Bell would Mean

In years past, the game against Duke was almost an automatic win for the UNC football team. From 1990-2011, UNC won 21 of the 22 meetings, including thirteen in a row at one point. And most of these games weren’t even close: UNC won seven of these games by 20 or more points and eleven by at least ten points.

However, the Heels have lost the last two meetings against the Blue Devils. They suffered a 33-30 defeat in 2012, and a 27-25 loss last season. And, unfortunately, the chances of the Heels returning the Victory Bell to Chapel Hill don’t look great. Duke is ranked 25^th in the AP Poll, and are six point favorites in tonight’s game. But, what if UNC managed to pull off the upset? What would it mean for the Heels?

Hopefully it’s Carolina celebrating with the Victory Bell tonight. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a rough season thus far. There were high expectations for the team coming into the year, and many believed they would contend for the Coastal Division title. By now, it’s pretty clear that won’t be happening. The Carolina defense has been ridiculously bad, and the offense hasn’t been better, especially the last few weeks. But I think that a lot of this would be forgotten if the Heels could beat Duke.

First of all, a win tonight would make the Heels bowl eligible. Getting to a bowl is the goal for most college football teams, and to reach this goal against the Heels’ biggest rivals would be huge. Beating Duke to become bowl eligible would be a step in the right direction for Carolina, and it would be a much-needed dose of positive reinforcement in a season where not much has gone well.

Oct 25, 2014; Charlottesville, VA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Larry Fedora yells on the sidelines against the Virginia Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Scott Stadium. The Tar Heels won 28-27. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Secondly, a win over Duke would protect Larry Fedora’s job as head coach. Now, I’m not suggesting that Fedora will be fired if Carolina loses to Duke. But there are a lot of disgruntled fans and “Fire Fedora” chants have been heard at Kenan Stadium this season. Fedora’s squad has underperformed this season, and I, along with a lot of other people, have not been happy with some of Fedora’s decisions (such as, among other things, Mitch Trubisky and Marquise Williams splitting time at quarterback). However, a lot would be forgiven if Carolina wins tonight, and a Carolina victory would remove any doubt about whether Fedora will return next year.

Finally, if the Heels return the Victory Bell to Chapel Hill, it would take a lot of air out of the tires of the Duke football team. I am sure that the Heels have gotten tired of hearing and reading about how great Duke is, and how much the Blue Devils have improved over the last few years. If a Duke team that is beginning to gain some national recognition lost to a floundering UNC team, it would really hurt the image that Duke has built up recently. If Carolina could humiliate Duke and hurt the Blue Devils’ image, it would be very sweet for Tar Heels’ fans.