UNC Football: Early predictions have Tar Heels in Orange Bowl

Could the UNC Football program reach a New Years Six Bowl in 2020? One publication predicts that they will and it should be an interesting game

There is just one game left in the 2019 college football as Clemson and LSU will battle on Monday night to be crowned the champion. But after that, the countdown for the 2020 season will officially get underway and it should be an exciting one for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Fresh off a 7-6 season capped off by beating Temple in the Military Bowl, the Tar Heels will enter next season with high expectations and should be one of the favorites in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division.

There is good reason to be optimistic as well.

The Tar Heels will be returning almost every starter on offense from last season including quarterback Sam Howell who broke some records in his first year. Also, both 1,000-yard receivers Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome will also be back as will 1,000-yard rusher Michael Carter and fellow back Javonte Williams.

On defense, they will return all but four starters including the ACC’s leading tackle Chazz Surratt at linebacker. The pieces are there for UNC to go on a big run and at least one recruiting analyst thinks just that as well.

Brad Crawford of 247 Sports gave his early 2020 bowl projections for the New Year’s Six and included were the Tar Heels. Crawford has UNC playing Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 2, 2021. Here is what Crawford wrote:

"Seven different teams have won the ACC Coastal over the past seven seasons, so don’t expect Virginia to repeat in 2020. That brings Tar Heels signal caller Sam Howell to the forefront in his second season after a masterful freshman campaign. He set a record for touchdown passes as a true freshman and helped a relatively young roster win seven games in Mack Brown’s first campaign. North Carolina gets early-season opportunities vs. UCF and Auburn to jump inside the Top 25 and stay there throughout vs. a soft ACC slate. The Tar Heels miss Florida State from the Atlantic and won’t have to play Clemson until the league final. Notre Dame, with Ian Book back, could battle Florida with a matching 11-1 record for that fourth Playoff seed."

An Orange Bowl appearance in Mack Brown’s second year would be huge and could help the program take the next step. But there is still a LONG way to go until this can even be an option.

For more on the UNC Football program, please check back with Keeping It Heel.