UNC Football: Tar Heels claim Top 25 spot in first Coaches Poll
By Zack Pearson
The UNC Football program cracks the Top 25 in the first Coaches Poll of the 2020 college football season released on Thursday
The expectations are high for the UNC Football program going into the 2020 season and after the improvement they showed in 2019 under Mack Brown, it’s really no surprise.
Throughout this offseason the Tar Heels have been one of the teams that the national media has talked about as a team on the rise. UNC is one of the favorites to earn a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game and challenge the Clemson Tigers, a team they fell one point short of beating last season.
Even with this unusual season we are about to embark on, the spirits are high for the Tar Heels and on Thursday, they found out what other coaches think of their chances.
The first Coaches Poll for the 2020 season was released on Thursday and the Tar Heels checked in at No. 19, earning a spot in the Top 20:
The full coaches poll can be found here.
UNC is the third-highest ranked team in the ACC behind Clemson and Notre Dame. The Tigers took the top spot in the poll debuting at No. 1 while the Fighting Irish, who are playing in the conference this season checks in at No. 10.
This is pretty much where many expected UNC to land in the initial rankings as they were projected there by multiple outlets in the offseason polls. Most had UNC anywhere from 18-20 with a few having them as high as No. 15.
The Tar Heels still have a lot to prove this season but the new ACC schedule sets up well for them, including a late-season matchup at home with Notre Dame.
For more on the UNC Football program, please make sure to check back with Keeping It Heel.