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UNC Football climbs in ESPN’s Power Index for Week 2

By Zack Pearson

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 12: Sam Howell #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels rolls out against the Syracuse Orange during their game at Kenan Stadium on September 12, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 12: Sam Howell #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels rolls out against the Syracuse Orange during their game at Kenan Stadium on September 12, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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We take a look at where the UNC Football program lands in ESPN’s updated Football Power Index for Week 2 of the college season

The UNC Football program got the 2020 college football season off to a good start with their win over Syracuse on Saturday afternoon.

With a 10-game Atlantic Coast Conference schedule facing the Tar Heels, including an additional non-conference game, each week is crucial for their chances to play in the conference title game come December. But it’s also very important if they want to make some noise on the national stage as well.

The Tar Heels have been called a dark horse for the College Football Playoff and with a few conferences bowing out in these unique season, why not? They do have a chance to make some noise on the national stage but it’s going to require running the table and picking up some big wins.

Following Saturday’s win, the Tar Heels did receive some national attention as they climbed six spots in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll. But they also moved up in ESPN’s Football Power Index. 

The Tar Heels climbed up two spots from No. 18 to No. 16 following the Week 1 win but are still trailing a few ACC teams. Clemson was the highest-ranked team coming in at No. 1 overall and are followed by No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 13 Virginia Tech and No. 14 Louisville.

The site’s rankings are defined as this:

"The Football Power Index (FPI) is 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"

The reason why UNC didn’t see a bigger jump is due to Syracuse’s ranking which was No. 56 entering the game. The Orange fell three spots to No. 59 following the loss. UNC’s next opponent, Charlotte, checks in at No. 70 so a win over the 49ers likely won’t help UNC’s case much.

To see a significant jump for the Tar Heels, we are likely going to have to wait a few weeks when they play some conference opponents.

Next. UNC Helmet Stickers for the win over Cuse. dark

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

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