UNC Football: Is It Too Early for Bowl Projections?

The UNC Football program has begun the 2023 season 4-0 and now heads into its bye week. Is it too early to begin looking at bowl projections?

Can looking ahead be troublesome for UNC football fans? Absolutely. We are conditioned to look at the next game because we’ve been heartbroken many times. However, this year’s Tar Heels have begun the season 4-0 for the first time since 1997 as they head into the bye week.

As fans, we’re used to saying, “Don’t look ahead.” While the players and coaching staff most certainly shouldn’t be looking past Syracuse, fans can take joy in mid-season rankings (like being in the top 15 of the AP Poll) or bowl projections and where they could potentially be planning a New Year’s vacation to see North Carolina play. Let’s take a look at where a few outlets have the Tar Heels projected for postseason play.

While we can’t tell you where ESPN projects the Tar Heels, we can tell you that it is far more disappointing than other projections. If you would like to view the ESPN projections after Week Four, you can do so on ESPN+.

We have three projections from the major college football outlets: CBS Sports, 247Sports, and The Action Network. All three have the Tar Heels projected in the same bowl with three different opponents, but all are interesting.

With all three outlets projecting Florida State to make the College Football Playoff, presumably as the champion of the ACC, that means the runner-up in the ACC would earn a New Year Six Bowl Bid. Through four weeks, UNC football is 4-0 and has earned the media’s trust as the projected runner-up to the Seminoles, meaning each outlet projects the Tar Heels to represent the ACC in the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, versus a Big Ten Opponent. The Tar Heels have already faced one Big Ten opponent this year in Week Three against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, winning 31-13.

However, each outlet has varying opinions on who that opponent will be. CBS Sports is projecting that the opponent is Ohio State. This would be an intriguing matchup for the Tar Heels and one against a National powerhouse for the last several years.

247Sports is projecting the Tar Heels would face Michigan in the Orange Bowl. Another challenging opponent who made the College Football Playoff last season. This game would have the storylines that carry over from the notable basketball series between the two schools.

And lastly, Action Network is projecting a matchup with Penn State in the Orange Bowl. This would be strength on strength with Penn State’s defense versus North Carolina’s offense. Once again, this is a difficult matchup and would certainly test where the program is as a whole.

Regardless, any UNC Football fan would love a New Year’s vacation to the warm parts of Miami, Florida. The Tar Heels most recently made the Orange Bowl during the 2020 Covid-Season when they lost to Texas A&M 41-27. Obviously, we are only four weeks into a very long season and some big games on the horizon, but it appears several media outlets are beginning to respect the product that North Carolina is putting on the field.

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