After ending the Mack Brown 2.0 era, the UNC football program was at a crossroads that athletic director Bubba Cunningham was determined to steer into ever-elusive success, or at least a soft landing spot in the Big Ten or SEC. College football's opening weekend culminated with Bill Belichick's debut against Texas Christian on Labor Day night. A dream opening four minutes, followed by a nightmare 56 on national television will leave a sour taste in Tar Heel fans' mouths, and a potential nasty hangover when they return to work tomorrow.
With 70 new players on the roster and no Tom Brady under center, it was difficult to visualize what this team would look like. Unfortunately, what was put on display Monday night will be burned into memory and relived in night terrors for as long as Tar Heels continue to fall asleep.
Here are some lessons learned from a night of pain, shame, and anguish as the UNC football team dropped their season-opener to TCU.