It's not a shock that UNC football wasn't ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. As a matter of fact, the Tar Heels didn't receive a single vote. It makes sense because they were 6-7 last year.
But what the voters don't know is that they just played perfectly in the narrative Bill Belichick wants to create. Because there's nothing the hoodie truly likes more than being overlooked and disrespected.
There's been a lot of outside noise regarding the program since Bill Belichick took over. Questions about his "fit" in college football, questions about his motivation, questions about how his relationship with Jordon Hudson plays into all of this.
And Belichick is very good at just focusing on the task at hand regardless of the questions. But one of his greatest gifts as coach is his ability to convince everyone else in the program to focus on the task of football.
And now it's time to get down to business.
Poll snub gives UNC a new enemy to fight
It's easy for a coach or a bunch of players to say, "nobody believed in us" and it's usually a load of BS. Like...really Ohio State, nobody believed that you'd win the playoffs last year? Nobody believed in a roster that had 20 percent of the players selected among the first 45 players of the NFL Draft?
Ohio State coach, with a $20 million payroll in college football, playing the underdog “nobody believed in us and we had to overcome so much” card is beautiful.
— Mike McFeely (@McFeely_Inforum) January 21, 2025
But Belichick can safely tell his players that "nobody outside this locker room believes in you". Those pollsters have NO respect for your ability to play football and play as a team. You didn't get a single vote. Even FSU got votes and the Seminoles went 2-10 last year! You're less respected than a 2-10 team. Apparently Paul Finebaum has more credibility in college football than a six-time Super Bowl champion coach.
Then Belichick will go to his coaching staff and tell them that, despite their combined decades of coaching experience at the highest level, those AP pollsters don't think they can coach college football. They think everything we've done up to this point is a fluke.
It will be a message that travels through the entire football facility from the top to the bottom. So thank you, AP Poll voters, you are the enemy that Belichick was looking for.