College Football Rankings: Way-too-early Top 25 projections for 2020
By Zach Bigalke
19. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. won Military Bowl 55-13 vs. Temple. 838. 7-6 in 2019. North Carolina Tar Heels. player
Though North Carolina finished 2019 only one game above .500, they will be a trendy pick in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll in August. Pollsters will remember not just the Tar Heels’ dominant performance in the Military Bowl but also their near-upset of Clemson in the regular season as they fill out the bottom half of their ballots.
That win over Temple went a long way toward legitimizing North Carolina. Sam Howell lit up the Owls for three touchdown passes and 294 yards through the air on 25-of-34 passing. By himself, the freshman quarterback accounted for more yardage than the entire Temple offense. On top of that, Javonte Williams and Michael Carter each ran for more than 80 yards as the Tar Heels finished with 238 yards on the ground.
There is going to be a groundswell of support for North Carolina when the preseason polls come around, thanks to their record-setting young quarterback and a deep group of returning talent. The Tar Heels also have the benefit of playing UCF and Auburn out of conference, along with FCS finalist James Madison, while also avoiding Clemson until a potential matchup in the ACC championship game.