North Carolina Football: Ranking 2020 opponents by toughness

Geoff Collins surprised some people last season after taking over for Paul Johnson. The Yellow Jackets looked like they might go winless in ACC play but took own Miami on the road and NC State to finish league play 2-6 and 3-9 overall on the year.

Will that momentum lead to a bowl berth in 2020? Probably not seeing as the Yellow Jackets had one of the worst offenses in college football last season and a defense ranked 89th. There’s plenty of room for improvement and 17 starters returning, but this team is still a year or two away from being a threat.

There may be no better fit in college football than David Cutcliffe at Duke. He’s a low-key coach who has no problem exceeding expectations at a non-football-centric school and he’s been doing a great job for over a decade now, going 72-79 for the Blue Devils.

However, Duke’s coming off a disappointing 5-7 season after getting off to a 4-2 start. Will that change in 2020 with Clemson transfer Chase Brice under center?

This is a rivalry game and while most of the hatred comes on the hardwood, this game should be just as intense in the middle of the season and Duke is hoping to avenge last year’s heartbreaking three-point loss.