North Carolina Football: Ranking 2020 opponents by toughness

Finishing ahead of a handful of ACC teams on this list of toughest 2020 matchups, UCF sits at No. 4 because this is a scary sight for any Power Five foe. No team wants to travel to Orlando for a matchup with the Knights at Spectrum Stadium, especially since Josh Heupel is still in charge, going 22-4 in his first two seasons as head coach.

The Knights return Dillon Gabriel at quarterback who passed for over 3,600 yards and 29 touchdowns last season along with Otis Anderson at running back and Tre Nixon at receiver.

Defensively, UCF finished No. 32 in total defense last season and it returns eight starters to the 2020 squad.

This team will be tough to beat to open the season and this may very well be the most underrated non-conference game in the entire country in Week 1.

After starting the 2019 season 2-2 with losses to Boston College and Duke — by a million — Virginia Tech won six of its next seven games and became one of the hottest teams in the ACC. A big reason for the resurgence was the emergence of Hendon Hooker at quarterback who passed for 1,555 yards and 13 touchdowns to just two picks. He’s the future.

Outside of Hooker at quarterback, Virginia Tech returns a solid defense, one of the best in the ACC, and talented junior receiver Tre Turner.

Justin Fuente’s team could be pushing North Carolina for that top spot in the ACC Coastal and a win here on Oct. 10 will go a long way for the Tar Heels’ conference title hopes.