North Carolina Football: 3 hot takes from Tar Heels loss to Virginia Tech

North Carolina football entered the 2021 season with a Heisman hopeful and eyes on the College Football Playoff. Now, those feel like pipe dreams. 

Conference games on the road are never easy. They are even more challenging when it’s the first game of the season and Friday night, North Carolina football ran into a buzzsaw.

Not many people predicted that the Tar Heels were going to fall to the Hokies, who have been very up and down in recent years.

But last night was old-school Virginia Tech. The defense dominated and the front-seven was really physical. The Hokies also appear to have found a quarterback in former Oregon transfer Braxton Burmeister, who led Virginia Tech to the 17-10 win.

For North Carolina football, it was a disaster, and here are three hot takes.

Sam Howell’s Heisman hopes are done

Yes, it’s only been one game but in the Heisman Trophy race, there isn’t much room for error, especially when you are a quarterback for North Carolina.

Ranked 10th in the country, if the Tar Heels contended for the national title with Howell leading the way it could certainly thrust him into the mix. But throwing just one touchdown compared to three interceptions in a season-opening loss is the kind of thing that’s tough to overcome.

Clearly, North Carolina football was overrated. The receivers had a tough time getting open and the running backs now in the NFL were missed, although Ty Chandler had 66 yards on 10 carries.

This team has talent, but what’s still possible after that debacle?