At 9-1 through 10 games this season, North Carolina is currently enjoying their best season since the late 1990s. The currently sit 17th in the college football playoff rankings behind 5 two loss teams and Navy. The Tar Heels have been haunted the entire year by a resume killing loss to a bad South Carolina team in game one.
To go along with that the Tar Heels do not have a single win over a ranked opponent. While the merits or lack merit in the Heels schedule can debated, they are where they are. Is there any realistic way the Tar Heels can reach the college football playoffs?
North Carolina did jump 6 places in the most recent college football poll from 23 to 17.
Obviously the Heels need to keep winning. They have 3 games left to move up 13 spots. Can it be done? Here is what must realistically happen or close to it.
Weekend of November 21 (North Carolina ranked 17)
#15 LSU loses at #23 Ole Miss
#13 Utah loses to UCLA
#10 Baylor loses to #6 Oklahoma State
#9 Michigan State loses to #3 Ohio State
North Carolina beats Virginia Tech
I think the Tar Heels can move from 17 to 12 or 13 if these results happen.
Weekend of November 28 (North Carolina ranked 12-13)
#8 Florida loses to #14 Florida State
#7 Oklahoma loses to #6 Oklahoma State
#4 Notre Dame loses to #11 Stanford
#12 Michigan loses to #3 Ohio State
North Carolina beats NC State
The Tar Heels enter the top 10 for the first at 9 or 10
Your top 10 at this point is 1) Clemson 2) Alabama 3) Ohio State 4) Oklahoma State 5) Iowa 6) Stanford 7) Florida State 8) UNC
Weekend of December 6 (North Carolina ranked 8)
#2 Alabama wins the SEC – moves to #1 seed
#3 Ohio State beats #5 Iowa to win the Big 10 – moves to #2 seed
#4 Oklahoma State wins Big 12 – moves to #3
#6 Stanford loses to Utah or USC in the Pac 12 title game.
#8 UNC beats #1 Clemson and moves to #4.
Unlikely? impossible? Probably… can it happen? it’s not out of the question, the Heels just need close to these 15 things in combination to occur. I’m just saying there’s a chance.
Make sure you follow the All Sports Discussion Twitter account at @AllSportsDACC and please like our Facebook Page
Leave a Reply