those aren't the words we'll use for these North Carolina football predictions entering the 202 for season let's approach the new year with some bold takes for the Tar Heels who play a nationally televised opener at Minnesota on Thursday 8:00 pm fox head coach m brown is entering his sixth season in his second stint at UNC which won at least eight games in three of Browns 5 years since returning to Chapel Hill for the first time since 2018 the Tar Heels will start a season without Sam Howell or Drake may as the starting quarterback despite the change under Center UNCC returned six all aecc players including running back amaran Hampton and pass rusher kin Rucker following a trip to Minnesota the Tar Heels don't travel outside of North Carolina again until almost Halloween at Virginia on October the 26th according to ESN UNCC is projected to be favored in each of its first eight games of the season in fact the Tar Heels are projected to be underdogs in just two of their 12 games in the regular season at Florida State on November two in the finale against NC State on November the 30th