By R.L. Bynum
The pattern is eerily similar to last season for North Carolina’s football team: lose two consecutive ACC games, including blowing a lead to Georgia Tech, and fall out of the AP Top 25.
Last season, the 21–17 loss to the Jackets was the first of the two losses, and at home, with the other being the 30–27 overtime loss to N.C. State. This season, a 46–42 loss to Georgia Tech is the second, after a 31–27 setback against Virginia.
The Tar Heels already had fallen to No. 22 before leaving the poll last season, but the poll exit this season is from a No. 17 ranking. It’s the first time UNC has been unranked in late October since 2021, after — you guessed it — the Tar Heels lost 45–22 to Georgia Tech at the Atlanta Falcons’ stadium.
UNC has company from down the road, though, as Duke — No. 20 in last week’s poll — fell out of the Top 25 after a 23–0 loss to Louisville, which moved from No. 18 to No. 15.
UNC got the 27th-most poll points (54) in the AP poll behind Oklahoma State but stayed in the Coaches Poll at No. 25 after falling eight spots, Duke dropped out of the Coaches Poll after a No. 21 ranking last week.
That leaves Louisville and No. 4 Florida State as the only ACC teams ranked in the AP Top 25, and means no team on UNC’s regular-season schedule is ranked.
Ranked teams also losing were Oklahoma (fell from No. 6 to No. 10 after a 38–33 loss to Kansas), Utah (fell from No. 13 to No. 18 after a 35–6 defeat against Oregon, which slid up from No. 8 to No. 6), and Oregon State (fell from No. 11 to No. 16 after a 27–24 loss to Arizona).
None of the three North Carolina-based voters — Steve Wiseman, the Duke beat writer for The News & Observer, Kate Rogerson of WTVD or Jordan Crammer of WNCN — ranked either the Tar Heels or the Blue Devils.
Only 16 voters ranked UNC, with Jordan Guskey of The Topeka Capital-Journal voting the Tar Heels the highest at No. 19. Carolina appeared on two ballots each as No. 20, No. 21, No. 22 and No. 23. Four voters have UNC No. 24 and three voted the Heels No. 25.
AP Top 25
| Rank | Team (1st-place vote) | Poll points | Previous | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia (48) | 1,553 | 1 | 8-0 |
| 2 | Michigan (9) | 1,494 | 2 | 8-0 |
| 3 | Ohio State (3) | 1,446 | 3 | 8-0 |
| 4 | Florida State (3) | 1,421 | 4 | 8-0 |
| 5 | Washington | 1,327 | 5 | 8-0 |
| 6 | Oregon | 1,235 | 8 | 7-1 |
| 7 | Texas | 1,189 | 7 | 7-1 |
| 8 | Alabama | 1,114 | 9 | 7-1 |
| 9 | Penn State | 1,044 | 10 | 7-1 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 1,010 | 6 | 7-1 |
| 11 | Ole Miss | 990 | 12 | 7-1 |
| 12 | Notre Dame | 847 | 14 | 7-2 |
| 13 | LSU | 816 | 15 | 6-2 |
| 14 | Missouri | 714 | 16 | 7-1 |
| 15 | Louisville | 666 | 18 | 7-1 |
| 16 | Oregon State | 557 | 11 | 6-2 |
| 17 | Air Force | 526 | 19 | 8-0 |
| 18 | Utah | 510 | 13 | 6-2 |
| 19 | Tennessee | 473 | 21 | 6-2 |
| 20 | UCLA | 331 | 23 | 6-2 |
| 21 | Tulane | 303 | 22 | 7-1 |
| 22 | Kansas | 250 | NR | 6-2 |
| 23 | James Madison | 192 | 25 | 8-0 |
| 24 | Southern Cal | 139 | 24 | 7-2 |
| 25 | Kansas State | 112 | NR | 6-2 |
Others receiving votes: Oklahoma St. 77, North Carolina 54, Liberty 47, Fresno St. 16, Miami 11, Arizona 6, Toledo 3, Rutgers 2. Point values in parentheses indicate the number of first-place votes.
ACC standings
| Team | ACC | All |
|---|---|---|
| X — No. 5 Florida State | 8–0 | 12–0 |
| X — No. 9 Louisville | 7–1 | 10–2 |
| N.C. State | 6–2 | 9–3 |
| Georgia Tech | 5–3 | 6–6 |
| Virginia Tech | 5–3 | 6–6 |
| Clemson | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| North Carolina | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| Duke | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Miami | 3–5 | 7–5 |
| Boston College | 3–5 | 6–6 |
| Syracuse | 2–6 | 6–6 |
| Pittsburgh | 2–6 | 3–9 |
| Virginia | 2–6 | 3–9 |
| Wake Forest | 1–7 | 4–8 |
Friday’s result
Miami 45, Boston College 20
Saturday’s games
Kentucky 38, No. 9 Louisville 31
Duke 30, Pittsburgh 19
Syracuse 35, Wake Forest 31
No. 1 Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 23
Virginia Tech 55, Virginia 17
Clemson 16, South Carolina 7
No. 5 Florida State 24, Florida 15
N.C. State 39, North Carolina 20
Next Saturday’s ACC championship game in Charlotte
No. 9 Louisville vs. No. 5 Florida State, 8 p.m., ABC
UNC schedule
| Month/ date | Opponent/event | 2023 record | UNC record in series |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | |||
| 20 | Spring game, 3 p.m. | — | — |
| August | |||
| 29 (Thurs.) | at Minnesota | 6–7 | 1–0 |
| September | |||
| 7 | Charlotte | 3–9 | 0–0 |
| 14 | N.C. Central | 9–3 | 0–0 |
| 21 | James Madison | 11–2 | 3–0 |
| 28 | at Duke | 8–5 | 65–40–4 |
| October | |||
| 5 | Pittsburgh | 3–9 | 12–5 |
| 12 | Georgia Tech | 7–6 | 22–33–3 |
| 26 | at Virginia | 3–9 | 66–58–4 |
| November | |||
| 2 | at Florida State | 13–1 | 3–17–1 |
| 16 | Wake Forest | 4–8 | 72–36–2 |
| 23 | at Boston College | 7–6 | 6–2 |
| 30 | N.C. State | 9–4 | 68–39–6 |
Photo via @UNCFootball
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