Heels move up in CFP rankings; FiveThirtyEight says they have chance to make field

Could Carolina really make the College Football Playoff? It seems crazy to think about, considering that the No. 13-ranked Tar Heels probably won’t be in the top 10 when the updated CFP rankings that come out Tuesday night. FiveThirtyEight is saying there’s a chance, but the scenarios that put the Tar Heels in the field don’t look likely.

UNC moves up in CFP rankings but path to Orange Bowl gets tougher

North Carolina, which moved up two spots in the College Football Playoff rankings to No. 15 on Tuesday, has a more difficult path to the Orange Bowl, thanks to Clemson’s blowout loss at Notre Dame. The Tar Heels (8–1, 5–0 ACC) can clinch the Coastal Division title and an ACC championship game matchup on Dec. 3 in Charlotte with the Tigers if they can win at Wake Forest (6–3, 2–3) at 7:30 Saturday night (ESPN2). Carolina also clinches if Virginia Tech beats Duke and Miami defeats Georgia Tech.

Carolina No. 17 in the first College Football Playoff rankings

The streaking Carolina football team is No. 17 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, released on Tuesday night, the 13th time the Tar Heels have made the ranking and the third time they’ve made the initial rankings. The Tar Heels, ranked No. 17 in the AP Top 25 and No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, were last in the CFP ranking as the No. 13 team on selection day Dec. 20, 2020, when they earned a berth in the Orange Bowl.