Belichick Beware: Trap Games That Could Derail UNC’s Season

Mice are among the smartest species in the animal kingdom, but they still try to nibble the cheese off the mousetrap.

North Carolina has one of the easiest schedules in the ACC.

According to ESPN’s College Football Power Index, North Carolina is 51st in strength of schedule and has a 72.7% chance of winning at least six games, which would make the team bowl eligible.

Carolina’s nonconference schedule also sets up favorably. The toughest matchup comes against TCU, which is coming off a 9-4 season, but that game will be played in Chapel Hill. The rest of the slate includes two Group of Five programs in transition—Charlotte and UCF—as well as an FCS opponent in Richmond.

UNC also gets a manageable schedule once it begins ACC play. Although the Tar Heels will play against Clemson in their first ACC game, they avoid SMU, Miami, Louisville, Georgia Tech, or Florida State.

While the schedule may not seem that daunting, it's not easy winning football games.

Here are the biggest trap games of the season for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Sept. 20 – at UCF, TBA

Jul 8, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; UCF head coach Scott Frost addresses the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

UCF is in a transition period after firing Gus Malzahn following a 4-8 record in its second season in the Big 12. The Knights brought back Scott Frost, who led the program to a self-proclaimed national championship in 2017. That season, UCF went 13-0 and upset Auburn in the Peach Bowl.

Expect UCF to be better this fall — history supports that. Since 2004, the Knights have had just four losing seasons, including two winless ones. Each time, they bounced back and reached the postseason. In 2005 and 2011, UCF advanced to the Conference USA Championship Game after going 0-11 and 4-8, respectively.

UCF’s home stadium, Ascsiure Bounce House — yes, that is in fact its name — is one of the most difficult venues in college football. The Knights are 85-30 at home since the stadium opened in 2007. During their time in Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference, they hosted and won four conference championship games.

Oct. 17 – at Cal, 7:30 p.m. PT / 10:30 p.m. ET

CAL — Dec 18, 2024; Inglewood, CA, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback CJ Harris (16) to running back Jaivian Thomas (25) in the first half against the UNLV Rebels at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Despite making a bowl game in each of the past two seasons, Cal has endured five consecutive losing seasons. To make matters worse, a USA Today preseason poll projected the Golden Bears to finish 16th out of 17 ACC teams.

Still, this is a classic trap game — and the reason is travel.

The distance from Chapel Hill to Berkeley, California, is more than 2,800 miles. While the game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. local time, it will feel like a 10:30 p.m. start for North Carolina. How head coach Bill Belichick prepares his team for the time shift will be worth watching.

Oct. 31 – at Syracuse, 7:30 p.m. ET

Jul 23, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Syracuse Head Coach Fran Brown answers questions from the media during ACC Media days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Syracuse is coming off a 10-3 season, but the Orange are expected to take a step back after the departures of quarterback Kyle McCord, running back LeQuint Allen and three of their top four receivers from the nation’s No. 1 passing offense. Wide receiver Trebor Pena was slated to return but transferred to Penn State.

Regardless, Syracuse remains a tough road environment. The JMA Wireless Dome (formerly the Carrier Dome) is among the loudest stadiums in the country. Over the past three seasons, the Orange are 16-4 at home, including wins over No. 15 NC State in 2022 along with No. 23 Georgia Tech and No. 6 Miami in 2024 — the latter of which ultimately spoiled the Hurricanes’ playoff hopes.

Nov. 15 - at Wake Forest, TBA

Wake Forest is in a transition period with Jake Dickert coming over from Washington State to be the head coach for the Demon Deacons.

North Carolina has won the last four meetings between the two longtime in-state rivals and in last year's meeting the Tar Heels defeated the Demon Deacons 31-24 on Nov. 16, 2024. However, six of the last seven meetings have been determined by a touchdown or less.

Wake Forest returns one of the best running backs in the ACC with Demond Claiborne. Claiborne rushed for 1,049 yards with 11 touchdowns in 2023.

Wake Forest's coaching staff brought in respected defensive coordinator Scottie Hazleton to fix the defense. Hazleton has coached strong units during his time at Wyoming, Kansas State and Michigan State.

The Demon Deacons also hired Rob Ezell as offensive coordinator. Ezell was the offensive play-caller and quarterbacks coach at South Alabama, where he mentored Gio Lopez. In 2024, the Jaguars ranked 18th nationally in total offense and 22nd in rushing offense — a system that could greatly benefit Claiborne.

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