Once Hyped, Clemson–UNC Will Be a Forgettable Football Dud

Before the season, many media members across the ACC and the nation considered Chapel Hill as a potential host site for College Gameday when North Carolina faced Clemson on October 4.

The Tar Heels had just hired Bill Belichick, the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach of the New England Patriots. UNC was coming off its worst season, finishing with a record of 6-7, which led to the dismissal of the school's all-time winningest coach, Mack Brown. With a championship-winning pedigree and promises to elevate Carolina to the status of the "33rd" NFL team, it was time for North Carolina to take the next step. This excitement also brought massive funding for the football program.

Sep 20, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick walks into the field before the game against the UCF Knights at the Bounce House Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Clemson entered the season as the media’s pick to win the ACC and a popular choice for national title contention, thanks to a loaded receiving corps and a defense regarded among the nation’s best. With quarterback Cade Klubnik returning, some even pegged him as a potential Heisman candidate.

Also, the highlight of the offseason has been the longtime friendship of Belichick and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, something that a lot of people didn't see coming because of their different personalities.

Sep 20, 2025; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney late in the game against the Syracuse Orange at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard/GREENVILLE NEWS-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | GREENVILLE NEWS-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Unfortunately, both programs have stumbled out of the gate as North Carolina has been awful while Clemson is off to its worst start in over 20 years. Because of their struggles, their game was given the inglorious noon slot on Oct. 4.

🚨 Kickoff Time Announcement 🚨

🏈: vs Clemson
🗓️: October 4th
⌚️: 12:00 PM
📺: @espn pic.twitter.com/vJSgwAGOOE
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) September 22, 2025

North Carolina fans, make sure to your to drink your orange mimosas before the game!

Carolina Can't

UNC — Bill Belichick walking off the field after North Carolina's 48-14 loss vs. TCU on Sept. 1, 2025. | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

While North Carolina is sitting at .500 with a 2-2 record, that sounds alright but there's context. For starters, against two Power Four teams in TCU and UCF, they lost both games by a combined score of 82-23. Their two wins were over pushover opponents in Charlotte and Richmond, an FCS team.

A significant factor contributing to North Carolina's lack of success this season has been its offense. The Tar Heels have averaged just 263.5 yards per game, ranking 132nd out of 134 teams. The only two teams with worse statistics are UMass and Western Michigan. This places North Carolina at the bottom among Power 4 teams in terms of offensive performance.

The defense is average at best, allowing 344.5 yards per game, which ranks 61st nationally. However, the Tar Heels struggle in several key areas: They rank 98th in fourth-down conversions allowed, 108th in third-down conversions allowed, 112th in tackles for loss per game, 116th in first downs allowed, and are tied for 120th in sacks per game.

However, the defense has shown to be good enough to win games based on its improvement over the course of the year. However, the defense could only save the offense so much over the course of the year.

The Tigers are Back to Their "Clemsoning" Ways

Clemson was the No. 4 team in the country according to the AP Preseason Top 25 poll. They brought back many key players on both sides of the ball and had the key components needed to compete for a national and many ACC media members picked them to win the ACC, including me.

That opinion is aging poorly, as the Tigers are now unranked after stumbling to a 1-3 start, with losses to LSU, Georgia Tech. After its loss to Tech, Swinney went on a rant during his weekly presser the following Monday and defended his resume and sarcastically told the university to fire him if he is doing a bad job. The next game, the Tigers suffered a blowout defeat against Syracuse at home this past weekend.

Honestly, the Tigers should be winless; they managed to come back from a 16-3 halftime deficit against Troy, scoring 24 unanswered points in the second half for a 27-16 victory—this is the only win they have this season.

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