One Reason 2026 UNC Football Can Beat College Football’s Best

The North Carolina Tar Heels are nowhere close to competing for a national championship. However, they are a team that could play spoiler to some of their superior opponents this upcoming season.

Head coach Bill Belichick will be leading a team in his second season at Chapel Hill that could play spoiler to some of the ACC and National Championship favorites. A few of those teams will likely be ranked in the preseason Top 25 or among the five best programs entering 2026. With that in mind, I wanted to give one reason why North Carolina can win against their three toughest opponents on the schedule.

Clemson Tigers: Uncertainty at Quarterback

Belichick Dabo — Oct 4, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney with North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

A former blue-chip quarterback prospect for the Tigers, Christopher Vizzina has just one start to his name (Clemson's barn-burner defeat to Duke). Uncertainty remains around the quarterback position for Dabo Swinney's offense under veteran offensive coordinator Chad Morris. This ponderment could become an advantage for North Carolina, especially for their defensive front.

The Tar Heels' defensive line has improved from last season with talent retention and high-ceiling transfers. The secondary also provides some veteran leadership, including Jaiden Patterson and Kaleb Cost. The inexperienced Vizzina will face a Belichick-coached defense that could give him problems at home, leading to a potential upset in Death Valley.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: A Tendency for Upsets

Maye UNC — Sep 24, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye (10) with the ball as Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker JD Bertrand (27) pressures in the third quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Notre Dame rightfully enters the 2026 season as one of the National Championship favorites. Its roster is incredibly stacked on both sides of the ball, with future NFL talent lined up, making the Fighting Irish one of the best and most well-rounded teams in the country. However, during Brian Kelly and Marcus Freeman's tenures, Notre Dame has tended to let a game go by that they shouldn't have.

This favors the Tar Heels, especially at home, where they have taken Notre Dame to the brink behind the arms of Sam Howell and Drake Maye, respectively. While there isn't an elite talent at quarterback, the Irish have, from time to time, fallen on the sword that sparks lengthy playoff discourse. For the sake of the rest of the country, North Carolina hopes to put the program in South Bend in a similar situation again.

Miami Hurricanes: The Mario Cristobal Effect

For as long as I can remember, Mario Cristobal has been one of the better coaches in college football. He has delivered some big moments for both the Oregon Ducks and the Miami Hurricanes, but the lowlights seem to stand out more than the highlights. Cristobal struggles when the game is on the line, as situational game management appears to be a challenge (Georgia Tech, 2024).

With Belichick and North Carolina hosting the Hurricanes this fall, the ACC favorites could be in trouble with this road matchup, especially against what is supposed to be a stingy defense for the Tar Heels. Cristobal has his moments of goofiness that can hurt his team, and that moment could give UNC football an advantage and a reason to celebrate a massive upset.

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