What Win Over Notre Dame Would Mean for UNC Football

When any team faces a top-ranked opponent in college football, it is always a daunting task, unless your team is one of those highly ranked teams that can challenge them. The North Carolina Tar Heels are nowhere near a top-25 football program, but they have improved significantly on both sides of the ball compared to the 2025 season.

Head coach Bill Belichick will coach the Tar Heels against the highest-ranked opponent he has faced since his hiring when the No. 3-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish visit Chapel Hill in what could be a trap game for one of the best programs in the land.

Belichick UNC — Sep 12, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the field before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Playing Notre Dame Is Tall Order for UNC Football

Notre Dame outmatches North Carolina in almost every facet. In most cases, this spells a blowout at noon Eastern on ESPN next weekend. The Tar Heels may have shown growth in the last three weeks, but they are nowhere close to competing at the Fighting Irish's level—a team that I believe should be in the National Championship less than four months from now.

Freeman ND — Sep 26, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman in the fourth quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The big names, such as the Fighting Irish's star quarterback CJ Carr and future top-15 cornerback selection Leonard Moore, will draw most of the attention, especially from the NFL scouts in attendance. All eyes will be on them and other standouts on Notre Dame standouts, but North Carolina's could be the difference if they are to pull off an upset in Chapel Hill.

What a Win Would Mean for North Carolina

Lewis UNC — Aug 29, 2026; Dublin, Co. Dublin, IRL; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman Xavier Lewis (90) against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Laszlo Geczo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Let's imagine for a minute what an upset would look like for the Tar Heels. First, the quarterback situation resolves itself as Billy Edwards plays the game of his life, with standout tight end Jelani Thurman and wide receiver Jordan Shipp making plays in the passing game. Second, the world gets to see another big Xavier Lewis performance, with the potential return of Melkart Abou Jaoude and a more consistent secondary.

A win for North Carolina would give them one of the biggest wins in program history, Belichick's signature triumph, and secure the biggest upset of the college football season, and certainly in the last five years. Winning like this would catapult the Tar Heels' confidence into the stratosphere for the rest of the season, potentially leading to an impressive record and putting the Fighting Irish on skates, as they would have to dominate every other opponent on their schedule to make the CFP.

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