CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The hype began during the second half of last December’s Military Bowl, when North Carolina dropped 35 points on Temple in an eventual 55-13 win.
After a regular season defined by several close losses — the Tar Heels played nine games decided by seven or fewer points in coach Mack Brown's debut — and on the heels of a 41-10 win against North Carolina State to secure postseason eligibility, the bowl win established the Tar Heels as a trendy pick to crack the preseason Amway Coaches Poll.
And so they did: UNC was No.