In two of the previous three seasons, Carolina didn’t hit the magic six win plateau to qualify for a bowl game until the end of the season. It created a ton of pressure on the squad as time ticked down, and ultimately limited their opportunities as their record locked them out of options. In the odd year of 2020, they didn’t qualify until November 14th.
The last time the Tar Heels qualified this early for a bowl, at least by date? 1997.
You read that right, even in their last great year of 2015, they didn’t get the magic sixth win until an October 24th win against Virginia.