This week is important. I’ve heard it echoed a lot throughout the college football media ecosystem in the wake of the start of the season — you see the largest jump in a team, generally, between weeks one and two. In the preseason, it’s hard to simulate game speed — it’s harder still to simulate an opposing team punching you in the mouth. The simulation is over, and the Tar Heels got a dose of game speed last weekend in Blacksburg, and some of the hype trains that rode into Lane Stadium didn’t make the trip back.
This game is important.