Things went so poorly during North Carolina’s 48-14 loss to TCU that ESPN cut away to Kirk Herbstreit’s dog, which wound up being more entertaining than the product on the field.
Bill Belichick’s debut as a college head coach was supposed to be the story. Instead, the former New England Patriots coach has quickly become the target. USA Today’s Matt Hayes argued that Belichick is the very reason the Tar Heels are in this mess.
“Yet there were the ESPN personalities, and anyone else in Beli’s orbit, chanting the same mantra over and over that North Carolina has ‘70 new players’ — and ignoring one critical factor to the meltdown on the field,” Hayes wrote.
“Belichick built the roster.”
Belichick and UNC general manager Michael Lombardi leaned heavily on the transfer portal, piecing together the No. 9-ranked class with 41 transfers and 29 additional commitments. On paper, it looked like a quick fix. On the field, it already looks like a liability.
Hayes contends that the “70 new players” excuse has been pushed by ESPN, Belichick and his staff, but it doesn’t hold water. The reality is that the roster overhaul was their choice.
“Belichick built the roster, he’s the reason UNC has 70 new players. It wasn’t forced on him, nor was it his only option,” Hayes added.
This isn’t uncharted territory for Belichick. Personnel decisions plagued him late in his New England tenure, from draft whiffs to free-agent misses. His 2020 draft, remembered for the viral shot of him at his kitchen table with only his dog for company, still gets brought up.
Skepticism about UNC’s talent pool was circulating even before kickoff. Back in July, This is Football’s Kevin Clark didn’t mince words about Belichick’s first roster in Chapel Hill.
“I think that UNC’s roster is not very good going into this season… I think it might be one of the least successful teams Bill Belichick has had in a long time. Maybe since Cleveland, frankly.”
Just how low could the floor be?
“North Carolina will be lucky this season to not finish dead last in the ACC,” Hayes wrote.
If that prediction proves right, it would be just the third time the Tar Heels have landed at the bottom of the conference (1984 and 1997). This time, though, it would mark the program’s first 17th-place finish after conference realignment.