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Head coach Bill Belichick faces a tall order this season as he looks to erase the 2025 season from memory and start fresh for his second season with the North Carolina Tar Heels football program.
Last year was marred by a combination of on-and-off-field controversies, a lack of chemistry amongst players on offense, and a stunningly disappointing 4-8 season that caused the Tar Heels to miss their first bowl game since Larry Fedora was head coach.
Expectations are now much lower for North Carolina and Belichick, which may be what the team needs to fly under the radar in 2026.
Belichick's reputation as a coach suggests that 2025 was only a down year for a rebuilding roster.
However, facing numerous ACC favorites, including two preseason favorites to win the national championship in Miami and Notre Dame, gives the Tar Heels a tall task to rebound and get back to a bowl game.
One rematch from last fall is flying under the radar, and it is a key road trip to Charlottesville to take on the Virginia Cavaliers.
Tar Heels Face Underrated Late-Season Matchup in Charlottesville Under head coach Tony Elliott, the Cavaliers turned in a historic season for the program, winning 11 games for the first-time ever after winning 11 games in the last three years combined.
While Virginia came up short of winning the ACC championship and a spot in the College Football Playoffs, Elliott has the program on the right path.
The Tar Heels' rematch from last year's overtime loss to the Cavaliers will be the next-to-last regular-season game in November ahead of either program's rivalry matchups.
This could prove to be a tipping-scale game for either team, as North Carolina could be searching for their sixth win to reach a bowl game while the Cavaliers, with new additions and a strengthened roster across the board, will be looking ahead to a pivotal game in Blacksburg against James Franklin's Hokies.
Virginia will be coming off games against Duke, Wake Forest, and Cal, three impressive teams to watch this season, with a conference filled with depth and serious competition, while North Carolina faces Miami, UConn, and Louisville in that same stretch.
North Carolina vs.
Virginia Could Spark Fireworks Like last season in late October, this feels like a close game across the board, even with the game in a rowdy Scott Stadium.
I view the Tar Heels as an improved program, especially on offense, with a level of key talent retention on defense.
The Cavaliers also got better at quarterback in whichever direction they go between Beau Pribula and Eli Holstein, while adding countless depth across their roster.
This could be an explosive game on a late Saturday afternoon or a primetime matchup, depending on how either program is performing by this stage of the season.
It may not be talked about much now, but it could be a critical discussion point as the Tar Heels search for more wins in 2026.
Jared Feinberg, a native of western North Carolina, has written about NFL football for nearly a decade.
He has contributed to several national outlets and is now part of our On SI team as an NFL team reporter.
Jared graduated from UNC Asheville with a bachelor's degree in mass communications and later pursued his master's degree at UNC Charlotte.
You can follow Jared Feinberg on Twitter at @JRodNFLDraft.