North Carolina is not going to go undefeated. Sorry, Heels fans.
Of course, y’all were probably already aware of that. Because the ACC is, well, the ACC, and it’s practically a given that somebody is going to be there in any given year to knock off a league power.
Who will it be this year? Let’s examine the list of top contenders.
– Duke. The Dookies get two chances, Feb. 11 in Durham and March 8 in Chapel Hill. The game at Cameron Indoor would appear to be their best bet, though you can never write off either team in this home-and-home.
– Wake Forest. Just the one chance, early on, Jan. 11 in Winston-Salem. I’d like the Deacs’ hopes better if this were a little later in the conference schedule.
– Maryland. Another two-shot team, Feb. 3 in Chapel Hill and the better bet, Feb. 21 in College Park. I don’t know that the Terps have the firepower this year.
– Virginia. Two tries – Jan. 15 at JPJ, Feb. 7 in the Dean Dome. Flip the script, and maybe, maybe. Virginia played the Heels tough in Charlottesville last year, remember. It would take an act of God this year, methinks.
– Virginia Tech. One-and-done, March 4 in Blacksburg. Intriguing. The Hokies have played the Heels well since joining the ACC, and Cassell can be a tough out. And it’s late in the season. Maybe Seth Greenberg catches Ol’ Roy thinking ahead to Coach K. I dunno …
– Column by Chris Graham