[Editor’s note: Welcome to Athlon Sports’ poll of the day, where we ask readers to weigh in on the biggest topic of the day. Thanks for voting, and be sure to sound off in the comment section.]
With only eight college football games on tap Saturday to begin the 2026 college football season, there aren’t exactly a bunch of marquee matchups. One game that everyone will be interested in is the one being played in Dublin, Ireland: North Carolina vs. TCU (noon ET, ESPN).
TCU has a nice following, but of course this is all about what Bill Belichick will do in his second season as head coach of the Tar Heels. Belichick went 4-8 in his UNC debut last year, a disappointing season that began with an embarrassing 48-14 loss to TCU in the opener. In his preseason ACC power rankings, Athlon’s Steven Lassan has North Carolina down at No. 14. The most interesting new development for Belichick’s crew is the hiring of another former NFL head coach, Bobby Petrino, as offensive coordinator. Still, the expectations aren’t great.
So…
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