The North Carolina Tar Heels pulled off a college football shocker in Week Zero, upsetting TCU 15-10 in Ireland behind a lockdown defense and improved offense.
UNC (1-0) traded punches with the Horned Frogs early, then shut them out the final three quarters. North Carolina repeatedly threatened with a big play ability and, also unlike 2025, stepped up during clutch moments late.
As the Tar Heels prepare to host ETSU on Saturday in their home opener, they enjoyed a sizable jump in USA TODAY Sports' post-Week 1 re-rank of all 138 FBS teams, shooting up 38 spots to 56th.
UNC finds itself one spot behind Fresno State, which fell a spot and one slot ahead of Clemson, which dropped 22 spaces.
North Carolina has just a lone game under its belt, but there's
every reason to be encouraged by that Week Zero performance. Billy Edwards gives the Tar Heels an experienced starting quarterback they largely lacked in 2025. UNC's running back room is even deeper. North Carolina's defense didn't allow a single point in the second-fourth quarters.
How do all the teams in college football's Bowl Subdivision stack up after Week 1? The NCAA Re-Rank 1-138 sorts it all out. https://t.co/vKwKfwc9Ls
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) September 8, 2026
The Tar Heels should handle ETSU (1-1) this coming weekend, but they can't overlook their Week Two FCS opponent. The Buccaneers poured 48 points on Tusculum in Week One, so they pose a challenge for UNC's defense that turned heads against TCU (0-1).
Depending on who you ask, North Carolina should escape September undefeated. After hosting the Buccaneers on Saturday, the Tar Heels travel to Clemson (0-1) a week later. The Tigers got embarrassed on national television Week One, losing 51-10 at LSU, but UNC last beat Clemson in 2010.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC enjoys massive jump in USA TODAY Sports' Week One re-rank
