Just when you got excited about the UNC football team, that excitement was quickly gone after Saturday's game. Coming down to the final play, North Carolina lost 31-30 in overtime on a "controversial" 2-point conversion.
The Tar Heels (4-3, 2-2 ACC) led until that final play, which sent fans out of the Kenan Stadium seats dejected. UNC jumped out to a 10-point advantage after the first quarter and, after a slow second quarter, led by 10 again halfway through the third.
Instead of winning its third consecutive game, North Carolina lost a head-scratching clash to a team in the conference cellar. As a result, the Tar Heels fell 11 spots, down to 51st overall, in USA TODAY Sports' re-rank of all 138 FBS teams.
UNC had a chance to win in the last minute
Saturday, needing a long Rece Verhoff field goal. Citing not wanting Syracuse (3-4, 1-4 ACC) to have better field position, Bill Belichick opted to go for it on fourth down, a decision that nearly led to a loss late in regulation. North Carolina struggled defensively, allowing 455 yards, spoiling one of the better offensive outings this fall.
The unexpected results from Week 8 of the college football season have had a major impact on the NCAA Re-Rank 1-138. https://t.co/bp7CPHUlM2
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) October 26, 2026
The Tar Heels can't dwell on their most recent loss too much, as they welcome top-ranked Miami (FL) to Kenan Stadium on Halloween night at 7:30 p.m. The college football world will have their eyes on UNC and the Hurricanes (7-0, 5-0 ACC), who face off on ABC.
North Carolina already has three upsets this season. Can it deliver an all-time shocker on Saturday night and climb next week's rankings?
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC falls back in Top 50 of USA TODAY Sports' Week 8 CFB re-rank
