There should be no doubt that Clemson deserves the recognition it has received as the top-ranked team in the country. However, as impressive as their wins over Notre Dame and Florida State were, they still haven’t guaranteed their spot in this year’s playoff. The Tigers should be able to find a way to beat the Syracuse Orange, Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the South Carolina Gamecocks to close out their regular season schedule, but they still have one more important, very challenging contest: the ACC Championship. Right now, it looks like they’re on a collision course with North Carolina but don’t sleep on the streaking Tar Heels. Here are four reason why UNC can top the top team in the country:
Marquise Williams Is The Real Deal
North Carolina’s senior quarterback has been excellent this season throwing for 2,117 yards and 15 touchdowns along with 558 rushing yards and another six scores. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Williams has for the most part put up big numbers without turning the ball over. He is peaking at the right time coming off a big win over Duke in which he threw for 494 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover in the 66-31 stomping of the Blue Devils. It kind of looked like a basketball score. The Tar Heels have won eight straight since their season-opening loss to South Carolina and Williams has been a huge reason for their success.
The Offense Is Complete
Williams’ emergence at the quarterback position has given North Carolina one of the most complete offenses in the nation as they and Clemson rank 1-2 in the ACC in scoring offense and total offense this season. The Tar Heels’ line has improved dramatically this year and they’re doing a great job both in the passing and running game. They’ve helped sophomore running back Elijah Hood average 5.9 yards per carry for 813 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Mack Hollins, Ryan Switzer, Bug Howard and Quinshad Davis make up a solid receiving core – maybe one of the best in the country – head coach Larry Fedora has this unit humming. They’ve scored 38 points or more in six of their eight wins this season and in the other two wins, they scored 26 points apiece. This team is hot right now and they’re only gaining momentum thanks to their explosive offense.
The Turnaround On Defense
One year ago, the Tar Heels had one of the worst defenses in the country. They were repeatedly beat up by opposing offenses that were able to do pretty much whatever they wanted against them. That hasn’t been the case at all this season as Gene Chizik has completely revamped a North Carolina defense. They’ve held opponents to an average of 17.0 points per game, which is down from 39.0 points per game allowed last season. The Tar Heels defense deserves a lot of credit for how quickly they have turned things around under Chizik. That unit is another big reason they could beat Clemson if they meet in the ACC Championship game.
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Nothing To Lose
As good of a job as head coach Larry Fedora and the rest of his staff have done at North Carolina this season, an early loss to South Carolina immediately removed them from the national spotlight. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it’s allowed them to play without the pressure of high expectations. The Tar Heels are a confident group but they are also very loose and having a lot of fun these days, which is something Fedora believes has helped make them so successful. North Carolina would have nothing to lose as major underdogs in a potential conference title game with Clemson. Meanwhile, the Tigers would be carrying the weight of the world, needing a win to reach the playoff. Playing with nothing to lose has helped give the Tar Heels an edge all season and it would work in their favor again if they meet Clemson in the ACC Championship game.
