UNC Football: One Last Time

Suddenly, inexplicably, there’s one game remaining in the regular season. It’s amazing, in a year that feels as though it has lasted at least a decade, that these moments of distraction have flown by with such speed. While The World Turned Upside Down, while we found ourselves rendered Helpless in the face of an unprecedented virus, another college football season has very nearly passed us by. You’d be forgiven for tuning back in and asking yourself “What’d I Miss?” The Story of Tonight will be a convincing win over Western Carolina, sure, but What Comes Next?

The Heels are facing a daunting trip south to challenge a top-ten Miami squad with speed to Burn. The 8-1 Hurricanes have been nearly Non-Stop this season, only losing on the road to a very good Clemson team. Quarterback D’Eriq King and his Right Hand Man, running back Cam’Ron Harris, have combined for nearly a thousand yards rushing to this point in the season, and That Would Be Enough even if the Hurricane quarterback wasn’t also a prolific passer.

The Tar Heels have already had a successful season, even after a COVID-related cancellation forced the squad to Take a Break after only playing one game. In a normal season, the team from Chapel Hill would have been bowl eligible midway through November, a mark that oughtn’t be taken for granted despite the turnaround that we’ve seen over the last two seasons.

In this season, nothing is given. I’m Satisfied to have gotten to watch this version of the Tar Heels play; it wasn’t obvious back in September that we’d get to have a season at all. That the team’s bowl hopes could Stay Alive in the midst of all this upheaval is a testament to the resilience of the squad, and I’m personally very grateful to have had the nearly-weekly distraction for these past three months.

As of right now, We Know there’s going to be a game on Saturday. The Heels have a shot at a top-ten win, and I can’t Wait For It.