2008 North Carolina College Football Predictions

The Tar Heels are on the way up, but how big of a turnaround can be expected from a team which finished four games under .500 last season? UNC did lose four of their games by four or fewer points in 2007. If those close losses can be turned into wins, the Heels will challenge for the top spot in the ACC Coastal division. Jimmy Boyd gives you his bottom line on the Heels in his 2008 North Carolina Tar Heels predictions and season preview. The Tar Heels are listed at 8-1 odds to win the ACC at BodogLife.com.
 

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Offense

Having Greg Little in the backfield for the entire 2008 season could be the cure to UNC's one-dimensional offense. The 6'3'' 210-pound wide receiver was moved to tailback for the final two games last season and rushed for 247 yards and two touchdowns in those games. Now that QB T.J. Yates has some help in the backfield, the offense should be more effective. Yates set a UNC single-season record with 2,655 yards and 14 touchdowns. Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks is the star of the offense. He set a school record with 74 catches for 958 yards last season. Five of his grabs were for touchdowns. He's strong, fast, and has the surest set of hands in the ACC.

Defense

The Tar Heels defense returns eight starters including a strong defensive front. Marvin Austin, Cam Thomas, Tydreke Powell, and Aleric Mullins are all legit professional prospects. Safety Deunta Williams is probably the best NFL prospect on the roster though. The sophomore took home ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors last fall. Senior safety Trimane Goddard returns as the leader in a secondary which ranked a respectable 27th nationally against the pass. Kendric Burney and Charles Brown should play the corner spots with great depth behind them. Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant did not play linebacker in high school, but they have both been moved there, and the move may come full circle this season. No matter how you look at it, the Tar Heels should have their best defense since 2001 when Ryan Sims and Julius Peppers starred on the line.

Special Teams

The team's most significant loss comes at the kicker spot. UNC will have to replace Conner Barth, who went 19 for 22 on field goal attempts last season and didn't miss a single kick as a junior. The punting game appears to be in solid hands with Terrence Brown, who averaged 41.4 yards per punt in 2007. Wide receiver Brandon Tate will likely be drafted as a kick returner in 2009. He has three career kickoff returns for scores and two more on punts.

Prediction – 2nd ACC Coastal

The Tar Heels won't be able to make the jump from fourth in the Coastal to first, but adding Little to the running game and putting a solid defensive unit on the field should be good enough for second place behind Virginia Tech. The rest of the coastal division will have to watch out for the Heels in 2009 as I feel they are slightly better than Miami and Georgia Tech. BodogLife.com lists the odds for North Carolina to win the BCS Championship at 100-1. Check out BodogLife for a complete list of futures odds.

Jimmy Boyd's college football picks are the best in the industry. They come fully backed by statistical and situational analysis that will let you know exactly why he likes who he likes. If you're sick of playing with someone who just pulls their picks out of a hat, it's time you climbed on board with the best in the business.

July 7th, 2008