The stadium was sold out, both celebrities and alumni were in attendance, and jets were flying overhead as the world watched Bill Belichick take to the field for the very first time as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. And just a few moments later, a picture-perfect opening drive would have everyone wondering just how far this UNC team could go under the guidance of an eight-time Super Bowl champion.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, the pageantry was quickly soured by an uninterrupted 41-point bashing from TCU. The magic quickly turned into memes, and given the tremendously lopsided nature of the contest, many are beginning to wonder if this is already the beginning of the end for Belichick’s college career.
According to the long-time Fox Sports personality, Chris Broussard, “Tom Brady is not walking through that door” and that it’s absolutely “not too soon to panic now” in regards to both the season and Belichick’s overall tenure with the program.
“This was TCU… They are a top 40 team, 40, not top 25, and they treated Belichick’s team like it was an FCS pancake that you brought in to give them a chance to make some money,” he added.
Another point of contention for Broussard proved to be the narrative surrounding the turnover on Carolina’s roster. The Tar Heels saw 70 new players come through the program this year, one of the highest totals of any college team this off season.
In the eyes of the First Things First co-host, however, that’s no excuse for the fact that the 48 points which the Horned Frogs produced were the most that any team has ever scored against a Belichick defense, especially when you consider what Deion Sanders was able to accomplish with his Colorado Buffaloes in 2023.
“Deion Sanders, two years ago, had 86 new players against a TCU team coming off of a championship appearance, and beat them. And he was coming from Jackson State. [Belichick] has not won anything of significance without Tom Brady… It is what it is.”
Thankfully, for both Belichick and the rest of his platoon, the Tar Heels won’t have to travel far for their first away game of the season. UNC is set to take the short bus ride down to Charlotte, North Carolina, to take on the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium on September 6.
The Heels beat the Niners 38-20 in a similar spot last season, so the contest could serve as a good measuring stick for their trajectory for the remainder of the season. Odds makers are favoring a similar outcome as well, as Carolina is currently being listed as a 12.5-point betting favorite.
It’s the first game in which Belichick’s Tar Heels will actually be favored to win, so believe it or not, a loss here would likely be even more devastating than what just occurred at Keenan Memorial Stadium. Should he hope to avoid embarrassing himself any further, then Belichick will need to right this ship within the next few days, otherwise, the narrative that Broussard spoke of will only grow stronger.
