After being left out of the initial College Football Playoff Rankings last Tuesday, the Tar Heels made an appearance in the second installment that was released earlier this evening.
The Tar Heels sit at No. 24 after a win over FCS Campbell on Saturday afternoon in Kenan Stadium. While the 59-7 victory was a nice boost to the confidence for the team, that is far from the reason they will have a number next to their name on Saturday against rival Duke. Four of the six teams ranked No. 19 through 25 in the initial rankings lost on Saturday and three of them dropped out as a result, opening the door for the Tar Heels.
With the Tar Heels entering the top 25, this is now the third time in the last four years that they have been ranked in at least one of the CFP rankings. For comparison, the team only appeared in the rankings in two of the first six years of the system.
The Tar Heels attention is locked in on Senior Night in Chapel Hill on Saturday against the Blue Devils. This will not only be a chance to send off the senior and, likely, Drake Maye with a win, but it is a crucial game for the direction of this season. With two tough games on the road to close the regular season, this team desperately needs a win Saturday.