We continue to close in on the start of the 2023 college football season with the Tar Heels’ first game now just 26 days away. With the season just a few weeks away, the preseason polls are beginning to roll out and the first one, the USA Today Coaches Poll, was released on Monday morning.
The Tar Heels come in at No. 20 in the polls, re-entering the poll to start the season after falling out of it at the end of the year with the loss to Oregon in the bowl game. This is the third time in the last four years that the team will be ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll after they were unranked to begin the season in each of the previous three years.
The Tar Heels’ Week 1 opponent, South Carolina, is not ranked but sits second among those receiving votes. Only one of the team’s opponents is ranked (No. 9 Clemson), but six others did receive at least one vote.
The AP Poll will be released at noon next Monday, August 15th.