College Football 2011: North Carolina Tar Heels ACC Predictions

North Carolina is already ahead of the game this season after last year was plagued with multiple player suspensions due to off-field academic improprieties.

The loss of several key starters led to a 0-2 start and a disappointing 4-4 record in ACC play for a Tar Heels team that was touted in the preseason as one of the best in the conference.

They were able to salvage a 8-5 record overall after beating Tennessee 30-27 in overtime in the Music City Bowl, but never really came close to living up to all the expectations.

The plus side of all this was the development of some younger talent that should pay some huge dividends in this year’s campaign.

The entire program remains under a cloud due to an ongoing investigation by the NCAA into some possible improper dealings between agents and players, but interim head coach Everett Withers is hoping that the worst is behind for his team heading into the 2011 season.

Offense

Sophomore quarterback Bryn Renner will take over the reins for the departed T.J. Yates, which could point to a heavier reliance on the run game in offensive coordinator John Shoop’s overall scheme.

Renner is more than capable, but given the fact that he threw a total of two passes in 2010 it may take some time for him to grow into the role.

In the meantime, the Tar Heels will go with a heavy dose of running back Ryan Houston, who is back for his senior year after missing most of last season due to injury. Renner will also benefit from having two experienced receivers as Dwight Jones and Jheranie Boyd are back in the mix.

Jones led the Tar Heels in 2010 with 62 catches for 946 yards and four touchdowns. Boyd had only 14 receptions last season, but three were for scores.

Defense

The biggest benefit of last year’s mess was the emergence of a defensive line that could be the best in the ACC this season. Defensive end Quinton Coples is a legitimate pro prospect but is also at the center of the NCAA’s agent-player probe and has yet to be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Much of the Tar Heels' success could be pinned to Coples retaining his eligibility this season.

Another question mark for this defense is a secondary that has corner Charles Brown as its only starter from last year. There is some solid young talent ready to step up fill the void, but there still may be a bit of a learning curve in the early part of the season.

2011 North Carolina Tar Heels Football Schedule

The Tar Heels’ schedule is extremely favorable in the first few weeks with winnable games against James Madison, Rutgers and Virginia.

The first real test will be in Week 7 when they host Miami. Other than a road game against Clemson on Oct. 22 and a Nov. 17 trip to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech, this North Carolina team could be favored in every other game on the slate.

2011 North Carolina Tar Heels Football Predictions

This is definitely a team to watch in 2011. If Butch Davis’s squad can keep their nose clean long enough so that none of its starters lose any playing time due to off-field issues, this Tar Heels team has the talent and ability to win most of the games they play.

There could be some setbacks with Renner as the new starting quarterback, but it’s reasonable to expect a 9-3 record overall and a third-place finish in the ACC Coastal Division.