FORT WORTH, Texas — When TCU announced this two-game series with North Carolina, Gary Patterson was TCU’s head coach, Sonny Dykes was the head coach at California, Larry Fedora was doing well as the coach in Chapel Hill, Bill Belichick was approximately two months away from winning another Super Bowl in New England, and Jordon Hudson was in high school. Not quite 10 years to the day have ...

North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick walks onto the field prior to action against Richmond at Kenan Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Lance King/Getty Images North America/TNS

FORT WORTH, Texas — When TCU announced this two-game series with North Carolina, Gary Patterson was TCU’s head coach, Sonny Dykes was the head coach at California, Larry Fedora was doing well as the coach in Chapel Hill, Bill Belichick was approximately two months away from winning another Super Bowl in New England, and Jordon Hudson was in high school.

Not quite 10 years to the day have passed since UNC and TCU agreed to what was supposed to be a home-and-home, and today UNC’s athletic department may choose to deliberately start another academic fraud scandal to serve as a distraction from its football team.

The great experiment that is UNC football with a Pro Football Hall of Fame coach is so bad that, for the sake of TCU and Dykes, their season opener in Dublin, Ireland on Aug. 29 has been reduced to “trap game” status.

UNC’s hiring of Belichick and his buddy Mike Lombardi continues to be the trash disaster movie, complete with the cheerleader girlfriend, that is impossible not to watch.

On Monday, UNC announced it placed Lombardi, who serves as the team’s general manager, on administrative leave; On3 Sports reports that Lombardi has an HR complaint filed against him.

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Pablo Torre also reported on Monday that UNC’s football program is being investigated by the College Sports Commission. Apparently there are rules in college football; who knew?

The trick for Dykes is to convince his players not to look at the results under Belichick, their game last year in Chapel Hill, or the most recent round of embarrassing headlines and sell his team that the Tar Heels are a threat. And that the recent favorite of this game in Dublin has not only lost, but had a terrible year.

Why North Carolina should scare TCU

Even before the advent of the transfer portal, the first game of a college football regular season has always had the predictability of a teenager. Now, with one-year mercenary players plus rapid roster turnover, the first game deters even the most addicted sports gambler.

On Sept. 1, 2025, TCU was a 3.5-point favorite at North Carolina in Belichick’s debut, North Carolina took the opening kickoff and walked down the field for an easy touchdown, and then TCU hammered away to win, 48-14.

UNC finished the season 4-8, and nothing about the program under Belichick and Lombardi suggested either knew what to do in the college game.

TCU plays North Carolina on Aug. 29 in Ireland. Even if North Carolina has fallen to the status of a glorified FCS team looking for a non-conference Power Four check, TCU best beware.

Three of the last four favorites in this early-season Ireland game have all lost, and didn’t improve much after the game.

— 2022: Nebraska was a 13-point favorite against Northwestern, and lost by three. The Cornhuskers finished 4-8.

— 2024: Florida State was a 10.5-point favorite against Georgia Tech, and lost by three. The Seminoles finished 2-10.

— 2025: Kansas State was a 3.5-point favorite against Iowa State, and lost by three. The Wildcats finished 6-6, did not play in a bowl, and the head coach retired after the season.

Why TCU should defeat North Carolina

The Tar Heels finished 4-8, and 2-6 in the ACC. There were close losses to California and Virginia, but Belichick’s first season at Chapel Hill looked like most of his years when he was the head coach in Cleveland, or with the Patriots without Tom Brady as his quarterback.

TCU is currently a 6.5-point favorite against Carolina.

All of the necessary elements are in place for TCU to walk into that game and leave with an ugly L.

But Belichick is no Curt Cignetti.