University of North Carolina Athletics
Car-O-Lines: Difficult Schedule Creates Big Challenge For Carolina
September 12, 2001 | Football
Sept. 12, 2001
By Rick Brewer, SID Emeritus
Previous Car-O-Lines Columns By Rick Brewer
North Carolina finally plays its home opener against SMU this week after running a gauntlet of opponents that would leave even Indiana Jones reeling.
Road games at Oklahoma, Maryland and Texas have given the Tar Heels the toughest early-season schedule in college football. Making things more difficult is the simple fact that things don't get any easier the rest of the way.
The Mustangs were beaten last week, but unfamiliarity about SMU still makes preparations difficult for the UNC coaching staff. Plus, any confidence that may have been lost in the opening games must be regained.
Next week Florida State comes to Kenan Stadium, meaning three of Carolina's first five games will be against teams ranked among the top five in the country. Oklahoma won last year's national championship with a victory over the Seminoles in the Orange Bowl. Many feel the Longhorns have the most talent in college football this fall.
After these first five games, comes a trip to N.C. State. Then it's back home to face East Carolina and Virginia. The Pirates have long wanted another game with Carolina and the Tar Heel-Cavalier rivalry is one of the longest in the history of college football.
Road games against nationally-ranked Clemson and Georgia Tech are next on the schedule before the Tar Heels close the season by playing two of their biggest rivals, Wake Forest and Duke.
In fact, that's what makes the Caroline schedule especially difficult. Not only were the games with Texas and Oklahoma against two of the premier teams in the country, but with the exception of SMU, the Tar Heels are the key opponents of everyone else they play.
Florida State has big rivalries with Miami and Florida and Georgia Tech's biggest game is usually Georgia. But, inside the Atlantic Coast Conference, everyone seems to want a win over Carolina more than anyone else. From all that has been said in the pre-season, that also seems to be the case with East Carolina.
Add the opponents to Carolina having a new coaching staff and new offensive and defensive schemes and the schedule becomes even more difficult. Coach John Bunting is also aware that of Carolina's last nine head coaches, only Carl Torbush posted a winning record in his first season.
The Tar Heels have played a number of other difficult schedules over the years. But, it's hard to find one to match what Bunting, his staff and players face this fall.
So far it's been like a baseball team going against Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown and Roger Clemens with the brilliant young pitching staffs of Oakland and Houston still ahead.
In addition to Oklahoma, Texas and Florida State, Georgia Tech was in the pre-season top 10. Clemson and N.C. State were also nationally-ranked.
Eight Bowl Opponents
Eight of the 12 teams Carolina must play this year were in bowl games last season. Prior to this fall, the most bowl teams from the previous season on a Tar Heel schedule were five in 1988.
Even with a number of rugged schedules in the past, finding a comparable one in the Carolina record books is a tough assignment. However, there are some which would be pretty close.
Oklahoma, in the midst of its record 47-game winning streak, was the pre-season number one team when the Tar Heels faced them in 1956. Other Carolina opponents in the pre-season top 20 were third-ranked Notre Dame, sixth-rated Maryland, number 12 Tennessee and 16th-ranked Duke. The Sooners and the Volunteers, in fact, would win each of their regular-season games and finish the year one-two in the national polls.
Four opponents (Tennessee, Duke, Navy and Miami) were in the pre-season rankings in 1957. There were still four at the end of the year with Clemson replacing Miami.
The Tar Heels had to play three of the pre-season top six teams in 1955-second-ranked Oklahoma, fifth-rated Maryland and number six Notre Dame. Plus, Duke opened the year ranked 18th. Oklahoma would win the national title with Maryland finishing third. The Sooners and the Terps both ended regular-season play undefeated and untied.
In 1962 the Associated Press only ranked 10 teams each week. But, its pre-season picks included three Tar Heel opponents-top-rated Ohio State, number four Michigan State and eighth-ranked Duke.
The Early Years
Although football was in its early stages of development and looked nothing like the game that is played today, the first 20 years of the sport at Carolina also had its share of tough schedules.
The Ivy League schools had the nation's top teams in this period under the direction of coaches like Pop Warner, Howard Jones, Gil Dobie, Percy Haughton, Andy Smith and George Woodruff. Many of these men or their assistants would go on to the South and Midwest, building powerhouses at places like Georgia, Clemson, Nebraska, Chicago, Michigan, Purdue, VMI, Auburn, Georgia Tech and Kansas.
Carolina faced many of these teams in the 1890's and early 1900's. In 1916 Georgia Tech had won its first three games by scores of 61-0, 222-0 and 9-0 before slipping by the Tar Heels 10-6. Carolina almost stunned the Yellow Jackets by driving to the 12-yard line in the fourth quarter. But, Tech held on downs to remain undefeated.
These early Tar Heel teams also played schedules that would stagger players, coaches and academicians today.
For example, the 1892 squad faced Auburn in Atlanta on November 23, travelled all night to play at Vanderbilt the next day and then returned to Atlanta to meet Virginia two days after that. Amazingly, Carolina won all three by scores of 64-0, 24-0 and 26-0. The 1895 team had five games in seven days, -- playing Georgia in Atlanta, at Vanderbilt, Swanee at Swanee, Tenn., back to Atlanta to face Georgia again, and Washington & Lee in Lynchburg.
In 1898, Carolina's only undefeated team in history (9-0) played Virginia Tech in Winston-Salem on Nov. 4, Davidson in Charlotte the following day, Georgia at Macon, Ga. on Nov. 13 and at Auburn on the 15th.
But, even seasons with all that travel under conditions, which weren't anything like today, would have a hard time matching what is facing Bunting and his first Carolina team this fall.
The Tar Heels may not be going through The Temple of Doom or on The Last Crusade. It just seems that way.
