Where Are The Heels Bowling?

Where will North Carolina go bowling later this month?

That’s an interesting question with an undetermined answer. Nobody really knows yet, and that includes UNC’s brass.

The range for the Tar Heels spans eight bowls, as the ACC’s pecking order is quite jumbled, which essentially puts Carolina in play for almost every one of the league’s bowl alliances. One thing is for certain, UNC Coach Mack Brown may try to finagle his team’s way into a particular bowl, but he’s happy they are going somewhere for the postseason, nonetheless.

“It’s really important for a lot of reasons,” Brown said last Saturday after his team defeated N.C. State to become bowl eligible at 6-6. “Number one: I think we lost to Duke four out of the last five, and the guys got over that hump. We’ve lost to State four of the last five, and the guys got over that hump.

“We get another game together, and it gives us a chance to have a winning season by winning the bowl game. They’re really happy in that locker room.”

The process begins with what teams make the College Football Playoff, and if Clemson defeats Virginia in the ACC title game Saturday, the Tigers will be in the CFP and the rest of the ACC’s order will begin to take shape.

Virginia will then slot into the Orange Bowl and then eight-win Virginia Tech and Wake Forest are locks for Tier One bowls. But with nobody else in the league owning eight wins, UNC qualifies for a Tier One bowl, which means the Tar Heels could end up anywhere from the Camping World Bowl, The Belk Bowl, Music City Bowl, Sun Bowl and Pinstripe Bowl. The TaxSlayer Bowl could factor in but isn’t expected to at this time.

Now, the pecking order isn’t as simple as which ACC team do the bowls want. The CEO of Camping World tweeted a few days ago he’d love to have UNC face Texas. It’s a natural draw, he said.

"They bring the fans And ratings and I’ll bring my influence... can’t promise anything.. not my call but... CWStadium CWBowl May count for something since CampingWorld is my baby," Marcus Lemonis tweeted.

That matchup appears unlikely at this time, however. And the bowls have to play some politics as well as the schools do.

The majority of bowl projections from reputable media outlets has the Tar Heels facing Navy in the Military Bowl. That would be a true road game for Brown’s team, as it’s played at Navy Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, MD. It’s Navy’s home stadium.

However, the Belk Bowl in Charlotte is in play. Earlier in the week, multiple sources confirmed to THI that UNC was working to get into that game trying to line up with Tennessee, but there appear to have been some snags on both ends.

With respect to the ACC, the political tug of war involved with Carolina trying to work its way into a game in its state’s most fertile recruiting ground has been a bumpy process. Plus, two of the three teams also mostly competing for a spot there have two more wins overall and defeated the Tar Heels in the regular season. Thus, it’s possible Wake Forest and Virginia Tech may have an edge there.

The Music City Bowl would only become an option if Kentucky is the SEC representative, as if the bowl takes Mississippi State the choice from the ACC likely would be Louisville since the Cardinals and Wildcats just played last week. So, a UNC-UK matchup in Nashville is possible.

The Sun Bowl no doubt would love to have Brown back in Texas. The last bowl UNC played in was the Sun Bowl in 2016 when it lost to Stanford.

The Pinstripe is appealing to Brown and UNC because of its location, and selling the players on a trip to New York City, which includes numerous options on places to visit, including the ESPN main campus in Bristol, CT, a two-hour trek north from the Big Apple. Also, playing a game in Yankee Stadium would excite most young athletes.

The Military Bowl in Annapolis would give many UNC fans a chance to attend the game, as it’s just five hours from Chapel Hill and UNC’s second largest alumni chapter outside of its state is in the Washington, D.C. area. Annapolis is 31 miles from the nation’s capital.

Brown, his team and Carolina’s fans will find out Sunday afternoon.

USA Today – Independence Vs. Western Kentucky

CBS Sports - Military Bowl Vs. Navy

Brett McMurphy (WatchStadium.com) – Military Bowl Vs. Temple

ESPN (Two projections) - Military Bowl Vs. UCF & Pinstripe Bowl Vs. Indiana

Sports Illustrated – Quick Lane Bowl Vs. Michigan State

Athlon Sports - Pinstripe Bowl Vs. Michigan State

USA Today – Independence – Vs. Ohio U.

Yahoo Sports - Military Bowl Vs. Temple

The Athletic – Military Bowl Vs. Navy

CollegeFootballNews.com - Military Bowl Vs. Navy