Carolina Looks for Win to Cap Season

 

Carolina has an 8-3 record and if you saw that coming a month ago then I've got some lottery numbers to ask you about.  Davis, his staff, and his players deserve any and all recognition they are getting right now for righting a ship that looked destined for disaster after dropping home games to Virginia and a heart breaker to Florida State.

 

But the Heels found their mojo on a Thursday night in Blacksburg.  Davis' defense, coached to near perfection by Everett Withers, has turned into one of the best in the nation.  No one in Carolina blue has looked back since.

 

Although some have started to look forward.  Senior defensive lineman Aleric Mullins has already announced he won't be back next year for his final season of eligibility.  Mullins has had an interesting college experience to say the least.  After going back and forth with the NCAA regarding his admission, Mullins was forced to sit out his first year after being told previously he could play.  It's been a long road for Mullins to get to where he is now, 3 hours short of his diploma.  He'll complete those three hours next semester in what I'd call "the dream semester."  Three hours...that's right...three hours.

 

Of course what would be a late-sleeping victory lap for most undergrads will include preparing for the NFL draft for Mullins.  But no one can blame the big fella for knowing it's time to move on.  That right there may be the best indication of just how ready the young man is for the next phase of his life (giving up an extra year of college?).

 

And some of his defensive mates are no doubt starting to hear the calling for the next level of football as well.  NFL rumblings won't get any softer over the next few weeks, and I'm sure there are fans out there cringing at the thought of Tar Heels going pro early.  But they should be used to this by now.

 

Tar Heels leave Chapel Hill early almost every year.  They are usually from the hardwood however.  Fans will be unhappy for a day but then realize that player gave them some great memories and big wins and will go on to represent their school at the professional level.  They are happy for them.  

 

And that's exactly how the Carolina fans should feel for these football players.  And I'm sure most do.  Of course there are a lot who fear for next year's football team and especially that opening game against LSU in Atlanta.  But fans should take solace in the fact that Davis plans to continue bringing in this type of player.  Heels fans should enjoy having this problem, it's a good one.

 

That in and of itself poses another challenge to the Carolina team as a whole however and it will be up to the group as a whole to combat it.  Right now, really, there's not a whole lot to play for.  Carolina has 8 wins, although the possibility of 10 is appealing to say the least.  Carolina isn't going to a BCS bowl, isn't playing in the ACC title game and isn't going to get any trophies for finishing strong.  Moving up the bowl selection ladder isn't irrelevant, there's just not much anyone can do about it.  Bowls are going to select who they want to.

 

State can't "ruin" Carolina's season with a win Saturday.  A loss isn't going to knock Carolina out of bowl contention.  It might affect the destination of Carolina's holiday plans but be honest, do you really know the bowl selection process for the ACC?  Most fans still call the Chick-fil-A Bowl the Peach Bowl and the Meineke Car Care Bowl the Muffler Bowl.  Seriously. 

My advice to Heels fans trying to break down the bowl scenarios: don't.  They make no sense and if you're fired up that Carolina might be taken after Virginia Tech and Miami, you should be.  But the reality is bowls have nothing to do with what kind of year you had.  Just be happy you get another game, another couple weeks of practice and another chance to watch your team over the holidays.

What does this mean (besides the obvious, there are too many bowls)?  It means that these two teams will be playing for what they always play for: hate.  Carolina hates State and State hates Carolina.  It's a healthy sports hate.  And for many years it seemed like the Chuck Amato teams with a lot of Florida guys didn't put as much emphasis on this game as his counterpart at the time, John Bunting.  (But no one puts as much emphasis on this game as Bunting.) 

Up until the 41-10 State win last year (or the 10-41 Carolina loss) it looked like maybe Davis' Heels were suffering from the same disinterest.  However, sounds like the current squad of Tar Heels hasn't forgotten that feeling from that day.  And I doubt State has either.  Maybe the Carolina side of the rivalry needed that butt-kicking in Chapel Hill to revamp it's passion.  And to put an exclamation point on a season that has been eagerly anticipated, suddenly disappointing, and then surprisingly good, Davis and company need to get a win this year.