UNC Drops From AP Poll, Still Ranked in Coaches

In a rare case of a team being dropped despite not losing the previous week, UNC has fallen from 21st in the AP poll to out of the ranking altogether.  The Coaches Poll, while keeping UNC ranked, dropped the Tar Heels from 23rd to 25th.

UNC's performances in opening the season 2-0 have hardly justified the ranking so the drop certainly has merit while also(again) exposing the folly of ranking teams prior to the season. The other element at play here is the fact other teams more worthy of the poll have been moved into place knocking the Heels out of the mix including fellow ACC members Louisville and Virginia Tech.

The good(or bad, depending on how you look at it) is UNC will have ample opportunity to justify a spot in the poll again. UNC faces ECU, #23 Clemson, #17 Virginia Tech and #11 Notre Dame over a four week span starting September 20th. That stretch will either be a chance for the Tar Heels to prove the initial ranking of this team was correct or be a complete bloodbath at the hands of three ranked teams.

UNC's season so far hasn't done much to dissuade the belief the latter is a real possibility.