Tennessee football: Vols, SEC and top 25 predictions for Week 1 of 2019
South Carolina Gamecocks vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Belk Kickoff; TV: ESPN; Line: South Carolina -7.5; Over/Under: 62
Saturday, Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m.; Bank of America Stadium; Charlotte, N.C.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are turning back to their old days by bringing in Mack Brown. They open his second stint with a game in Charlotte against a South Carolina Gamecocks team that has been about average in three years under Will Muschamp but is looking to take the next step.
South Carolina is the measurement for Tennessee football right now until Jeremy Pruitt’s team can take the next step. The likelihood is that they’ll be mediocre or somewhere from six to nine wins again this year. Facing a rebuilding UNC team to start the season is a way for them to get some momentum Jake Bentley’s senior year.
Meanwhile, the Tar Heels want to prove they are not the team that went 2-9 and 3-9 the last two seasons under Larry Fedora. But do they have enough to make this a game at all? Does Brown have some magic in him to make this game interesting? Hey, you never know what could happen with this game in Charlotte.
Prediction
Even with the likelihood that S.C. struggles under Muschamp, they still have enough talent to dominate this UNC team. Brown doesn’t have a magic wand, and he’s not some genius either. He won’t be able to keep UNC close in this game. Take S.C. on the spread, but take the under because of Muschamp’s defense.