UNC predictions for entire 2025 college football season with Bill Belichick

UNC football has won double-digit games once this century.

Entering their debut season under head coach Bill Belichick, an eight-time Super Bowl champion in the NFL, the Tar Heels are all-in on investing in and trying to build a more consistent winner in Chapel Hill.

Coming off a 6-7 record last season, UNC has welcomed more than 70 newcomers to the roster, including 40 added via the transfer portal. Quarterback Gio Lopez, defensive back Thad Dixon, linebacker Khmori House and defensive lineman Pryce Yates are among the Tar Heels' new players.

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Breaking down the 2025 schedule, here are UNC football predictions for this college football season.

UNC predictions for 2025 college football season

Sept. 1: UNC vs. TCU

• Location, time: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill | 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• About the game: The "Chapel Bill" era starts on Monday Night Football, with quarterback Josh Hoover and the Horned Frogs trying to build off a strong finish to the 2024 season. TCU is the safe pick because of its stability, but season openers have a tendency to be wacky. The Heels will build off the hype and start the season with a bang.
• Score prediction: UNC 28, TCU 27

Sept. 6: UNC vs. Charlotte

• Location, time: Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte | 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
• About the game: The Tar Heels' first road trip is a trip to Charlotte, which will likely be a madhouse for Belichick's arrival. Former UNC quarterback Conner Harrell is set to be the starter for the 49ers, but this will serve as a confidence builder for UNC and its mostly-new roster.
• Score prediction: UNC 46, Charlotte 6

Sept. 13: UNC vs. Richmond

• Location, time: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill | 3:30 p.m. (ACC Network)
• About the game: The Spiders, who had an undefeated run last season in the CAA, will try to maintain their recent success with a move to the Patriot League. That success will have to wait until after a trip to Chapel Hill.
• Score prediction: UNC 50, Richmond 3

Sept. 20: UNC vs. UCF

• Location, time: FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, Fla. | TBD
• About the game: The Tar Heels' first road game against a major-conference opponent will be at the "Bounce House" against Scott Frost, one of Bill Belichick's former players. Like UNC, the Knights have a crowd of new faces (63) this season. As far as road games go, this is manageable.
• Score prediction: UNC 26, UCF 20

Oct. 4: UNC vs. Clemson

• Location, time: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill | TBD
• About the game: Belichick's Tar Heels will have their welcome-to-big-time-college-football moment against the Tigers, who have a chance to win the national championship. UNC gets an off week to prepare for Dabo Swinney's squad, but quarterback Cade Klubnik and an elite defensive line anchored by Peter Woods will roll in Chapel Hill.
• Score prediction: Clemson 36, UNC 20

Oct. 17: UNC vs. California

• Location, time: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, Calif. | 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• About the game: The first of two Friday night games on the schedule, the Tar Heels face the Golden Bears in some "ACC after dark" action with what could be a tricky road game for UNC following an off week. Cal is 2-0 in the all-time series, but this feels like a good bounce-back opportunity for the Heels.
• Score prediction: UNC 33, Cal 24

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Oct. 25: UNC vs. Virginia

• Location, time: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill | TBD
• About the game: "The South's Oldest Rivalry" has been weird depending on the location. The Tar Heels have won three of the last four games against the Cavaliers, but the Hoos have won three of the last four meetings at Kenan Stadium. Still, UNC is the better bet against a program that hasn't enjoyed a winning record since 2019.
• Score prediction: UNC 28, Virginia 17

Oct. 25: UNC vs. Syracuse

• Location, time: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, N.Y. | 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• About the game: A Friday game on Halloween night brings the potential for some weird things to happen in Syracuse. The teams have split the last four meetings, and most pundits have projected this to be a loss for UNC. The Orange won 10 games last season, but a brutal schedule could have Syracuse limping in late October.
• Score prediction: UNC 31, Syracuse 28

Nov. 8: UNC vs. Stanford

• Location, time: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill | TBD
• About the game: Stanford is a solid bet to finish last in the ACC. The Cardinal have won the last two games in the series, but the Tar Heels should have an enjoyable homecoming game this season in a battle between former NFL coaches.
• Score prediction: UNC 35, Stanford 17

Nov. 15: UNC vs. Wake Forest

• Location, time: Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, Winston-Salem | TBD
• About the game: The first of three Tobacco Road rivalry games to close the regular season is the easiest of the three for the Tar Heels, who head to Winston-Salem to face a program in transition under first-year coach Jake Dickert. Running back Demond Claiborne will be a handful, but the Demon Deacons aren't expected to be very good this season.
• Score prediction: UNC 32, Wake Forest 19

Nov. 22: UNC vs. Duke

• Location, time: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill | TBD
• About the game: During his introductory press conference, Belichick said his first words were, "beat Duke." This will be the first opportunity to do that and bring the Victory Bell back to Chapel Hill. Manny Diaz's Blue Devils have a chance to be a dark-horse contender in the ACC, but Duke has lost three straight in Chapel Hill.
• Score prediction: UNC 26, Duke 24

Nov. 29: UNC vs. NC State

• Location, time: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh | TBD
• About the game: The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Tar Heels will have a better overall season than the Wolfpack, but Raleigh will be rowdy for Bill Belichick's first trip to Carter-Finley Stadium. N.C. State will make it five in a row against UNC.
• Score prediction: N.C. State 24, UNC 22

UNC football overall record prediction for 2025

A 10-2 record in Bill Belichick's debut season? Sure, let's get crazy. The Tar Heels have a lot of unknowns on their roster, so this is more of a bet on Belichick's ability to take advantage of what projects to be a so-so schedule.

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC football game predictions for entire 2025 schedule