5. Charlie Weis

4. Lou Holtz

3. Touchdown Jesus

2. Whoever Wrote This

1. The Fact That They Jumped UNC in The Rankings By Beating Nevada

Introduction

Here we are, ladies and gentlemen. As it is 69 degrees in beautiful Chapel Hill right now, football season must be upon us. For the first time since the 1998 season, the Tar Heels boast a preseason Top 25 ranking as they check in at #20 on the USA Today Coaches’ poll. Expectations are high in Chapel Hill.  The Tar Heels boasted one of the largest turnarounds in the country last year, improving their record by 4 wins and losing 4 additional games by a combined nine points.

Back is a total of 15 starters for the Tar Heels, including 9 from a defense that promises to take major steps forward in its second year under defensive coordinator Everett Withers. Withers’ first UNC defense finished tied for 8th in the nation with 20 interceptions. While that number may not improve from last season, the defense should be more aggressive and dominant for longer stretches this year.

For those who are unfamiliar with The Citadel, it is a military school located in Charleston, SC that plays its football in the FCS Southern Conference. They will run a spread option offense similar to the one McNeese State had success with in last season’s opener, but don’t expect The Citadel to have the athletes or the success that the Cowboys had against UNC. Both of the players expected to contribute at running back for the Bulldogs are walk-ons, as injuries have derailed the team here in the preseason. QB Bart Blanchard is also struggling with an injury but is expected to play.

Stats and Trends:

Since this is the first game of the season, the only notable statistics to watch are those posted by players returning from 2008’s teams. A few to keep in mind:

- LB Quan Sturdivant led the nation with 87 solo tackles last year. He has since moved to middle linebacker, but look for the junior to continue to make plays.

- Although QB T.J. Yates missed 5 games due to injury last season, he is up to 6th on Carolina’s all-time passing yardage list with 3,823 yards. With a couple of productive (and injury-free) seasons, he could break Darian Durant’s all-time mark.

- Carolina has struggled in recent years with FCS opponents going back to 2oo4. They trailed for significant portions of a 2004 49-38 win over William & Mary, a 2006 45-42 win against Furman, and last year’s 35-27 win vs. McNeese State. Hopefully, this year’s first FCS game (the Heels face Georgia Southern October 10) will be more like the 37-14 win against James Madison in 2007, not any of the others mentioned.

Players to watch:

My hope is that we don’t have to watch the starters for much longer than a half, and we get a chance to see a lot of the second and third teamers get a taste of game action. I would love to see backup QB’s Mike Paulus and Braden Hansen both get a significant amount of snaps because you just never know with T.J. Yates’ health.

RT Mike Ingersoll is one of the keys to the season, in my opinion. How adequately he replaces Atlanta Falcon Garrett Reynolds will go a long way to the stability of the offensive line, which also lacks depth. Expect to see at least two of Travis Bond, Brennan Williams, and David Collins, all of whom are true freshmen, getting some game experience.

Also, keep your eye on Charles Brown at cornerback. He wrestled the starting job away from Jordan Hemby, and his ability to shut down receivers opposite Kendric Burney will be key this season.

For North Carolina to win:

Remember Appalachian State/Michigan 2007. No team is invincible, and the Bulldogs aren’t likely to roll over and die.

For The Citadel to win:

A rousing pregame speech by Citadel alum and famous author Pat Conroy, 9 T.J. Yates interceptions, a sit-in on the 50-yard line by UNC employees forced to leave work two hours early to accommodate Florida State traffic (most likely scenario), and Ron Cherry calling the game. And that still may not be enough.

Fearless Prediction:

The Heels’ highly publicized ‘problems’ at wide receiver are solved, we roll up about 500 yards of offense, and the starters get to the showers early. Carolina 48, The Citadel 13.

With all honesty, I have to give Erin Andrews props. She handled herself like a class act last night despite some classless comments by the NCSU student section. After drowning the witty Cock-related jokes that only a 4-year education at State could muster-up, I did take offense to the Erin Andrews related taunts. But in their defense, if she wants to dismiss all connections to Peephole Gate, then wearing an outfit that evokes the image of her naked probably isn’t too smart in front of 12,000 18-22 year old students. 

“Come on Erin, What’s Wrong with you?”

Perhaps the most disturbing event from last night, aside from the 133 yard of total offense by the Pack was the story shared on 96.1 this morning. Last night a small girl was ejected from the game and was found sobbing by the radio announcer. She kept crying about how she did nothing, was completely sober and had to go before the judicial board. After he told the story, a caller shared what happened to the girl in the stands. After cutting in and out of the stands, people became frustrated with her antics when she became stuck in a row and they wouldn’t move for her. He said she then began flailing he arms and legs and KICKED A PREGNANT WOMAN. Ballsy.

Curt Schilling(notes), the former major league pitcher who won the allegiance of Bostonians by leading the Red Sox to the 2004 World Series, said Wednesday that he has “some interest” in running for the seat held for nearly 50 years by Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Schilling, a registered independent and longtime Republican supporter, wrote on his blog that while his family and video game company, 38 Studios, are high priorities, “I do have some interest in the possibility.”

“That being said, to get to there, from where I am today, many, many things would have to align themselves for that to truly happen,” he added.

Any other comment “would be speculation on top of speculation,” Schilling said, adding, “My hope is that whatever happens, and whomever it happens to, this state makes the decision and chooses the best person—regardless of sex, race, religion or political affiliation—to help get this state back to the place it deserves to be.”

Schilling told New England Cable News that he has been contacted “by people whose opinion I give credence to,” but he did not elaborate. He declined to comment when The Associated Press called his office.

The 42-year-old lives in suburban Medfield and campaigned for President George W. Bush in 2004 and Sen. John McCain in 2008.

As a player, he won three World Series, in 2001 with the Arizona Diamondbacksand in 2004 and 2007 with the Red Sox. He became a Sox legend when he won Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series while blood from an injured ankle seeped through his sock. He retired in March.

He and his wife, Shonda, have four children ages 7 to 14.

Reaction among the Red Sox was decidedly jovial Wednesday.

“If he runs, good luck,” said first baseman Kevin Youkilis(notes). “I don’t know if I’d want to do that job.”

Team manager Terry Francona said Schilling should do whatever makes him happy but noted, “I don’t think he’d want me as his campaign manager.”

So far, no major Republicans have taken out nomination papers to be a candidate in the Jan. 19 special election. Former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey and state Sen. Scott Brown are among those considering campaigns.

Democrats said to be considering a campaign include U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch of Boston, Michael Capuano of Somerville and John Tierney of Salem, as well as Kennedy’s nephew, former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II.

So far, only state Attorney General Martha Coakley has taken out papers for a Democratic campaign, though she has refused to make any follow-up comment.

Kennedy died last week at age 77 from a brain tumor. A special election to replace him is scheduled for Jan. 19, although the Massachusetts Legislature is considering a bill that would allow Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint someone to the seat on an interim basis during the campaign.

That bill is the subject of a hearing next week.