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After early struggles, No. 19 North Carolina finally shows form that led to preseason hype

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The hype began during the second half of last December’s Military Bowl, when North Carolina dropped 35 points on Temple in an eventual 55-13 win.

After a regular season defined by several close losses — the Tar Heels played nine games decided by seven or fewer points in coach Mack Brown's debut — and on the heels of a 41-10 win against North Carolina State to secure postseason eligibility, the bowl win established the Tar Heels as a trendy pick to crack the preseason Amway Coaches Poll.

And so they did: UNC was No.