All-Carolina College Football Poll: Ranking every major team in NC and SC

The 2021 college football season begins in earnest this weekend, and optimism reigns (well, minus that whole pandemic thing — though the virus can’t possibly be as disruptive as it was a season ago, right? Right?). This is the time of year when, if you’re a college football fan, you can find a way to answer every question surrounding Your Team in the affirmative.

Will that new coach turn everything around? Sure.

Will that transfer and/or formerly much-touted prospect live up to the hype? Yes.

Will the New Culture lead to even newer victories? No doubt.

Will that unproven position group defy the doubters? Of course.

Is this the year, at last, finally, the Sleeping Giant awakens? It is!

OK, that last one, clearly, is specific to North Carolina — though indeed there’s good reason for optimism there. Same is true, as usual, in Clemson, South Carolina, and up in the North Carolina mountains and, this year, along the lowlands of the South Carolina coast. Not everywhere can be riding as high, though even where things went very wrong last year — and we’re looking at you, Durham and Columbia — at least there’s comfort in another hope:

Can’t possibly be as bad as it was, right?

And so welcome to a new beginning. Every team remains undefeated. Every dream remains alive. Every schedule remains intact — at least for now. Yet even with all this optimism remains a question of significance, and it’s a buzzkill: Which team becomes the first to have to forfeit because of the virus? Seems a matter of when, not if — which is why every coach (or just about every coach) implored his players to get vaccinated.

The virus isn’t hanging over the start of this season the way it did the last, but it’s still there, full stadiums or not. That’s but one uncertainty facing every team at the start of the season, and they all have plenty of questions of their own. And so here they are — the key questions facing every FBS team in the Carolinas, mixed into the wildly popular and acclaimed All-Carolinas poll, preseason edition.

Its return is the surest sign yet that the season is upon us. Let’s get to it:

1. Clemson

Last season: 10-2 (9-1 ACC), L vs. Ohio State in College Football Playoff semifinal

Up next: vs. Georgia, in Charlotte, Saturday

Key question: How seamless, really, is the transition into the post-Trevor Lawrence era? Yes, the hype surrounding D.J. Uiagalelei appears justified but still: do you just roll on from a generational talent like Lawrence like it’s no thing at all? If you’re Clemson, you just might.

2. North Carolina

Last season: 8-4 (7-3 ACC), L vs. Texas A&M in Orange Bowl

Up next: at Virginia Tech, Friday

Key question: Is this really the year the Tar Heels take that significant step forward? If anything, the Mack Brown Project, Version 2.0 is ahead of schedule — a lot of it thanks to Sam Howell. If the pieces around him fall into place — and some of the departed left big voids — then the long-sleepy giant may indeed awaken. Week 1 could provide some clarity here.

3. Coastal Carolina

Last season: 11-1 (8-0 Sun Belt), L vs. Liberty in Cure Bowl

Up next: vs. The Citadel, Thursday

Key question: What do the Chanticleers do for an encore? A season ago they became national darlings, and one of the best stories in a grim fall of postponements, cancellations and the overall question of whether a season was a good idea in the first place. This year, undoubtedly, Coastal will have a target on its back. It may not matter.

4. N.C. State

Last season: 8-4 (7-3 ACC), L vs. Kentucky in Gator Bowl

Up next: vs. USF, Thursday

Key question: It’s similar to the one facing UNC: Can the Wolfpack take a step forward and reach that next level? The quiet rumbling surrounding State, for years, has been that Dave Doeren and his staff have been building toward this season. The pieces are there, mostly. The Wolfpack enters 2021 a bit off the radar, but with the potential to be one of those surprise teams nationally.

5. Appalachian State

Last season: 9-3 (6-2 Sun Belt), W vs. North Texas in Myrtle Beach Bowl

Up next: vs. ECU, in Charlotte, Thursday

Key question: Can the Mountaineers wrest back control of the Sun Belt from Coastal Carolina? The Carolinas is home to what could become one of the great rivalries in the sport, outside of the so-called Power 5 (or Power 4 ... or Power 2?) conferences. The question of mountains vs. the beach has taken on new meaning in the Sun Belt. Mark your calendars for Oct. 20.

6. Wake Forest

Last season: 4-5 (3-4 ACC), L vs. Wisconsin in Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Up next: vs. Old Dominion, Friday

Key question: How does the experience translate? Wake returns 54 lettermen and 22 players who started a season ago and, remember: The Demon Deacons reached a bowl game for the fifth consecutive season. Wake has received little national (or even regional) attention, but you just get the feeling that the Deacs are going to cause a problem or two along the way.

7. South Carolina

Last season: 2-8 (2-8 SEC)

Up next: vs. Eastern Illinois, Saturday

Key question: Can Shane Beamer turn things around and, if so, how quickly? Look, don’t expect the man to work miracles in year one. Beamer appears to have a significant rebuilding job ahead of him. The Gamecocks were dreadful a season ago — so much that the school found a way to fire Will Muschamp even during a pandemic. It’s going to take time, but how much patience is there?

8. ECU

Last season: 3-6 (3-5 AAC)

Up next: vs. Appalachian State, in Charlotte, Thursday

Key question: Can the Pirates prove Holton Ahlers correct? During a recent interview, Ahlers, ECU’s dynamic and fun-to-watch senior quarterback, said he believed this was the year the Pirates get things back on track, finish with a winning record and go to a bowl. Hasn’t happened since 2014 but very well could with Ahlers and a bevy of others back.

9. Duke

Last season: 2-9 (1-9 ACC)

Up next: at Charlotte, Friday

Key question: Was last season a blip or has the steam run out of the David Cutcliffe era? Cutcliffe has led Duke to heights unimaginable before his arrival — consider the fact that the Blue Devils reached an ACC championship game before Miami — but things have been ugly since an 8-5 finish in 2018. Feels like a pivotal year here though, frankly, there’s not a ton of reason for optimism.

10. Charlotte

Last season: 2-4 (2-2 Conference USA)

Up next: vs. Duke, Friday

Key question: How do the Football Gods even the karma? Few schools had it as bad as Charlotte did a season ago, what with all the postponements and cancellations. It was a brutal season for a lot of schools, but especially for the 49ers. Now 13 starters are back, including senior quarterback Chris Reynolds, and assuming Charlotte actually plays on Friday it’d already be a small victory.

This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 12:00 PM with the headline "All-Carolina College Football Poll: Ranking every major team in NC and SC."

Andrew Carter

The News & Observer

919-829-8944

Andrew Carter spent 10 years covering major college athletics, six of them covering the University of North Carolina for The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer. Now he’s a member of The N&O’s and Observer’s statewide enterprise and investigative reporting team. He attended N.C. State and grew up in Raleigh dreaming of becoming a journalist.