Paul Finebaum says Bill Belichick ‘still has it’ after UNC’s win over TCU
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Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels were sizeable underdogs versus the TCU Horned Frogs to open the 2026 season. Despite this, they fought hard and pulled out a 15-10 upset win on international grounds in Ireland. To Paul Finebaum, the Tar Heels’ performance showed that Belichick, against popular belief, retains a fastball.
“He proved that he still has it,” Finebaum said on Monday’s episode of Get Up. “I, and many others, were wrong.”
The win, in Finebaum’s opinion, gives North Carolina an opportunity to make a bowl game. To him, Belichick getting the Tar Heels to a bowl would be a “significant accomplishment.”
“He went from having no chance to get to a bowl game, to now being in a position… and I think that is the litmus test for him this year,” Finebaum said. “I’m starting to count very close to six wins on that schedule… but that is a significant accomplishment.”
Belichick’s team’s performance harkened back to those of his New England Patriots days, particularly the early years. His defense, which he called plays for, held TCU to 281 total yards in a suffocating showing. This came in spite of a six-minute disadvantage in time of possession (33:01 to 26:59). North Carolina returns to the U.S. and hosts East Tennessee State on Sept. 12 (noon ET, ACC Network).
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