2010 NC Tar Heels: College Football Predictions and BCS Odds

Online sportsbooks have the 2010 North Carolina Tar Heels at 60-1 to win the national championship in college football predictions which may not be a bad price in BCS odds considering that they are a favored contender for the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division championship and have what is widely regarded to be the best defense in college football betting for the ACC. The Coastal Division is loaded with power teams such as Miami-FL, Virginia Tech, and defending ACC champion Georgia Tech so the Tar Heels road won’t be easy but their defense, which returns 9 starters, should keep them in every game.

The unit that allowed a tidy 17-points per game in college football odds last year has 6 all conference starters coming back. The offense has a whopping 10 starters returning led by quarterback TJ Yates, a senior who was quite erratic in 2009 as he threw for 2,136 yards and a 14/15 TD/INT ratio. The three year starter may be pushed by redshirt freshman Bryan Renner. If the offense can improve up on the 24 points per game of last year this could be a dangerous team. Also returning are junior kicker Casey Barth hit on 21-25 field goals last year and second team ACC safety senior Da’Norris Searcy averaged almost 15 yards per punt return with 1 TD last year.

Heading into 2010 college football predictions, head coach Butch Davis enters his 4th season at Chapel Hill and has validated his reputation of being an excellent recruiter and defensive guru. Carolina has had back to back 8-5 bowl seasons and lost the Meineke Car Care Bowl last year to Big East runner up Pitt 17-19. North Carolina has a great opportunity to make a statement in their season opener at the Georgia Dome against a talented but inconsistent LSU team from the SEC. They get Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech at home in conference play while having to travel to Miami. Under Davis the Tar Heels have been break even on the board and the high expectations may hold their value down.