#87 North Carolina
2-2 in ACC play, T-6th in the ACC
Down 50 spots (#37 to #87) after a home loss to #118 Syracuse (30-31) in a one-score game. An upset: North Carolina entered with 68.5 TDR points to Syracuse's 27.2. Now 4-3. TDR score -22.6: win/loss record -5.3, road-win bonus -1.3.
2026 season recap (through week 8)
North Carolina (ACC) is ranked 87th in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 4-3 and a score of 45.9 out of 100. That is down 50 from week 7. That puts it in the Do We Need to Talk? tier (ranks 76-100). Its strongest factor is road-win bonus (59.7 out of 100). Its weakest is recent results (0.0 out of 100).
The highest-ranked opponent beaten so far came in week 7, 24-20 over T-28 Duke on the road. The loss that stings most in the formula is the week 3 loss, 28-20 to T-88 Clemson on the road.
On the road it is 2-1. The average margin is +3.6 points per game, with a biggest win of 32 points. 4 of 7 games were decided by a touchdown or less.
North Carolina is not ranked in the AP, Coaches, or CFP polls this week, while the Davis Rankings has it 87th.
Next up is #2 Miami in week 9, at home. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 9 against #2 Miami. 1 of the 5 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | TCU (neutral site) | W 15-10 |
| 2 | East Tennessee State (home) | W 35-3 |
| 3 | Clemson (away, conference game) | L 20-28 |
| 5 | Notre Dame (home) | L 26-37 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh (away, conference game) | W 21-17 |
| 7 | Duke (away, conference game) | W 24-20 |
| 8 | Syracuse (home, conference game) | L 30-31 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Miami (home, conference game) | (ABC) |
| 10 | UConn (away) | (CBSSN) |
| 11 | Louisville (home, conference game) | Sat Nov 14, time TBD |
| 12 | Virginia (away, conference game) | Sat Nov 21, time TBD |
| 13 | NC State (home, conference game) | Sat Nov 28, time TBD |
Ranking history 2026
Now #87, Do We Need to Talk? (week 8). Best #7 (week 1). Lowest #92 (week 5). Higher on the chart is a better rank. The shaded bands are rank tiers, with each tier's sticker at its left.
Week 8 TDR #87 (45.9, 4-3) Do We Need to Talk?
Week 1 TDR #7 (92.8, 1-0)
Week 2 TDR #31 (91.2, 2-0)
Week 3 TDR #81 (51.0, 2-1) Do We Need to Talk?
Week 4 TDR #84 (50.9, 2-1) Do We Need to Talk?
Week 5 TDR #92 (39.1, 2-2) Do We Need to Talk?
Week 6 TDR #48 (63.1, 3-2) Feeling Good
Week 7 TDR #37 (68.5, 4-2) Feeling Good
Week 8 TDR #87 (45.9, 4-3) Do We Need to Talk?
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #7 | 92.8 | 1-0 | - |
| 2 | #31 | 91.2 | 2-0 | - |
| 3 | #81 | 51.0 | 2-1 | Do We Need to Talk? |
| 4 | #84 | 50.9 | 2-1 | Do We Need to Talk? |
| 5 | #92 | 39.1 | 2-2 | Do We Need to Talk? |
| 6 | #48 | 63.1 | 3-2 | Feeling Good |
| 7 | #37 | 68.5 | 4-2 | Feeling Good |
| 8 | #87 | 45.9 | 4-3 | Do We Need to Talk? |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 57.1 |
| recent results | 0.0 |
| road-win bonus | 59.7 |
| opponent record at game time | 57.5 |
| opponent record today | 55.2 |
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