Paul Finebaum admits Bill Belichick 'still has it' after North Carolina upsets TCU
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North Carolina and Bill Belichick emerged as one of the biggest winners of Week 0 in college football as the Tar Heels traveled across the pond and stunned TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin.
Among those caught off guard by the Tar Heels' 15-10 win was ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum.
The gritty victory also served as a reminder to Finebaum that the six-time Super Bowl champion coach hasn't entirely lost the touch that made him one of football's most successful defensive minds.
"He proved that he still has it, and I and many others were wrong," Finebaum said on the Aug. 31 episode of "Get Up!", alongside Mike Greenberg and Heather Dinich. "Nobody was a bigger mouth than me on Friday when we talked about it."
"He proved that he still has it."@finebaum reacts to Bill Belichick and UNC beating TCU 🏈 pic.twitter.com/SR8w7Q6HiR
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 31, 2026
With his son and Tar Heels defensive coordinator Steve Belichick still on medical leave, Bill Belichick was involved with defensive game-planning for the Horned Frogs and seen with a play sheet in his hands on ESPN's broadcast. He deflected a postgame question when asked if he called all or most of the defensive plays.
The Tar Heels' defense got stronger throughout the game after giving up a quick 10 points in the first quarter. North Carolina's defense finished with three fourth-down stops and a fumble, with two turnovers on downs coming on TCU's final two drives. North Carolina held TCU scoreless in the final three quarters.
Tar Heels quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. completed 16-of-28 passes for 232 yards in his Tar Heels debut. Of his 232 passing yards, the Wisconsin transfer threw 165 yards combined to tight end Jelani Thurman and wide receiver Jordan Shipp.
Finebaum added that North Carolina's win over TCU altered his outlook for Belichick's second season in Chapel Hill, including improving the Tar Heels' hopes of making a bowl game.
"I think that is the litmus test for him this year because some of the other schools on his schedule, namely NC State, just look awful," Finebaum said. "So I'm starting to count very close to six wins on that schedule. I'm almost there, but that is a significant accomplishment."
North Carolina returns to action in Week 3 on Sept. 12, when it hosts East Tennessee State at noon ET in Chapel Hill.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paul Finebaum admits Bill Belichick 'still has it' after North Carolina upsets TCU
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