Tough loss drops UNC in USA TODAY Sports' Week Three CFB re-rank

The North Carolina Tar Heels put themselves in a strong position to beat Clemson on Saturday, a statement you don't hear very often.

UNC entered that ACC football opener between both teams with two wins to start 2026. The Tigers scuffled in at 1-1, coupling a blowout loss at LSU with a closer-than-expected win over Georgia Southern.

North Carolina watched a 14-point lead turn into a 28-20 loss, creating more questions than answers. Despite their epic collapse, the Tar Heels (2-1, 0-1 ACC) only dropped two spots in USA TODAY Sports' latest re-rank of all 138 FBS teams, falling to 56th.

Clemson (2-1, 1-0), on the other hand, surged 20 spots to 54th. The Tigers are a shell of their former glory, but they deserve a big jump after their massive comeback.

UNC entered halftime with a 17-6 lead, locking down defensively while generating just enough offense to keep Clemson guessing. North Carolina didn't score again until the fourth quarter, when Aeron Burrell connected on a 22-yard field after a lengthy weather delay.

The results from Week 3 in college football caused some significant changes to the NCAA Re-Rank 1-138 with Mississippi on the rise and LSU falling. https://t.co/t6Yp1tuwIY

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) September 21, 2026

Despite Burrell's field goal extending the Tar Heels' lead to five points with 6:34 remaining, those points also represented a missed opportunity. UNC had 2+ hours to come up with a scoring drive, but the Tigers stuffed Demon June three times, marched down the field and scored.

North Carolina enters its second bye week, needing to find answers for its disappearing offense and a defensive collapse fans are all too familiar with. The Tar Heels next face a National Champion favorite in Notre Dame, which will capitalize on mistakes Clemson failed to.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Tough loss drops UNC in USA TODAY Sports' Week Three CFB re-rank