UNC's Matchup with Cal on Friday Night Could Be a Moment of Truth

Bill Belichick began the week by continually saying the Tar Heels will remain committed to their process — convinced that there are positive, developmental results behind the scenes that haven't been revealed on the scoreboard yet — ahead of their latest challenge on the west coast.

That test is 4-2 California on Friday night. The game follows a stretch in which the Tar Heels played exactly one game in a 27-day span, but there was no shortage of rumor-filled headlines during that period of time.

So when kickoff arrives at 10:30 p.m. ET — before an nationally-televised audience on ESPN — the pressure will be on Belichick to deliver tangible signs of improvement.

The Tar Heels have played three Power 4 opponents so far this season and their opponents have outscored them 120-33 in those games, but there are a few reasons to believe that Friday night might be more competitive.

For starters, the odds for the game have changed dramatically throughout the week. Cal opened as a 12.5-point favorite, but the spread has moved and is currently just 8.5 points (according to Fan Duel sports book).

Also, UNC could have its starting quarterback Gio Lopez back in the lineup.

Lopez was injured in the loss at UCF on Sep. 20 and missed the Clemson game on Oct. 4. However, likely due to the second open date last weekend, Lopez apparently has recovered because he isn't listed on the team's injury report for this week.

If UNC is uncompetitive again at Cal, it's hard to imagine the noise surrounding the program quieting in the aftermath; especially in a college-football landscape that just saw reportedly tens of millions of dollars being shelled out to fire James Franklin at Penn State.

Belichick's buyout is believed to be somewhere between $20-30 million considering UNC guaranteed the first three years of his contract. His annual salary is $10 million per year.

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