North Carolina
TCU
4:00 PM · Aviva Stadium (neutral site)
Fan take
North Carolina fans
What’s at stake
TCU
- A win puts TCU a step closer to a 2% shot at the CFP field.
- Sonny Dykes is behind Gary Patterson’s year-5 pace (0-1 vs. 1-0) — a win tonight widens the gap, a loss narrows it.
North Carolina
- Bill Belichick is ahead of Freddie Kitchens’s year-2 pace (1-0 vs. 0-1) — a win tonight widens the gap, a loss narrows it.
The series
North Carolina leads the series 4-1
5 meetings since 1940 · North Carolina won the last meeting
- 2026 · neutral siteNorth Carolina 15–10
- 2025TCU 48–14
- 1997North Carolina 31–10
- 1994North Carolina 27–17
- 1940North Carolina 21–14
Best players
TCU
- Jeremy Payne (RB) · 142 rushing yards
- Max Carroll (LB) · 9 tackles
- Michael Short (LB) · 6 tackles
North Carolina
- Derek Mcdonald (LB) · 11 tackles
- Leroy Jackson (DL) · 8 tackles
- Jelani Thurman (TE) · 94 receiving yards
The line, and the room
North Carolina fans are feeling better about their season (53rd percentile) than TCU fans are (1st) — even with TCU favored here.
- Model · 81%
- Market · 73%
- TCU fans · 1st
- North Carolina fans · 53rd
Home −7.5 · O/U 46
Conditions
64°F · 7 mph wind · Overcast
North Carolina 15 – TCU 10
Missed — picked TCU, North Carolina won.
Players to watch
TCU
- Jeremy Payne RB142 Rushing yards
- Max Carroll LB9 Tackles
- Michael Short LB6 Tackles
- Julius Simms S6 Tackles
- Ed Small WR65 Receiving yards
North Carolina
- Derek Mcdonald LB11 Tackles
- Leroy Jackson DL8 Tackles
- Jelani Thurman TE94 Receiving yards
- Xavier Lewis DL7 Tackles
- Gregory Smith DB6 Tackles
The market
Total: 50.5 → 46
Book hold: 4.0%
North Carolina beat TCU 15-10 — the pregame pick had TCU instead.