Aug. 6, 2010
First Day of Practice Photo Gallery
Chapel Hill, N.C. ----- The University of North Carolina is ranked No. 18 in the 2010 USA Today Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, which was released Friday morning. The Tar Heels received 455 points to earn their highest preseason ranking since 1998.
Defending national champion Alabama received 55 of 59 first-place votes to take the top spot, followed by Ohio State, Florida, Texas and Boise State.
Carolina returns 19 starters from last year's 8-5 team that advanced to its second-straight Meineke Car Care Bowl. Nine starters return on a defense that ranked No. 6 in the country in total yards allowed and was in the top 20 in every major defensive statistical category.
Five of Carolina's 12 regular-season opponents begin the season in the top 25 poll, including No. 6 Virginia Tech, No. 13 Miami, No. 16 LSU, No. 17 Georgia Tech and No. 20 Florida State. Carolina faces LSU in the season-opening Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Sept. 4, followed by Georgia Tech at Kenan Stadium two weeks later.
Carolina, which begins practice Friday afternoon, conducted its annual photo day earlier in the day with 105 players in camp, including 25 seniors.
Last year, Carolina was no. 20 in the USA Today preseason poll and moved up to No. 18 in the Sept. 20 poll before falling out after a loss at Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels returned to the poll for two weeks in November, but were not part of the final rankings.
