Welcome back, College Football!
The Matchup
In the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, we start the 2026–27 college football season off with a bang with an ACC showdown between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the TCU Horned Frogs. Last year, we had a back-and-forth thriller between Iowa State and Kansas State that ended in a 24–21 Cyclone victory in Dublin. This year, I would not expect a repeat experience of that game.
TCU enters this season coming off a 9–4 season that ended in an overtime win against USC in the Alamo Bowl. Meanwhile, North Carolina is coming off a season that they would like to forget following a 4–8 season that had more headlines about their head coach's off-the-field activities than their on-field play.
So, who's going to win? This is not one to overthink; it's the Horned Frogs.
The Difference-Maker
Harvard transfer quarterback Jaden Craig, who joined TCU after throwing for 2,869 yards, 25 TDs, and 7 INTs in 2025, will lead the Horned Frogs to a win over presumed North Carolina starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who started the 2025 season as the starter at Wisconsin before suffering a season-ending injury.
The Pick
My final score prediction: TCU 33, UNC 17.
What Actually Happened
Final Score: UNC 15, TCU 10. The Tar Heels pulled the upset in Dublin, and this pick missed — TCU as a −260 favorite lost outright. Marked as a loss in the archive.