Column: UNC football's 5-1 start has come against inferior competition

Six games into the season, the North Carolina football team is masquerading as a dominant squad.

After another statement win this Saturday, UNC (5-1, 2-0 ACC) is off to its best season start in five years and its strongest ACC start since 1997. Riding an impressive five-game winning streak, the Tar Heels are the early favorites to win the ACC Coastal Division and are knocking on the door of a top-25 ranking.

But a cursory glance at the team’s schedule tells another story.

Before the season, UNC’s slate appeared daunting, with perennial contenders South Carolina and Georgia Tech on the horizon. Sure enough, North Carolina dropped a primetime matchup to its Southern rival and overcame a historic deficit in Atlanta.

Seven weeks later, those challengers have lost their luster.

After a dismal start, the Gamecocks (3-4) watched legendary head coach Steve Spurrier jump ship rather than drown in the SEC. And fresh off a five-game losing skid, the Yellow Jackets (2-5, 0-4 ACC) have nested at the bottom of the ACC standings.

Nevertheless, North Carolina has powered through the rest of its competition. With four wins by at least four scores, UNC boasts the 10th-ranked scoring offense and 18th-ranked scoring defense in the country.

But the numbers are tainted by vastly inferior competition.

Of the Tar Heels’ six early opponents, two hail from the Football Championship Subdivision, and only one other possesses a winning record: middling foe Illinois (4-2), a team owning one win over a Power 5 program.

UNC’s defense has surprised under the leadership of coordinator Gene Chizik, holding five of its six opponents to two touchdowns. But among those five are two FCS squads and teams ranked 110th and 121st in the nation in scoring.

The lone standout? The Fighting Illini, who have feasted on their own palatable slate en route to a 74th-ranked scoring unit.

To its credit, UNC has never fared better under Coach Larry Fedora and has passed every test through its paltry schedule. In fact, the Tar Heels are only a red-zone interception away from a 6-0 start.

But while avoiding ACC giants Clemson and Florida State this season, North Carolina could find its toughest challenge in its final five foes. Even Virginia — whose four losses all came to once-ranked opponents — could pose a threat if the Tar Heels sport another sluggish start on Saturday.

At this point in the year, the UNC faithful should temper the fanfare for its red-hot squad. The team’s performance the rest of the way will reveal its true colors.