Rank and file: where do the Tar Heels place?

With half of the regular football season completed, the North Carolina Tar Heels have yet to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 College Poll.

To North Carolina cornerback Jabari Price, this decision doesn’t make any sense.

“We’re not really getting no respect. As you can see, we’re 5-1, and we’re still not ranked,” he said earlier this week.

Do the Tar Heels deserve to be ranked in the Top 25? Let’s look at how the other teams stack up against the Tar Heels.

First, let me explain how teams are ranked. The AP Poll is comprised of 60 sportswriters and broadcasters. These 60 voters rank their top 25 teams in the nation each week.

A first-place vote receives 25 points, while a 25th-place vote receives one point. The Associated Press adds up each university’s total points and then ranks the teams based on their final tally. Find out how each writer voted on Sunday. (Note: Five people voted to place North Carolina in the Top 25.)

Let’s look at how North Carolina compares to its competition:

1. There are 13 undefeated Football Bowl Subdivision teams this year. Since they are undefeated, these teams deserve a higher ranking in the national polls over the one-loss Tar Heels. This leaves 12 spots remaining in the Associated Press poll.

2. There are 21 one-loss teams in the FBS. Eleven of these lost to a ranked opponent, while North Carolina’s loss came against then 25th-ranked Georgia Tech.

Now the question is whether the Tar Heels deserve a spot in the AP poll.

Of the remaining ranked teams that don’t fall into the above categories, there are three teams that have seemingly better resumes than North Carolina, and all have an argument to place in the top 25. The Tar Heels have not defeated a ranked team this year, while the teams below have.

The Auburn Tigers have two losses, but they defeated then 16th-ranked Mississippi State and 10th-ranked South Carolina.

The Arizona State Sun Devils have beaten two ranked teams this season.

The Baylor Bears beat 14th-ranked Texas Christian University to open up the season.

Based on the point system used for the poll, the Tar Heels are currently ranked 32nd. If they win the next two games against Miami and Clemson, UNC will most likely be ranked. UNC might even be ranked if they beat Miami, depending on how the rest of the games play out.

Do you think the Tar Heels should be ranked? Comment below with your reasoning.