Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
A lot of folks around Chapel Hill, North Carolina are very thankful its 2013.
Yes, the North Carolina Tar Heels are one more year removed from Butch Davis and the Academic Scandal that rocked the proud institution.
And you know what all that means…
That’s right…
Fedora Ball can officially put the pedal to the metal for the Heels without anything holding it back!
Carolina Head Coach Larry Fedora had a great first season in more than a few ways…
The Heels finished 8-4 and tied for first in the Coastal Division in 2012 but did not qualify for the ACC Championship or a Bowl Game due to self-imposed sanctions from the Academic Scandal.
A heck of a lot better than most anyone thought Fedora would do in his first year.
So needless to say, the bar is now set high.
But it should not be any problem for Fedora because he is simply the perfect coach for the Heels.
Yes, Fedora Ball was built for Carolina as it will look to establish itself as one of the elite teams in ACC Football. It’s uptempo pace and spread based offense gives the Heels an advantage in recruiting and will help them maximize their talent. Fedora Ball simply allows his team to be able to play with any opponent on any field.
And that is something the Tar Heels proved in 2012 as they lost three of their four games in the final seconds.
So what is next for the Heels?
It’s really up to Bryn Renner…
The junior QB will have most of his weapons back and a more experienced offensive line that should run Fedora Ball a lot smoother and with more consistency than they all did at times in 2012.
It will be interesting to see how the team responds to the loss of Gio Bernard who will be an impact player as a rookie in the NFL.
But one thing Fedora Ball has proven is that it is successful no matter what player is on the field and what team is running the plays. Fedora personally developed his spread offense while with the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders and it has been successful at stops in the SEC with the Florida Gators and in the Big 12 with the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
In other words, Carolina made the right choice in bringing Fedora to Chapel Hill.
The athletes the Tar Heels can recruit are perfect for Fedora Ball.
And he will keep North Carolina competitive and powerful in the ACC for years to come.
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M Shannon Smallwood is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the US Basketball Writers Association.
Follow him @woodysmalls.
