What does UNC football's ACC championship loss mean for its bowl projections?
After a 9-1 start with Heisman talk for Drake Maye and an ACC division title for the UNC football program's first league championship berth since 2015, a surprising season spiraled with three straight losses.
But the Tar Heels, who went 6-0 on the road this season, can still cap it with a big win.
Despite Saturday's 39-10 loss to Clemson in the ACC championship at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, UNC will play in a bowl game for the 37th time in school history.
Which bowl? Well, that depends.
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As the ACC champion, Clemson will get an Orange Bowl invitation against an opponent from the Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame, with Alabama a popular choice.
As the runner-up, UNC is projected for several bowls, the most enticing of which is the Gator Bowl, a New Year's Six game scheduled for Dec. 30 in Jacksonville, Florida, with tie-ins to the SEC and Big Ten along with the ACC.
That projection might be an ambitious one for UNC. A more popular choice is the Dec. 28 Holiday Bowl in San Diego against a Pac-12 opponent, likely Oregon.
The Holiday Bowl could fill its ACC slot with Florida State. If that happens, UNC is likely headed to Orlando for the Cheez-It Bowl on Dec. 29 against a Big 12 team.
Other bowl games with an ACC tie-in are:
Sun Bowl, Dec. 30 — ACC vs. Pac-12, El Paso, Texas
Duke's Mayo Bowl, Dec. 30 — ACC vs. Big Ten, Charlotte, NC
Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 29 — ACC vs. Big Ten, New York, NY
Military Bowl, Dec. 28 — ACC vs. American, Annapolis, Md.
Birmingham Bowl, Dec. 27 — ACC/SEC vs. pool, Birmingham, Ala.
Gasparilla Bowl, Dec. 23 — ACC/SEC vs. pool, Tampa, Fla.
Fenway Bowl, Dec. 17 — ACC vs. American, Boston, Mass.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What does UNC football's ACC championship loss mean for bowl hopes?
