North Carolina Tar Heels to Face TCU Horned Frogs in Dublin College Football Classic

The 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic will feature the North Carolina Tar Heels facing the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, August 29, in Dublin, Ireland. This matchup marks the beginning of the college football season, with North Carolina under the leadership of Bill Belichick, who had a challenging first season with a 4-8 record, while TCU finished last year with a 9-4 record under Sonny Dykes.

Kicking off at noon ET at Aviva Stadium, TCU is currently favored by 8.5 points, with an over/under set at 46.5 points. In their previous encounter, TCU defeated North Carolina 48-14 in Chapel Hill, spoiling Belichick's debut.

The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every FBS game 10,000 times, predicts that the total points will exceed 46.5, based on past performances. Despite TCU's offensive changes, they are optimistic about their new quarterback, Jaden Craig, while North Carolina aims to improve under new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.