Heels riding a wave

CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina cornerback Kendric Burney tried to avoid saying, "I told you so." But with a few close friends, he couldn't resist.

"A couple of people thought [after UNC's Oct. 22 loss to Florida State], 'You all might be in trouble,' and I just laughed and said, 'We're going to be all right,' " the junior recalled Monday, smiling. "They definitely lost some bets with that, and they've had to take me out to eat a couple of times."

More important than free food, though, Burney and his UNC teammates have won the right to play in a bowl - something that looked pretty bleak about three weeks ago after they blew an 18-point lead to the Seminoles and fell to 0-3 in the ACC.

With an offensive line that's finally getting healthy, the Tar Heels (7-3, 3-3 ACC) have regrouped to play their best football of the season. Headed to Boston College (7-3, 4-2) for a road game this Saturday, followed by a Nov. 28 regular-season finale against N.C. State (4-6, 1-5), UNC wants to finish strong.

"There's always a chance to go out there and win more and more, just to get a better bowl," UNC tight end Zack Pianalto said. "I think that keeps guys hungry."

Numerous postseason scenarios remain in play for the Tar Heels -- including the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl, if they can win these final two regular-season games. At the very least, should they win these next two games - and if Clemson can clinch the Atlantic Division slot in the ACC Championship game and defeat Georgia Tech for the title - UNC could climb up the league's pecking order for a trip to the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., or the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.

Plenty of moving parts remain, but here's an early bowl breakdown:

If No. 7 Georgia Tech, which has already clinched the Coastal Division with a 7-1 league record, wins the ACC title game on Dec. 5 in Tampa, it automatically advances to the BCS Orange Bowl. Clemson, assuming it would be the Yellow Jackets' opponent in the title game, would go to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, opening the Gator Bowl potentially to either UNC or Virginia Tech.

If Georgia Tech loses the ACC title game, however, the equation changes because at 7-1, the Jackets can't be jumped in bowl picks by a 5-3 team. That means they have to be chosen before UNC.

Since Georgia Tech played in the Chick-fil-A Bowl last year, Virginia Tech, should it finish 6-2, would likely go to Atlanta, leaving the Yellow Jackets with a Gator Bowl trip.

That would put the Champs Sports Bowl in position to choose UNC, among others.

Of course, both of those scenarios depend on the Tar Heels winning out, and that's not a given. After they became bowl eligible last season, they lost two of their final four regular season games and then fell to West Virginia in the Meineke Bowl.

"We definitely don't want to do that again thisyear," quarterback T.J. Yates said. "We can't afford to take another speed bump this late in the season."

Perhaps that's why players seemed to be more focused on Saturday's game in Chestnut Hill, Mass., rather than who they might play in the postseason.

Although they did seem to enjoy the fact that they had proven the naysayers wrong - whether or not they actually said, "I told you so."

"After the Florida State game, a lot of people were pretty much saying, 'Carolina football is done, and get ready for next year,' " Burney said. "I remember saying as a captain of this team I would never let any of my teammates just give up. Everybody stepped up to a new level.

"...We love the fact we're playing good football right now and we just need to carry it to the next month of football."

Briefly: Defensive lineman Aleric Mullins, who needs to take only three academic credits next semester to graduate, has decided to forego his final season of eligibility, coach Butch Davis said.

"In a similar situation as Richard Quinn [a tight end who left after last season and now plays for the NFL's Denver Broncos], he just felt like with the completion of his degree, ... it was time to announce that he was going to finish his career here and make himself available for any potential post-collegiate football that he might be available to,'' Davis said.

Staff writer J.P. Giglio contributed to this story.

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