It's not impossible.

If Bunting and North Carolina can win the final two games of the season -- today at Wake Forest and Nov. 20 at Duke -- the Tar Heels would finish 5-3 in the ACC, 6-5 overall and in line for a bowl bid.

At 6-5, Bunting's team easily would qualify as the conference's biggest overachiever.

The Tar Heels were picked 10th in the ACC preseason poll. Nationally, they were pegged at No. 80 by Athlon Sports, No. 74 by Lindy's and No. 76 by The Sporting News.

Virginia's Al Groh, Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer, Wake Forest's Jim Grobe and Georgia Tech's Chan Gailey are very much in the race for coach of the year. But Virginia and Virginia Tech were expected to be good, and Georgia Tech and Wake Forest at least average.

Bunting's fourth season has been, well, bizarre. Three of the Tar Heels' five losses -- to Virginia, Louisville and Utah -- were monumentally ugly.

Two of the four wins -- against Miami and N.C. State -- were among the most uplifting and celebrated in the school's history.

Two Carolina teams have played this season.

One of those teams put Bunting's job in jeopardy and may do so again if it loses these final two games.

The other team has rekindled the fans' confidence the coach and his ability to produce a consistent bowl contender.

ACC coaches, players and fans have lately spent much time talking about the strange events during this first and last season of 11-team competition in football.

But if Carolina can win two more games, we could see the strangest development yet -- a once doomed coach bagging a big postseason award.

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