North Carolina is off to a 6-1 start this season.

The Tar Heels are looking like the favorites to win the Coastal division title and could end up playing in a New Year’s Six bowl game at the end of the year.

However, according to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura, there is still work to be done.

Both Schlabach and Bonagura are projecting North Carolina to play in the Gator Bowl at the end of the season. Schlabach has the Tar Heels facing Florida while Bonagura is projecting a matchup with Kentucky.

All things considered, that would be a good outcome for a North Carolina team that entered this year needing to replace several key pieces. The Gator Bowl is the ACC’s top bowl affiliation outside of the New Year’s Six and the College Football Playoff.

Wake Forest, who lost in the ACC Championship Game in 2021, earned the ACC’s Gator Bowl bid last season. Schlabach and Bonagura are currently projecting the Demon Deacons to reach the Orange Bowl in 2022. Both analysts have Clemson in the College Football Playoff.

Still, there’s reasons for North Carolina to be optimistic about potentially playing in the Orange Bowl or another major bowl game. If the Tar Heels win the Coastal, they’ll have a great chance to end up playing in a major bowl game.

UNC is off in Week 8 but will face Pitt at home in Week 9.