​DUBLIN, IRELAND – AUGUST 29: The University of North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sidelines during the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium on August 29, 2026 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) | Getty Images In general, the X-factor of a game is usually a person or unit whose performance will have a large impact on UNC’s chances of winning. Theoretically, there shouldn’t be an X-factor against East Tennessee State; even if one (or several) pieces of the team are not playing well, UNC should still win comfortably. As of the writing of this article, The Heels are currently listed as 35.5-point favorites over the FCS-level Buccaneers; anything less than a three-touchdown win would be cause for some concern. Last year’s squad was overall pretty bad but still rolled over Richmond, 41-6.That being said, there have been a lot of distractions for the UNC football program the past two weeks. Carolina’s GM resigned while under an investigation, while rumors persist that there are much deeper issues within the program. The questions surrounding the state of the football team’s performance on and off the field has further increased the scrutiny on how Bill Belichick is guiding the program.This week’s X-factor is the UNC coaching staff. Belichick was known for urging his players to tune out the outside noise and focus on the next game while coaching in the NFL. He will have his work cut out for him this Saturday. While I expect Belichick will use the game against an FCS opponent to work out some of the kinks on offense, the real test will be seeing if the Heels can come out focused on the task at hand or if they look distracted after a trip to Ireland, a week off, and the allegations surrounding the team. It’s a tall task, although Belichick has historically done well framing similar situations as us-against-the-world.Winning will cover a lot of warts; if the Heels roll up the score against ETSU, a little of the pressure will ease (at least for the on-the-field side of things). If the Heels come out flat and play poorly against the easiest opponent on the schedule, Belichick will have another week of questions about his leadership ahead.UNC will kick off against ETSU at noon EST on Saturday, September 12th in Kenan Stadium.