North Carolina head football coach Mack Brown may someday have an identity crisis.
With all the questions he fields about Florida State, he probably thinks he's Seminole head coach Bobby Bowden. But he's not, and he wants to start talking about the Tar Heels, not the 'Noles.
"The question again is last year we had some guys talking about Florida State more than North Carolina, and we can't do that," Brown said. "We have to worry about UNC."
Brown can tell his players that, but he can't stop the media from discussing FSU. So instead of talking about quarterback Mike Thomas or All-America candidate Marcus Jones, the coach spent the majority of the annual Operation Football media event giving his thoughts on the gap between the Seminoles and the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"It's not something we can be obsessed with, because all we can do is be as good as we can be, and hopefully we can look up one day and we're as good as FSU," Brown said. "The goal at North Carolina is to be in the top 10. If North Carolina is to win the conference championship and the national championship then we have a good target.
"We understand that when we see FSU play that they accomplish the goal everyone in our league would like to accomplish, so I think that's what we're shooting at."
Even the players can't escape the Seminoles' shadow. But unlike their coach, they are pretty adamant about closing the alleged gap.
"All I have to say about the gap is that the gap is as big as one game away," Jones said. "It only takes one game to close the gap. FSU is a good team, but I just feel the gap is a mental thing."
The reason UNC players and coaches have had to field a majority of questions about FSU is that the Tar Heels are annually considered the bridesmaid of the ACC.
Last year, Carolina finished tied for third in the conference with an overall record of 8-4 (5-3 in the ACC). The Tar Heels were invited to the Sun Bowl, where they were shocked by Texas, losing 35-31.
This year, UNC wants to avenge what it considers a mediocre season. But according to the ACC media, it is still stuck behind the Seminoles. That's fine with Brown, who concedes that this year's team is talented, yet inexperienced.
"We have a lot of good athletes with inexperience, specifically on defense, and they have to play well," Brown said. "We don't have experienced depth behind Mike Thomas or Leon Johnson so they have to stay healthy and have a good year for us to be really good.
"And on defense, we have only one consistent starter out of our front seven, and very little backup experience. So we will be as inexperienced as we have ever been on defense. But I think we're talented and we run well, so I think it will be an interesting year. It will be a fun year, because it will be interesting to see how they respond because they are talented."
Fortunately for Carolina, the one consistent starter is Jones. The senior linebacker has already been compared to former UNC star Lawrence Taylor. From Street and Smith's to The Sporting News, magazines across the nation consider him an All-American candidate.
"Actually, I didn't get the word [about being All-American]," Jones said. "I really don't pay attention to stuff like that. It was one of those things where my mom called me and said, `Son, I saw you in the newspaper. I'm so proud of you."'
Backing up Jones will be a tandem of inexperienced, but talented sophomores, Kivuusama Mays and Brian Simmons.
Like two years ago, when the Tar Heels began their season against highly-ranked Southern Cal, UNC will open this year against Syracuse. Brown thinks the Orangemen opener will be a good measuring stick for the rest of the season, and he wants its to be a good start. Jones wants to have a stellar collegiate swan song to stop the questions of why he didn't bolt to the NFL.
"Right now, I'm having the greatest time I ever had at Carolina," Jones said. "I haven't accomplished some of the goals while I'm here. I want to get my education.
"They're really personal goals, but when they happen I'll let you know."
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