The news just keeps getting worse for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Already embroiled in an academic scandal that could shelve several key components of its stellar defense, UNC now knows it definitely will not have star defensive tackle Marvin Austin for Saturday’s season opener … or maybe for longer.

Austin has been suspended for violating unspecified team rules, UNC coach Butch Davis said Wednesday. Austin, a projected first-round NFL pick, will not play when the Tar Heels kick off the season against LSU in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Saturday.

Austin is part of an NCAA investigation into players potentially receiving improper benefits from agents. The school is conducting its own investigation of academic fraud involving several unknown players.

UNC, ranked No. 18 in the nation, brought back most of its defense from a unit that finished in the top 20 in most every major defensive category last season.

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All the hopes, all the talk surrounding the University of North Carolina Tar Heels this offseason centered on the defense, and how that unit just might be the best in the nation.

Now, with the season opener on the horizon, that defense may doom UNC’s season before it even steps on to the field.

An academic scandal currently being investigated by the school, stemming from an NCAA investigation focused on whether UNC players received improper benefits from agents, could result in the Heels having to sit several of its top defensive players.

For a unit that ranked in the top 20 in the nation in most every major defensive category a year ago, that could be devastating for the Heels’ hopes of contending in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

On the flip side, should these players appear in a game and end up being ruled ineligible, UNC could face the embarrassment of having to forfeit any games in which ineligible players appeared. UNC coach Butch Davis has stated the team right now has no depth chart, and may not have one until Saturday.

That’s when the No. 18 Heels open the season, against No. 21 LSU in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

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With the release of The Associated Press preseason rankings on Saturday, all the major polls are out as college football inches closer to kickoff.

For the North Carolina Tar Heels, the AP poll is one more validating step into the belief this season could be something special in Chapel Hill.

As they are in the USA Today preseason coaches poll, the Tar Heels will start the season at No. 18 in the AP poll. And while the AP rankings do not factor into the BCS national championship equation, the historic benchmark of rankings are important nonetheless.

UNC will face ranked teams in its first two contests. In the season-opening Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic on Sept. 4 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the Heels take on No. 21 LSU. Two weeks later, the Heels play host to No. 16 Georgia Tech in the ACC opener at Keenan Stadium.

Later in the season, games at No. 13 Miami, at No. 20 Florida State and at home with No. 10 Virginia Tech await.

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The preseason buzz continues to build around the University of North Carolina football team.

The Tar Heels, featuring one of the strongest defenses in the nation, landed at No. 18 in the USA Today coaches’ preseason top 25 rankings. In the Sports Illustrated annual college football preview issue, the Heels were ranked No. 13.

The big push around the Heels revolves around UNC’s defense. Nine starters are back on defense from last year’s unit that finished No. 6 in the nation in total yards allowed, and ranked in the top 20 in every major statistical category.

But UNC will need some help on offense, and the Heels figure to be good on that side of the ball too: 10 starters are back from last season’s team that went 8-5 overall and 4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

UNC opens the season against LSU in the Georgia Dome, in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic on Sept. 4 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

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The University of North Carolina kicks off its 2010 football season on Sept. 4 against LSU, in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic at the Georgia Dome.

Five members voting in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s preseason predicted order of finish think the Heels will end the regular season by playing for the conference championship.

In the voting, the Heels earned enough points to finish fourth in the Coastal Division. But UNC earned five first-place votes, and two of those voters tabbed the Heels as their conference champ.

In the Coastal, the voting turned out with Virginia Tech as division title winner, followed by Miami, defending champ Georgia Tech, UNC, Duke and Virginia.

Florida State was picked first in the Atlantic Division. Clemson finished second, with Boston College, N.C. State, Wake Forest and Maryland rounding out the order.

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The hopes for the University of North Carolina to improve on its 8-5 showing from last season rests with another strong showing from its defense.

That’s the expectation put in place thanks to a unit who finished sixth in the nation in total defense a year ago, and that expectation was upheld with the announcement of the Preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference team.

Defensive end Robert Quinn, defensive tackle Marvin Austin, linebacker Quan Sturdivant, cornerback Kendric Burney and safety Deunta Williams were named to the team. The five Tar Heels is the most of any school on the team.

All five of those players were All-ACC performers a year ago: Quinn, Sturdivant, Burney and Williams making the first team, and Austin landing on the second team.

UNC, which finished ACC play at 4-4 a year ago, opens the 2010 season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic against LSU on Sept. 4.

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The 6′ 10″ slender forward showed some glimpses of becoming one of the team’s top players last season.

However, Henson struggled at times as he was easily banged around in the low post by much stronger players.

While Henson will never turn into the next Dwight Howard, his body could certainly stand to gain some muscle.

He is eating six of seven meals a day and lifting four days a week, which has resulted in an extra 20 pounds on his frame.

The Wear twins are from California and it is thought that the cross-country challenge of playing at UNC is one reason for the move.

The twins considered both UCLA and Arizona before deciding on UNC, so both schools are once again possibilities.

Both schools would likely welcome both with open arms considering the type of seasons they just had.

The McDonald’s High School All-Americans would not go into detail about why they are leaving but said they will be happy to be home.

It certainly wasn’t the title the Tar Heels were after following their national championship run last year, but it’s where they ended up after a rough season.

Nonetheless, the experience of playing in a postseason tournament was great for all of the younger players.

Head coach Roy Williams said he was impressed that his kids still wanted to play when it came time for the N.I.T.

Williams had expressed frustration throughout the season about his team’s lack of passion.

The Tar Heels will become one of the only teams to ever miss the NCAA tournament just one season after winning a national championship.

Some Heels fans held out hope that their team might be able to pull off four straight wins and take home the ACC championship.

Instead, the Tar Heels struggled in their first round game and came up short against Georgia Tech.

North Carolina gets a chance to continue the development of its young players in the N.I.T., but fans won’t be lining up for tickets to those games.