Thamel: Bill Belichick, North Carolina and college football's new world

Bill Belichick's debut season at North Carolina will be the most compelling story in college football.

The sport has never looked closer to the NFL , with schools expected to be able to directly pay athletes next year .

Coach Matt Rhule calls the sport "completely different" now, using movie metaphors to sum up the current flux.

He'll be taking decades of practical experience and applying it in a different setting.

College football recruiting has changed dramatically in recent years .

Bill Belichick will try to replicate an NFL standard and process for player procurement and development.

Stanford put Andrew Luck in charge of the entire football program.

How he'll handle the college clutter will be an integral part of this.

"It's stuff outside the game," a college coach said, "that's what's wearing on coaches right now -- stuff outside of football." Belichick is 72 and the terms of his deal hint that this won't be a lengthy engagement, as his $10 million annual salary is guaranteed for only three seasons . After June 1 , he'd owe UNC just $1 million to leave. That doesn't dim the interest, as the one of the most innovative coaches in NFL history is arriving in college at a moment rife with wholesale changes. Look for Belichick to set the trends, not follow them..