NC State Football

Tom O'Brien and the NC State Wolfpack(3-1, 0-0) are traveling to Winston-Salem to take on Jim Grobe's Wake Forest(2-2, 0-1) team who has struggled lately against quality teams.



NC State are coming off a very impressive non-conference win at home against a tough Pittsburgh team, while Wake Forest is trying to bounce back after a very disappointing loss to Boston College.



Both teams are searching for their first conference wins of the season, along with Jim Grobe wanting to exact revenge for a loss in Raleigh last year.

Keys to Success for NC State Wolfpack

• Utilize Russell Wilson's Abilities

Russell Wilson is leading the ACC in touchdown passes(12) along with passing efficiency, also known as quarterback rating(169.6) and he has also rushed for 115 yards. Wake Forest's pass defense is one of the worst in ACC falling second to last, allowing 217.0 yards per game and eight touchdowns through the air.

• Pressure Riley Skinner

Wake Forest has an experienced senior quarterback in Riley Skinner under center, but he has looked nothing like an experienced quarterback making bad decisions in throwing five interceptions tied for most among ACC quarterbacks. The Wolfpack also have Willie Young who is third in sacks in the ACC with four. NC State as a team are only +1 in turnover margin while Wake is -4 in turnover margin.

• 3rd Down

Third downs are always ways important in any game but, in this game Wake Forest is one of the best in the ACC in converting third downs but also they the worst in allowing opponents to convert on third down. Wake converts 47.5% of their third downs(2nd in ACC) and they allow their opponents to convert 39.7% of their third downs(last in the ACC). NC State converts 50.o% of their third downs(1st in the ACC), while they are only allowing their opponent to convert only 20.0% of third downs.

Official Game Prediction

Wake Forest has had to replace a lot of players on both side of the ball and they aren't looking so hot after that overtime loss to Boston College. I think NC State wins an important conference game 35-17.

This Article is also available to read on Carolina Co-Op

The college football season is officially underway. NC State hosted South Carolina at Carter-Finley Stadium on Thursday, September 3rd to kickoff the college season.

While most people probably would have agreed this game would have been a shootout, it turned into a 7-3 defensive struggle and a win for South Carolina.

Here's some observations from the game made from the Wolfpack point of view:

The Good

While the Wolfpack's offense was supposed be very dangerous coming into the game, it was their defense that was the dangerous unit. The only points NC State's defense gave up were off of a turnover that put the Gamecocks in the red zone to start with. South Carolina punched it in four plays later from the one yard line.

Most NC State fans were more concerned for the defense than the offense going into the South Carolina game, but the D gave the Wolfpack faithful some faith in their defense by only allowing seven points and just over 250 yards, especially since it was against a Steve Spurrier coached team.

The Pack only allowed 256 total yards and limited the Gamecocks to 2.6 yards per carry. South Carolina's starting running back had 23 carries for just 66 yards and had no run of 10 yards or more. That's a very good sign for the Wolfpack's run defense.

The only other remotely good thing was Rashard Smith, a freshman corner, running a punt for 31 yards. He also had a sack and four tackles on defense. Smith could have a good future in front of him.

Russell Wilson continued his streak of streak of ten games without an interception. He set an ACC record for most consecutive attempts without an interception with 272.

The Bad

While the defense played well against South Carolina for NC State, nothing went the right way for their offense.

The offensive line was the main problem for the Wolfpack. They left Russell Wilson running for his life. They also couldn't make lanes for the running backs to run through. This resulted in six sacks (with a very mobile quarterback) and 59 rushing yards.

Toney Baker, who didn't play last season, fumbled on his first carry and first Wolfpack offensive play of the game. That play put the defense in a big hole, giving the Gamecocks the ball at NC State's 14 yard line. South Carolina scored their only touchdown of the game off of that turnover.

NC State's first punt was also blocked. This came on the possession right after the South Carolina touchdown, just setting the tone for a flat evening from the Pack.

Owen Spencer, who has been hyped as an All-ACC candidate at wide receiver also disappointed, catching only one pass for fifteen yards. He can't really be blamed though because the offense line didn't give Wilson enough time to deliver the ball down field where he is most dangerous.

Whatever anybody wants to say, they can't say this loss was Russell Wilson fault. Again he had no time to throw and his receivers were covered almost every time he dropped back to pass. He didn't look his best, but was still decent.

A telling stat of the night: the Wolfpack's 133 total yards were fewer than they had in any game last season.

The Ugly

If you take Toney Baker's fumble out of the equation, there is a good chance NC State would have won that game, but even with the fumble NC State should have won.

With around four minutes to go in the game Russell Wilson scrambled around and heaved it up into double coverage for redshirt freshman wide receiver Jay Smith. He split the defenders and the ball hit him in the hands. He had the game winning touchdown in his hands with four minutes to go in the game. That kind of stuff doens't happen on good football teams.

Next Game: vs. Gardner-Webb

NC State gets their chance to get back on track with a home date with Division 1-AA Gardner-Webb. This should be an automatic W in the win in the win-loss column.

The offensive line should push their defensively line around. If they don't, Wolfpack fans should be worried. If Russell Wilson gets sacked more than one or two times that will be a huge disappointment. They should get at least 150 yards on the ground as well.

We'll see if the defense is really a consistent force if they totally shut down the Gardner-Webb offense. One score should be a reasonable expectation. If they put in their second stringers maybe Gardner-Webb can put up more, but the NC State defense really need practice before they get into serious games. They still lost the South Carolina game, even if they did play well.

-ATG

Tom O’Brien is a good man. Nine years of service for the U.S. Marines puts him at the top of any list of great people in college football. He works hard, recruits hard, runs a clean program, and makes the good people of North Carolina proud.

But the Wolfpack are terrible.

Last Thursday night South Carolina put up seven points, missed a field goal, threw a shoulda-been-a-heart-breaker interception, and lacked the offensive power to put away NC State after scoring a touchdown on their first possession. They were also missing three suspended defensive players. 

The Wolfpack countered with 131 total yards, a porous offensive line that sent Russell Wilson scrambling for his life throughout the game, and a run game that averaged less than two yards per attempt.

The end result was an anemic 7-3 loss on opening night during the primetime Thursday game on ESPN. Oh, and it happened at home. In Raleigh. In front of the the college football world.

What is abundantly clear is that NC State is not the elite ACC program we thought they’d be this year. They won four straight regular season games to end 2008. They beat all three of their in-state rivals from North Carolina a year ago. They currently have the preseason All-ACC first team quarterback in Wilson and solid talents at wide receiver and tight end. But something isn’t right.

South Carolina played at a speed that NC State couldn’t match. Eric Norwood and the Gamecock defense was all over the field haunting Wilson every time he was forced out of the pocket by the USC defensive line. 

The only life Wolfpack fans saw came in the all-too-infrequent run-blitz packages put together by defensive coordinator Mike Archer. Of course, it was against Stephen Garcia and a feeble USC offense.

Tom O’Brien has a few pieces of the puzzle on the field and he’s got a few more waiting for their chance on the sidelines. Mike Glennon, the 6’6 heir apparent to the quarterback position, is the big name recruit that NC State fans have been waiting for.

But this is the school of Mario Williams, Torry Holt and Philip Rivers.  This is a program that has the name recognition, enough tradition, the necessary facilities, and the necessary local talent to be better than a 7-3 loss on opening night at home against a bottom tier SEC team. This is a program with a passionate fan base who wants to win now.

It’s time for North Carolina State to start acting like an ACC power.  It’s definitely time to find more life in what could quickly become a moribund program as the 2009 versions of UNC, Wake, and even East Carolina continue to garner more national attention with bigger names, bigger wins, and bigger recruits.

If things in Raleigh don’t change, that passionate fan base may want to check to see if Phil Fulmer or Jon Gruden are available for next season.  If the Wolfpack don't put away Murray State and Gardner-Webb over the next two weeks that same passionate fan base may want to see if Chuck Amato and Lou Holts are available this season.

North Carolina State was looking to start off the college football season with a victory at home against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Unfortunately Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks weren't going to be such an easy victory as the Wolfpack Nation had hoped.

The Gamecocks capitalized on an early turnover by Toney Baker on the first offensive play of the game for the Wolfpack.

After the turnover, the gamecocks had the ball on the NC State 14 yard line and a few plays later they scored on a Brian Maddox one yard rushing touchdown

They would hold on to that lead to beat the Wolfpack at home, seven to three.

This game was won by the Gamecocks because Tom O'Brien's group made many mistakes on both offense and defense.

On Offense the Wolfpack didn't get much started only gaining 59 yards rushing and 74 yards passing and scored their only points of the night on a 42 yard field goal by kicker Josh Czajkowski.

The Wolfpack receivers also had a bad night dropping many passes including some for first downs but more importantly dropped passes in the end zone.

Defensively they were stout only allowing seven points, but they also need to improve on the team's tackling.

The injury to Jake Vermiglio really hurt the offense by forcing relatively inexperienced offense lineman into action, that really showed when South Carolina blitzed the left side of the offensive line constantly.

Ray Michel and Willie Young both really looked sharp in the opener, with Michel leading the team in total tackles with eleven and Young right behind him with eight tackles including one for a loss of five yards.

They also looked rusty in the department of special teams averaging very poor starting field position and they had their first punt of the game blocked.

They had one really good punt return by the speedy T.J. Graham, only to have him violently taken down by a South Carolina defender grabbing him by the helmet/ face-mask and bring him to the ground.

I'm really getting upset by the officials because for two years in a row they have missed an obvious penalties, last year's was the hit on Wilson after he had thrown the ball which had caused him to have a grade three concussion.

The true freshman James Washington got some carries in the game compiling 17 yards on three carries. He looked pretty good but I am basing this on only three carries, so it is hard to tell but his future looks bright.

George Bryan was the leading receiver on the team catching four passes for 22 yards. Bryan stepping up as a big time receiving option this year will be a key to success for this Wolfpack team if they are to compete in the ACC.

I expected more than three points from NC State.

I expected more from Russell Wilson, the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year, and First Team All-ACC quarterback.

It's hard to give anyone not playing on defense a good grade in a 7-3 game—and I won't.

Offense

The Wolfpack's punter tallied more punts (six) then any receiver had receptions (Four, G. Bryan), and 100 more yards punting (236) then the offense had total yards (133).

The poor offensive performance was a team effort, but the blame has to start with the offensive line. Wilson was running for his life much of the game, and was sacked six times.

"We had Russell Wilson running around too much. He couldn't get his feet set. We must be better up front. South Carolina controlled the line of scrimmage. That alone is the difference the ballgame right there."

In a game decided by four points, I would have to agree with the coach. Wilson actually did not play terribly. He completed 12 of 23 passes, and did not throw an interception, despite being under tremendous pressure all night.

The running game for the Wolfpack was also atrocious; a lot of the blame there goes to the O-line as well. Of course, let's not place all the blame on the big fellas. NC State's wide receivers dropped crucial passes that could have changed the outcome of the game.

Grade for the NC State Offense: D-

Defense/Special Teams

As terrible as the offense was, Wolfpack coaches, players, and fans, can be happy with the defense.

They held the South Carolina Gamecocks to seven points on the night, forced one interception, and held the Gamecock rushing attack to just 2.6 yards a carry.

Linebacker Ray Michel led the way with 11 tackles, followed by defensive end Willie Young with eight. State Punter Jeff Ruiz punted six times for 236 yards, a respectable average of 39.3 yards (You know it's a bad offensive game when I have to look up average punt distances).

Grade for the NC State D/ST: B+

Overall Grade for NC State: D+

This was a big opportunity for NC State to come out of the gate strong against a mediocre SEC opponent. The offense was really bad; the defense solid.

Luckily, the Wolfpack have a world-class college football coach in Tom O'Brien, and will likely perform better as the season progresses. State fans should not get too down on them, as the season is long from over. I still expect them to compete for the ACC Atlantic Division title.

NC State 's next opponent: Murray State.

NC State football has struggled for the past five years, coincidentally, the same number of years since Philip Rivers graduated. They have made only two bowl games since that time and have had a combined record of 26-34.

After starting the season off 2-6 last year, it appeared NC State would have another season of bad football, but a new star and potential savior of the program arrived—Russell Wilson.

The NC State football program is now, amazingly, in their sixth season without Philip Rivers in the fold. NC State was 34-17 with Rivers at the helm of the offense, winning three of four bowl games, while leading the Wolfpack to their highest ranking ever, finishing 11th.

When Rivers said goodbye to Raleigh as his home, he was second on the all time college passing yards list. He also held the NCAA record for most consecutive games started with 51. He still holds the NCAA record in yards per attempt.

I guess you can't expect a .750 team to keep winning at that rate without a quarterback who proved himself to be one of the best quarterbacks of the decade. However, the four seasons after Rivers graduated were disastrous for quarterbacks at NC State. Whenever they though they had found a starter, he would do something to blow the game.

Jay Davis, Marcus Stone, Daniel Evans, and sometimes Harrison Beck all showed promise early, only to finish the year with losing seasons three of four years. The only winning season the Wolfpack had in those years was definitely owed to their defense, which featured NFL first round draft picks Mario Williams, Manny Lawson, and John McCargo.

It seemed last year as though NC State would have yet another year of mediocre quarterback play as both Harrison Beck and Russell Wilson struggled through the first three games. How soon that would change though. Russell Wilson and the Wolfpack shocked then number 15 East Carolina with Wilson throwing 3 touchdowns and no picks.

Wilson sat out NC State's game versus the South Florida Bulls only to get crushed 41-10, but the rest of the season was Russell Wilson time. Despite losing his first three starts back, he threw for 586 yards and five touchdowns and kept games against Boston College, Florida State, and Maryland all within 10 points. That's when Wilson really started heating up.

After the Maryland loss the Wolfpack went on their late season winning streak. They won four straight to end the season and clinch a bowl birth, thanks mainly to the play of Russell Wilson. Wilson had great games in wins over Duke and Wake, tossing two touchdowns and no interceptions in each game.

The Carolina game is what really got everybody talking about this guy though. Wilson took the Pack into Chapel Hill to face a ranked Tar Heels squad and just tore them to shreds. He passed for 279 yards, two touchdowns, as well as rushing for 50 yards, and again not throwing an interception. NC State beat Carolina 41-10 in a must win game. Clutch play if I've ever seen it.

Wilson had another very strong game to close things out against Miami with 220 yards passing, two scores, along with 58 yards on the ground and a score (and of course a big ZERO in the interception column).

He came into the bowl game on fire and was tearing up Rutgers defense in the first half. He was having his best game of the year, with 186 yards through the air, before going down with a knee injury that kept him out for the entire second half.

Wilson's amazing second half of the season really shows that he has figured out how to be a great quarterback in the NCAA. In his final eight starts he had a 17-0 TD-interception ratio. He didn't lose them any games, which happens a lot with freshman quarterbacks at such a high level.

The fact that he went on to NC State's arch rival North Carolina's home turf and had his best game attributes that he is already mentally matured like a senior (along with the fact of only throwing one interception all year), not like a freshman.

If Wilson can keep going at the pace where he left off, which there is no reason to believe otherwise, NC State fans should have a very good feeling about this season. Wilson is a unique, matchup problem for any defense, a rare scrambler who is also good throwing the ball and good at making decisions.

There haven't been many players like Wilson in college football. He has his favorite targets back, so chemistry will be even better with Owen Spencer, who really looked good down the stretch.

I don't think anybody can say that Wilson will be more important to NC State football than Rivers ever was. They are impossible to compare as well because of Rivers traditional pocket mentality and Wilson's scrambling philosophy. However, Wilson brings NC State their first taste of a very good quarterback since Philip Rivers and gives them  the game-breaking talents that a team needs to succeed.

When Chuck Amato was fired from NC State after a horrendous 2006-2007 season, it appeared that NC State football would have a three to four year rebuilding plan to get back on track and transform into a winning program.

Little did the Wolfpack know that their savior would arrive from conference rival Boston College, and immediately turn the Pack into a bowl team in two years and a potential ACC title team in just three.

Tom O'Brien arrived in Raleigh from Boston College straight off of a ten win season.

It seemed like a very stupid decision to leave a talented BC team with star quarterback Matt Ryan returning to go to a North Carolina State team fresh off losing most of its stars, especially on defense, just two years earlier.

Amato had not been recruiting as well as he previously had been either, so O'Brien didn't have a whole lot of new talent to work with.

As O'Brien's former team got off to an 8-0 start, the Wolfpack struggled out of the starting blocks, starting the season with  an abysmal 1-5 record, their only win coming against Wofford.

It looked as though O'Brien had made a very bad decision to spur Boston College at this point.

The Wolfpack's season was not done at that point though. The troops rallied around their coach and won their next four games, including a win at Miami. Then promptly dropped the next two, finishing with an embarrassing 38-0 defeat at the hands of the Maryland Terrapins.

Boston College meanwhile enjoyed an 11-3 season, defeating NC State as well.

However last year brought hope to the NC State faithful. After another bad start (2-6), things did appear to be heading down a bad road.

However, Russell Wilson's emergence, along with defensive improvements and four straight wins. NC State was one half and a Russell Wilson knee injury from having their first winning season in three years.

Well, before Rutgers pulled off a come from behind victory in their Papajohns.com Bowl game.

O'Brien has been progressing similarly as he did while at Boston College. After two 4-7 season at Boston College he lead them to an 8-3 year and a bowl birth, which wouldn't be an unreasonable expectation of what the Wolfpack should do this season.

O'Brien's recruiting classes aren't filled with blue chip guys, but he gets more out of his lesser recruits than almost anybody in the nation.

Take a look at Russell Wilson. He was just a 5'11", two-star QB coming out of high school in Virginia and now he is first team All-ACC as a freshmen. That is dynamite coaching and evaluation of talent right there.

Did O'Brien make the right decision to come to Raleigh and coach the Wolfpack?

We'll see how Boston College holds up in the next few years, but NC State certainly has a very promising season ahead of them and many more great seasons ahead.

The ACC is one of the deepest conferences in the NCAA. Last season the conference cranked out 10 teams that went to bowls. This year promises to be the same with many of the top teams in the ACC returning much of their key talent.

Teams like Virginia Tech, Florida State, and Georgia Tech are early favorites to be in Tampa come December, but if the North Carolina State Wolfpack can catch a few breaks along the way, watch out for them.

The burden of leading the Wolfpack to success this year rests on sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson's shoulders. It was evident last year in their bowl game against Rutgers how much of a difference maker he was. He picked defenses apart at will last season with his arm and legs and should be able to do the same this year.

There are no other quarterbacks in the ACC with his talent, and most of the time, having the best QB is a very good step toward being a top team. His scrambling ability presents a lot of problems for any team, and if he can play at the same level as he was at the end of last season, he should be first team All-ACC again and be playing for the ACC title.

Another factor the Wolfpack have going in their favor is their schedule. While many of their tougher conference games come on the road, they have a total of eight home games to only four away games. They have all four of their non-conference games at Carter-Finley Stadium, which will be very good for them to kick off their season.

Four home games to start a season can really get momentum going and kick off the season the right way instead of the 2-6 start of last season. They were 2-1 in home non-conference games last year, with the only loss coming to the then 13th-ranked South Florida Bulls.

Pitt and South Carolina are both good teams, but the Wolfpack should win those games playing at home.

NC State also has a lot of experience coming back on both sides of the ball. They have eight returning starters on offense, including four on the O-line. Toney Baker also is back after sitting out last season, and he could still be an impact player at running back. Jamelle Eugene is also a game-breaker out of the backfield and can break some long runs.

Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams are both very talented receivers who will be big mismatches at 6'3" and 6'4", and T.J. Graham is a speedy slot receiver who makes big plays.

As far as the defense goes, they have three returning starters on a very good D-line that include All-ACC candidate Willie Young.

Losing Nate Irving at middle linebacker hurts, but their offense is good enough to take the pressure off of the defense for most games.

If NC State can execute on offense this year, they will be one of the top teams in the ACC, right up there with Florida State and Wake Forest in the Atlantic division. They will be scary good if they can get production from their defense.

The ACC is wide open, just like last year, and NC State could be the team that swoops in and takes advantage of it, possibly punching themselves a ticket to Tampa in early December.

NC State begins the 2009 season as a popular dark horse to win the ACC. Much of the touting of the Wolfpack is based on Sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson and the teams four game winning streak to finish the regular season last year.

State will have to wade through a wide open Atlantic Division pool, but if Wilson stays healthy and the defense continues to improve they have a shot at a division title.

To get some more insight into the Wolfpack, I asked Allen Lopp from the Bleacher Report a few questions about NC State.

Russell Wilson has been getting a lot of hype this off season after a spectacular freshman campaign, albeit with injuries. What does Wilson need to improve on to help him stay healthy?

Injuries seem to haunt the Wolfpack almost every fall, and the preseason All-ACC quarterback is no exception. He sustained many injuries over the course of last season, the worst being the concussion he suffered following a questionable hit during the South Carolina game.

In order to stay healthy, Wilson needs to look to his second option instead of taking off running. The less hits he takes, the less of a chance there is for an injury to occur.

If Wilson does get hurt, how much confidence do you have in backup Mike Glennon?

Confidence in freshman is often misplaced, but Glennon is an exception. Glennon was a four-star recruit and number five overall in the country for last year's freshman class. He shows an excellent arm strength along with deadly accuracy, but isn’t as mobile as Russell Wilson.

He has excellent size at a staggering 6’6”, seven inches taller then previously mentioned Wilson. He is a classic drop back quarterback who exhibits solid footwork in the pocket.

While most quarterbacks coming out of high school prefer showing their skills in the shotgun, Glennon prefers to be under center. I hate to sound cocky, but if Wilson goes down another All-ACC quarterback may be waiting in the wings.

What can we expect out of Toney Baker at running back after missing two seasons with injuries?

The “touchdown machine,” as I like to call him, will see plenty of carries this season, but I do expect him to split time with fellow senior Jamelle Eugene. The two running backs differ in style; Baker is more of an uphill runner whereas Eugene is more of a speed back.

Statistically speaking, it is hard to gauge what a running back can produce after sitting almost two full season, but I see it very unlikely that he reaches the 1,000 yard mark having to split carries. I’m glad there is another experienced veteran available in case of an injury.


How will the experience on the offensive line with four expected Senior starters help NC State improve on offense?

Experience on the both sides of the ball is key to any team's success. Thankfully, the Wolfpack is returning most of last year's starters on the offensive line. They still have some improving to do, but that is to be expected out of a offensive line that last year had newcomers converted from defensive lineman. If they can continue to improve, they can help the Wolfpack offense become one of the ACC’s elite units.

NC State went from 186 yards per game to 142 yards per game allowed on the ground last year. Where can this defense end up with three starters back on the defensive line?

NC State did improve in the run stopping department, and will likely see more improvement with returning starters Shea McKeen, Willie Young, and Alan-Michael Cash.

They are also very deep at the defensive line with players such as Audi Augustin, Marcus Khun, and Jeff Rieskamp all seeing playing time last year. They have the ability to become one of the ACC’s best defensive lines this year and, reasonably, I see no reason why they couldn't drop their yards per game to 120 or 130.

What is the latest on star LB Nate Irving's injury status? Who will step in his place if he cannot come back this year?

He does not go back to the doctor until the end of August and that is all I know right now. He still has some doctors to see, but until that happens, I expect him to be out indefinitely.

I expect Dwayne Maddox and Terrell Manning to be taking most of the practice snaps at Irving’s position, but Manning has gone on record as saying he feels more comfortable at the outside linebacker position.

State has two tough, but winnable out of conference games against South Carolina and Pitt. Do you think they win both?

Yes, I strongly believe that both games can be won. Contrary to the score, last year's South Carolina game was very close until an exhausted Wolfpack defensive was torn apart by a fresh arm in at quarterback.

Pitt was largely dependent on LeSean McCoy for much of their offensive production, and now with his departure, it is unknown whether they can produce on offense without him.

Will the Wolfpack sweep the instate schools for the just the second time since 1986?

I was very surprised when NC State did sweep all of their in-state rivals last year. To do the same this year will be very hard in that almost every team is getting better and the schedule against the in-state teams is tougher.

Where do you see NC State finishing up record wise overall and in the ACC?

It is tough to gauge how many wins a team can garner over the course of a full season, but I can see an 8-4 record with losses at FSU, at VT, against Clemson, and against UNC. Anything less would be a disappointment to me, because the team is very talented. All they need is for things to mesh together, a la the Tampa Bay Rays.

My thoughts on NC State...

I like NC State as a dark horse in the ACC because of their QB play and I like Tom O'Brien as a head coach against most of his peers in the ACC. At BC, O'Brien's teams were known for their solid line play especially on offense and I am big believer in winning the battle in the trenches.

I agree with Allen on the injury situation for the Wolfpack, which lost 43 starts to injury last year, 11th worst in FBS. The health of Wilson is going to be a big key to where NC State finishes up, but I think the backup situation is much better this season.

The schedule sets up a little more difficult at the end of the year this season with an improved Clemson, Virginia Tech on the road, and rival North Carolina to close out the year. But I see NC State challenging for the Atlantic Division title and with a few breaks could sneak into the game in Tampa.

My Prediction

8-4, 5-3 ACC, Bowl Game

Best Case Scenario: 9-3
Worst Case Scenario: 6-6 (Wilson gets hurt early and is out for the year)

Thanks again to Allen for his insight. You can check out his Bleacher Report profile here.

What are your thoughts on NC State? Are they read to win the Atlantic Division or is the hype unwarranted?