NC State Football

The North Carolina State Wolfpack will not be celebrating any more victories this season. That will be nothing for them to hang their heads about. They've already had a nice run. 

NC State entered this tournament as the No. 11 seed after going 24-12 in the regular season and just 9-7 in the ACC. 

However, this team caught fire at the right time. 

They won four of their last five leading up to their tournament, and their one loss was a two-point defeat to North Carolina. 

They then demolished the higher-seeded San Diego State team, 79-65 in the Round of 64. That led them to their Sunday showdown with No. 3 Georgetown. 

The Wolfpack then pulled off a dramatic three-point victory over the Hoyas and their bandwagon is now quickly filling up. However, that bandwagon has reached its destination. 

NC State now awaits the winner of the Kansas-Purdue game. Likely winner Kansas is a bad matchup for the Wolfpack. 

The Wolfpack like a higher paced game, but they will not be able to outscore Kansas. They come in scoring over a 1.5 points a game more than NC State and they do so far more efficiently. 

Kansas finished the season 14th in the nation in field-goal percentage and the Wolfpack are 55th. 

NC State has slightly better rebounding numbers than the Jayhawks, but it will not be enough to overcome their deficiencies in this area. 

To win this matchup, the Wolfpack will have to absolutely catch fire from downtown and they simply do not have the outside shooters to do that. 

Audie Cole, Linebacker, North Carolina State University

Audie Cole is a big, versatile linebacker out of North Carolina State University.  At the combine in February, he measured in at 6’4” and 246 pounds. Cole is an all-around athlete having played multiple linebacker positions during his time in college. I saw him at the Senior Bowl, and he really stood out.

I had the opportunity to talk to him about college and his thoughts going forward into the NFL. We talked a little history. He played quarterback and safety in high school, and he also lettered in basketball and baseball. It is clear that he is a very athletic guy who can do it all.

I asked him if he thought being so athletically versatile helps him.  He said “I think it is good to be able do everything and being an athlete, being able to do a lot of different things really ends up helping you in everything.”

Cole was a Gold Glove champion in boxing in high school. He is just one of those guys that is really good at everything he does. He told me that he had less than 10 fights, but he won the Tri-State Gold Gloves tournament which consisted of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

We talked about his development as a player and particularly as a linebacker. He said he was “clueless up until a few years ago when my position coach Jon Tenuta really taught me how to prepare and how to play the game.”

He played outside linebacker through his junior season and had to move to the middle for his senior season. I asked what it was like. He said that he enjoyed it, but the only reason he went was because of personnel reasons—the team needed him to.  They had lost their middle linebacker the year earlier and “They needed somebody inside to be the coach on the field and get everyone lined up, and they wanted me to do it.”

He is laid back and very unassuming because when we talked about his success on the field he seemed uncomfortable and wanted to talk about the team and not himself.  He said, “It wasn't like everybody was like 'we want Audie to be our middle linebacker because he would be a great middle linebacker,' it was kind of like he's our leader and we want him on the field making the calls.”

We talked about the versatility of being able to show teams that he can play more than one position. I asked him if he thought that versatility would help him come draft day.  He told me that he thought so and a lot of people talked about that.  He mentioned that a lot of people liked that he was able to play so many positions and “it just makes you able to do more things.”

He was a very productive tackler in college, leading the team in tackles in 2009, 2010 and 2011. I asked him if that gave him a sense of pride, being that productive as a player. He said that yes it was nice to know, but it bothered him to think about how many tackles he could have had. He brought up a game against Cincinnati where he had 16 tackles and how on paper it looked like he had a great game, but the team really got beat and that the numbers didn't matter because “it's just whatever you have to do to win.”

His favorite moment playing college football is not losing to their in-state rival North Carolina during his entire time at North Carolina State.  He said, “It was important not only to the players, but it's more of a big deal to the fans around North Carolina,”  and “that's what they hold their hat on, that the football team hasn't lost in five years,” and that it was a big deal for the players and the community.

Looking to the future and the NFL, we talked about things that he could offer as a player to an NFL team. He mentioned that he was a “smart, talented player and a leader, and I feel like I can do whatever they ask me to do.” He talked about how he thought his intelligence has helped him his entire career.

When I asked him if he had a message for the fans of the team that drafts him. He said he would want them to know that “on the field he is a productive player that is smart and does everything.  I'm in the right spot usually, and I will get a good pass rush and I'm just a good person.”  He also mentioned that he was the kind of guy that you didn't have to worry about.

Audie Cole is going to be a productive football player at the NFL level as he seems to be able to do everything well.  There was something about him that stood out to me when I watched him at the Senior Bowl—he was all around the ball and seemed to have a very good handle on what he was doing.  At some point during the 2012 NFL draft Audie Cole will get drafted and I will smile, knowing that some team has just gotten a really good player.

Scott Bischoff is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand or from official interview materials.

Louisville should care more about its No. 4-ranked basketball team’s matchup with No. 12 Georgetown on Wednesday than their football team’s bowl game against North Carolina State.

The what bowl?  The Belk Bowl will be dominated by the Wolfpack on Tuesday night, so Cardinals fans should just start hyping themselves up for tomorrow night’s hoop action.

NC State will force Louisville’s offense to be one-dimensional from the opening kickoff.  Led by J.R. Sweezy, the talented Wolfpack defensive line will have a field day in shutting down the Cardinals running game.  Louisville’s leading rusher in Dominique Brown averages just 3.7 yards a carry.

Both offensive lines are horrible, so getting a consistent ground game going on either side will be a challenge.

Teddy Bridgewater has a bright future, but he’ll only have one side of the field to throw to in the Belk Bowl.  Wolfpack starting cornerback David Amerson is the definition of a ball-hawk.  He picked off opposing quarterbacks a whopping 11 times this season.  Bridgewater can’t afford to give Amerson a chance to snag another one.

Comparing offensive playmakers, NC State is better at every level.

While Bridgwater is a freshman, Wolfpack starting QB Mike Glennon is a senior with superior production.  While the Louisville passer had a touchdown-to-interceptions ratio on the year of 12-9, Glennon went 28-11.

NC State running back James Washington rushed for 852 yards and seven touchdowns on 4.0 yards a pop this season.  No Louisville back even gained 500 yards on the ground.  Of course, no receiver did through the air either, while Wolfpack wide out T.J. Graham brought down 39 receptions for 641 yards and five touchdowns on the season.

And with the game being played in Charlotte, it’ll practically be a home game for NC State.  Louisville is too young to pull the upset in this one.  

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer. Follow him on Twitter.

Although it may not be a marquee matchup, the 2011 Belk Bowl should be a competitive game as it will pit two 7-5 teams against each other in the form of NC State and Louisville. Ultimately, however, the Wolfpack will affirm the ACC's superiority over the Big East.

Louisville missed out on a BCS bowl based on a tiebreaker as West Virginia won the Big East due to being ranked higher by the BCS system. Despite the fact that the Cardinals were merely an eyelash away from such a high-profile game, NC State will come out on top.

The ACC certainly wasn't great in its own right this season, and that has prompted some to call it the worst BCS conference. That simply isn't true, though, as the ACC has teams like Clemson, Virginia Tech and Florida State, all of which would have easily won the Big East.

That isn't to take anything away from Louisville's solid season, but the fact of the matter is that the Cardinals didn't beat anyone of note aside from West Virginia. Perhaps you can say the same about NC State, but the Wolfpack did beat Clemson when it was ranked seventh in the nation.

NC State had to contend with a much higher level of competition throughout the season, and I think that much will be very apparent in the Belk Bowl. The Cardinals were ranked 19th in the nation in total defense during the regular season, but the Wolfpack has enough offensive firepower to render that point moot.

Senior quarterback Mike Glennon had a fantastic season for NC State while often playing against some of the country's elite defenses in the ACC. While his 2,790 passing yards may not jump off the stat sheet, he made the most of his opportunities in throwing for 28 touchdowns.

NC State also has a decent running game to support Glennon in the form of James Washington and Tony Creecy. The Wolfpack may not have the greatest defense in the world, but Louisville is a very station-to-station team that isn't going to make a lot of big plays.

I think big-play potential is what will ultimately decide this game, and in a lot of ways it is a microcosm of how the Big East stacks up against the other power conferences. The Big East has several solid teams, but none are truly spectacular. Most of them play good defense and have good running games, but they lack explosion.

NC State is far from the most explosive team in the nation, but it very clearly has a more athletic team. I don't expect the Wolfpack to overwhelm the Cardinals by any means, but it will be very clear which team plays in the ACC and which plays in the Big East.

North Carolina and Louisville will end their mediocre seasons in the Belk Bowl, which will be played in Charlotte, making it almost a home game for the Wolfpack.

Both teams head into this bowl with 7-5 records and will be hoping to avoid a disappointing 7-6 season with a loss.

Let's look at everything you need to know about this matchup that pits the Big East and the ACC battling for the Belk Bowl.

Where: Bank of America Stadium. Charlotte, North Carolina.

When: Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN3.com

Listen: WHAS 840 AM in Lousiville. 101.5 WRAL-FM in Raleigh.

Key Storyline

North Carolina State has been quite inconsistent this season and it seemed like every time they won two games, they were destined to lose one as well. The Wolfpack need to play good fundamental football for 60 minutes to beat Louisville.

Betting Line

North Carolina State (-1) according to Sportsbook

Who Might Not Play for Louisville

CB Anthony Conner and OL Kamran Joyner are out of the Belk Bowl with neck and knee injuries, respectively.

Who Might Not Play for North Carolina State

QB Tyler Brosius is questionable for the Belk Bowl with a hand injury.

What it means for Louisville

Big East pride is on the line for a Louisville team that had an average season in a terrible Big East conference. If the Big East wants respect then it has to perform well in bowl season.

What it means for North Carolina State

Wolfpack head coach Tom O'Brien has not taken the program to an elite level yet and he could be playing for his job in this bowl game. Not being able to beat Louisville in the Belk Bowl is pathetic, so he needs his team to play well in this game.

What They're Saying

Senior tight end Josh Chichester said the following about the Belk Bowl, via the Courier-Journal:

“We have fun when it’s about fun, but now it’s all about business, really. Everybody is dialed in right now. Last year we were just happy to be there.”

Player to watch on Louisville

The Louisville offense only scored 21.8 points per game this season and if they want to beat the Wolfpack, they will need to score more than that. Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater needs to play well for his team to win the Belk Bowl.

Player to watch for North Carolina State

Quarterback Mike Glennon led the Wolfpack passing offense this season and the unit ranked 58th in the country in yards per game through the air. If he plays well in the Belk Bowl, the Wolfpack offense will be able to score a lot of points and win this game.

Key Matchup

Glennon versus the Louisville defense will be the key matchup because the Wolfpack passing game is good and the best method for them to score points. If the Cardinals can slow it down, then North Carolina State will struggle to score. Glennon only threw 11 interceptions this season and rarely turns the ball over.

Prediction: Wolfpack win 23-17

North Carolina State's passing offense led by Glennon will win their battle with the Louisville secondary and that will be the difference in this game.

The Wolfpack will end their season on a high note with a Belk Bowl victory.

The SEC has added Texas A&M, and it will eventually add a 14th team in order to balance its conference schedule. Various schools have been mentioned as possible expansion candidates, including Virginia Tech, Florida State, Missouri, Louisville and West Virginia (as well as several others).

One candidate that hasn't been mentioned as much, but deserves a lot of attention, is NC State. It is arguably not only a good candidate but the best candidate for the SEC.

Consider the following:

NC State Provides New Media Markets for the SEC

Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech don't provide any additional exposure for the SEC. When Texas A&M joins the SEC, the conference will not only have an additional football powerhouse but also have access to new media markets in Texas. The importance of this cannot be overlooked.

Several expansion candidates are outside of the SEC's geographic footprint. Out of these schools, the two best choices for media markets are Missouri and NC State. West Virginia does not help much, other than being somewhat close to Pittsburgh. Louisville, like the southern ACC schools, is in a state that already has an SEC school. Virginia Tech, while it would help with the state of Virginia, is not in a major market itself.

The state of Missouri would bring a lot of additional eyeballs for the SEC, but so would the state of North Carolina. Raleigh is a large and growing market. Having an SEC team in the state would also increase interest all across North Carolina, including in an even larger market, Charlotte.

NC State Is a Geographic and Cultural Match for the SEC

The state of North Carolina literally "fits" quite well in the SEC. The state of North Carolina borders three states with SEC schools, and several of the eastern SEC schools are closer to NC State than they are to the western SEC schools.

The same cannot be said about West Virginia or Missouri. While both are in states that border SEC states, they both very much on the northern edge of SEC territory. Either one would be the new northernmost SEC school. While not quite as much of an outlier as BC has been in the ACC, they are further away from most SEC schools than NC State,

NCSU is also a cultural fit. While not a "deep south" state, North Carolina is definitely a southern state. Missouri is more of a midwestern state. West Virginia is more Appalachian than it is southern.

The Presence of a School in North Carolina Can Only Help Football Recruiting

The SEC would not only benefit from new media markets in the state of North Carolina, but it would also benefit by having a physical presence in one of the top 10 states for football recruiting.

North Carolina had the ninth-highest total of BCS-school recruits over the last 10 years.  Having an SEC team in the state will assist its teams in obtaining even more football recruits from the state.

The SEC Is Already a Strong Football Conference So It Can Focus on Other Needs

Many fans who examine potential conference expansion teams only look at how good a school's football program is (i.e. Virginia Tech and Florida State). This ignores the fact that the SEC already has many great football schools, including some of the best in the country. It doesn't need to get more great football programs. It already has them.

Virginia Tech and Florida State (and other strong football programs) would provide another strong competitor on the field. While this increases the conference's football power, should it really be a major priority for SEC expansion? It would make it more difficult for the existing teams to compete for the championship.

Texas A&M was a great fit for the SEC partially because of its football power, but also for its presence and popularity in the state of Texas. Football is king in Texas, and the SEC having a presence there is fantastic for the conference.

A presence in North Carolina is more valuable to the SEC than simply adding another great football program.

Getting NC State Should Not Irritate Any Existing SEC members

Conventional wisdom says that the SEC will never invite Florida State, Georgia Tech or Clemson because there is already an SEC school in that state. The same may apply for Louisville.

Inviting NC State presents no such problem, since there is no SEC school in North Carolina.

Leaving the ACC Makes More Sense for NC State Than For Any Other ACC School

NC State, in many ways, is the "third" North Carolina school. When folks around the nation think of athletic programs in North Carolina, they think of North Carolina and Duke (primarily for basketball).

If it joined the SEC, NC State would be the only SEC school in North Carolina. It would no longer be overshadowed by being in the same conference as UNC and Duke.

This is also why NC State makes more sense than North Carolina as an SEC candidate. UNC has no great reason to leave the ACC, since it is one of the traditional powers in the conference and has a history of great success in basketball. It also does not make any sense for UNC to break up its historic basketball rivalry with Duke.

NC State has had some success in basketball (especially in the '70s and '80s) but is usually overshadowed by its local ACC competitors. The SEC is good in basketball, but the ACC is loaded. NCSU would have a better chance at basketball success in the SEC.

Virginia Tech and Florida State have had very good football success in the ACC. The benefits of being in a stronger football conference are questionable, since they would have much tougher competition and would be less likely to win a conference championship.

NC State Would Have Improved Football Recruiting If It Joined the SEC

If NCSU became an SEC member, the best football recruits in North Carolina would have a local school that they attend that would compete in the SEC. Because of the SEC's power in football, students who would otherwise not choose NC State may consider it as an option.

Some state recruits would continue to go to other SEC schools, but others would decide to stay closer to home. Virginia students would also have an SEC option that is closer to home (and Virginia is also a strong football recruiting state).

This is admittedly more of a reason from NC State's view than it is from the SEC's view, but it is another reason that NC State should consider moving out of the ACC and into the SEC.

Time Will Tell

We may have to wait a while before we find out what school will receive the SEC's invitation to become its 14th member. But it will happen eventually; 13 is an awkward number of teams for an athletic conference, and it makes sense to move to 14 once they have figured out who it should be.

While it would not be good for the ACC, the SEC's logical choice for expansion is NC State.