Tom O'Brien and NC State May Have A Lot to Celebrate Come the End of 2012
With all of the realignment and rescheduling nonsense going on around the country, we wanted to give a breakdown of each of the ACC‘s schedules — how the teams stack up, and some thoughts on overall difficulty. If these change at all, we’ll also be sure to update them on a rolling basis. All information is up-to-date as of publishing, based on the latest from FBSchedules.com.
Today’s breakdown: NC State Wolfpack
From all accounts, it appears the Wolfpack picked the right year to schedule light for their four non-conference tilts. The ACC is due to be improved and a bit top-heavy, plus the school could actually figure itself into upper-tier bowl conversations. With an opening slate featuring both The Citadel and FBS newcomer South Alabama, plus 5-7 schools Tennessee and Connecticut, it’s a nice start. However, it’s also worth noting that the latter two teams figure to be improved and can cause problems when overlooked. Specifically the Volunteers, who fall victim more to their conference than a lack of talent on either side of the ball. If State runs through these teams though, they’ll likely be sitting pretty as a top-20 program.
In terms of the ACC schedule, the ‘Pack also get several additional breaks. Most notably, avoiding both Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, plus getting league-favorite Florida State at home. Road games at North Carolina, Clemson and Miami may prove difficult (especially with several of those opponents out for some revenge from last season), but these matchups are countered with opportunities against Boston College and Maryland. Will this be the year that NC State finally breaks through into the ACC’s upper echelon and contends for a league title? Clemson surprised everyone in 2011 with an exciting run to the championship game. Why not the Wolfpack in 2012?
Previously: Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami
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