2007 Football Schedule Update

'07 Football General92

Each year we run one entry that serves as our “schedule entry” entry and we update it as time passes and related news (like television schedules) evolve. Most fans usually use the entry as an opportunity to chime in with some preseason predictions. (Just yesterday we updated our evolving ‘basketball schedule’ entry when ESPN announced the match-ups for the Old Spice Basketball Classic over Thanksgiving.)

We also try to ‘byte’ some observations regarding the schedule. How about some of these fortuitous gems from last season’s entry?

* A seven-win or six-win season in 2006 will indicate the program has AT BEST stalled. Less than six wins and the program is in very deep trouble.

* The last time that NC State ended a football season with back-to-back games against North Carolina and East Carolina, NC State fired coach, Mike O’Cain.

* For real shits-and-giggles, ‘what if’ Skip Holtz was having a fantastic year at East Carolina and Chuck Amato was having a horrible year at NC State. Could we be watching Skip’s last game on the sideline in Greenville prior to taking the head job in Raleigh? It is not beyond the realm of possibility…but, it is nothing more than fun fan talk right now.

* To ^that same point – is it 1999 again? Remember in year seven of Mike O’Cain’s tenure at NC State the Wolfpack ended the season with back-to-back games against Carolina and East Carolina. State lost them both. O’Cain was fired. After three years of under-achievement compared to talent and expectations, is Chuck Amato on strong enough footing to weather a similar fate if he were to lose both of these games?

We do something very similar with the Wolfpack’s future out of conference schedule that can be seen by clicking here.

This year’s “official foootball schedule entry” was a little disjointed because we were working hard to piece together as much of the schedule as possible BEFORE it was released. Since NC State has announced the kickoff times and television situation for the Wolfpack’s first three games of the 2007 season, we thought this would be a good place to consolidate our “2007 Schedule Entry”.

2007 NC State Football Schedule

Sep 1 vs Central Florida, 6:00pm (ESPN 360 on internet)
Sep 8 at Boston College, 2:30pm (ESPN2)
Sep 15 vs Wofford, 6:00pm (ESPN 360 on internet)
Sep 22 vs Clemson
Sep 29 vs Louisville
Oct 6 at Florida State
Oct 20 at East Carolina, 4:30pm (CSTV)
Oct 27 vs Virginia
Nov 3 at Miami (FL)
Nov 10 vs UNC-CH
Nov 17 at Wake Forest
Nov 24 vs Maryland

* This is a tough schedule by any measure. Not the world’s toughest, but not a walk in the park.

* The Sporting News has ranked the ACC schedules. It’s not their best work, but it will do.

* There is ALWAYS significant variance between the actual performance of teams and the pre-season projections of teams. You have to think that the likelihood of variance that a team could end up being a lot better than projected (see Wake Forest and ECU last season) or a lot worse than projected is usualy about equal. For some reason, I feel like we have a better chance that the teams on our schedule could end up being worse than projected than if they ended up being better than projected.

* The schedule could quickly get better if Wake fails to repeat its performance from this past season and ECU struggles to break in a new quarterback

* If I had to pick 2 or 3 ‘wild cards’ of teams whose performance could vary the most from pre-season expectations then I would choose Carolina, Wake and Maryland. Interestingly, these three teams line-up in consecutive weekends at the end of our schedule.

* Back-to-back home games against Clemson and Louisville create a very attractive week in late September. If State finds a way to pull an upset at BC on September 8th then TOB will REALLY see that fan support that he was so impressed by during his visit to Raleigh last season.

“Just to walk into (Carter-Finley Stadium), and the enthusiasm in the stadium here, is incredible,” O’Brien said. “I’ve taken teams to State College and beaten Penn State there in front of 100,000 people. I’ve taken a team to Notre Dame when they were No. 4 in the country and came out in the green jerseys. The excitement that fateful night I was here in September (for the BC-NCSU game) was as good as any place I’ve ever been.”

* Speaking of the September 8th match-up in Chestnut Hill — that is going to be one of my designated, “ULTRA hang out all day, eat wings, drink beer, indulge myself in football days” of the season. In addition to the Pack’s game, just the ACC offers the following television line-up of action: Miami at Oklahoma, 12 pm, ABC; Nebraska at Wake Forest, 12pm, ESPN; Duke at Virginia, 12pm, LFS/R; Samford at Georgia Tech, 1:30, ESPNU; UAB at Florida State, 5 pm, ESPNU; North Carolina at East Carolina, 6pm, CSTV; Virginia Tech at LSU, 9:15pm, ESPN. WOW!

* The stretch between September 30th and November 9th sees NC State play only one home game in Carter-Finley (October 27th vs Virginia). After the coaching turnover within the conference last season, Al Groh may be the closest thing we have to being on the ‘hot seat.’

* Will NC State EVER play Duke again? Hell, if Chuck Amato could have just replaced annual Coastal-division losses to Georgia Tech with games against Duke then he probably would still be employed.

* Maybe Lee Fowler should stop worrying about pleasing Terry Holland and working so hard to elevate ECU’s Athletics Program and start helping our ACC brethren out. NC State and Duke could play football every year even if it didn’t count in the ACC standings. We’ve been touting this idea for years and for some reason it gets no traction. It must be way too innovative for the stuffed suits in Raleigh.

* The Wolfpack and Blue Devils could schedule out of conference match-ups and do battle in a historical rivalry that would help both programs. When State travels to Durham the Blue Devils see as much attendance as any game that they schedule. Why doesn’t Fowler support Wolfpack faithful by giving us a game that we can attend in Durham (in an easier journey than Greenville that brings much less physical risk to the average fan) that would also serve to support the coffers of one of our league brothers?

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'07 Football General

92 Responses to 2007 Football Schedule Update

  1. packpigskinfan23 06/06/2007 at 10:52 AM #

    sorry gopack968… gotta disagree with you there… ECU has just as much football history as NCSU does. they are in a “sub-par” confrence, yes… but the ACC was HORRIBLE in football last year. Some might argue that ConUSA was better. I dont agree with the politics of this game… but I would rather play ECU then Akron any day.

    anyways I think it has been proven time and time again that NCSU’s chancelor is about as big of a moron as Lee Fowler is… and I agree that if anyone could have stopped this it is Oblinger and Oblinger only. its really sad. especially since I have to endure whatever punishment they put on this school for at least the next two years.

  2. packpigskinfan23 06/06/2007 at 10:53 AM #

    ECU’s national relevance is just as high as NCStates minus the BCS conference.

  3. StateFans 06/06/2007 at 10:55 AM #

    If you buy all of the reasons that the pro-ECU-game-folks believe, then when UNC-Charlotte gets its football team it will be a much better idea to play Charlotte than ECU. When does it end?

  4. foz 06/06/2007 at 10:58 AM #

    gopack968 I see your point. If ECU were a nationally ranked team, would that change your stance? ECU has been down for several years, but looks to be on the way back up. If in a couple of years they (start) being in the top 25 on a regular basis, is this still a bad series?

  5. packpigskinfan23 06/06/2007 at 11:02 AM #

    but can we all agree that if we are looking for national type games then playing ECU is a much better idea then playing Duke?! I understand the UNC-C thing… but isnt Duke on the same level basically?! at least we do have a quality opponent. and as of now we have nothing to gain from this… but Skip Holtz has ECU moving up, and maybe in 3 yrs this game could be 2 top 25 teams playing each other. its at least possible where with UNC-C and Duke its impossible!!!

    but whatever… last time I got into this topic on this site I was almost blocked for differing in opinion. StateFans is very passionate about this.

    as far as the politics go, I am with Noah- but “to resist is to piss in the wind”

  6. BoKnowsNCS71 06/06/2007 at 11:08 AM #

    SFN — that’s a good point. UNCC would exert the same political pressures that ECU has done to get played at home because that will bring revenue in to Charlotte. It never ends.

  7. foz 06/06/2007 at 11:08 AM #

    packpigsfan23 makes the point I’m trying to make much more clearly.

  8. RAWFS 06/06/2007 at 11:20 AM #

    I’d like to add that I agree with Noah’s ideals.

    Problem is that the world is not an ideal place, and never will be.

    The machinations of NC’s government have been good-ole-boy as long as I can remember. There are endless examples of disparities, inequities and outrageous cronyism downtown. Add to it outright bribery and under-the-table deals and you’ll find that “what’s right” is done only when it is convenient.

  9. McPete 06/06/2007 at 11:31 AM #

    It would be a good idea to play football in Charlotte every year. It’s a talent rich in HS football and the visibility would be positive. They need local recruits watching the team play (and win) and just having a presence in Charlotte.

  10. Mr O 06/06/2007 at 11:39 AM #

    From my standpoint, we have to have four non-conference games a year.

    In this day and age with all programs wanting home and homes, who the hell do you think we can schedule and still have 7+ home games?

  11. McPete 06/06/2007 at 11:47 AM #

    Back to the ‘hot seat’ argument, this is Clemson’s 2007 schedule. What a joke of a non-conf. schedule. South Carolina is the only real opponent. What direction is Clemson headed? I don’t think Bowden survives a losing record.

    Clemson Schedule

    Date Opponent
    Sept. 3 Florida State
    Sept. 8 La.-Monroe
    Sept. 15 Furman
    Sept. 22 at N.C. State
    Sept. 29 at Georgia Tech
    Oct. 6 Virgnia Tech
    Oct. 20 Central Michigan
    Oct. 27 at Maryland
    Nov. 3 at Duke
    Nov. 10 Wake Forest
    Nov. 17 Boston College
    Nov. 24 at South Carolina

  12. joe 06/06/2007 at 11:50 AM #

    The 12 game schedule probably made 1-AA games a lot more popular since they never ask for a return game. Even the lower 1-A conferences like the MAC and WAC are now asking for and getting home and home games instead of only playing on the road. If you never play a 1-AA team you are probably going to have some years with only 6 home games. This year UNC only has 6 home games.

  13. TNCSU 06/06/2007 at 12:02 PM #

    IMO, Furman vs. Clemson is alot like State vs. ECU wrt to proximity, size of schools, football traditions, etc. The big problem I have is that NC already has 5 Div I Football Schools – the 4 ACC schools and ECU, so competition to recruit N.C. HS football players is fierce. Add to the ASU, Western, etc. (I’m sure I’m forgetting some) and the choices of colleges in NC is great — i.e. talent level evens out. When we lose, it will definitely hurt recruiting in N.C. In contrast, Georgia has Ga. Tech and UGa — SC has Clemson and USC — Ohio has Ohio State. The big issue is that until we regularly beat ECU, it is not a good OOC game. If we beat them, it’s a decent win, but if we lose, it’s a bad loss. Notice how Ohio State hadn’t played Xavier in “forever” in basketball — same reasons.

  14. gopack968 06/06/2007 at 12:08 PM #

    Isn’t Furman Division II (old IAA)?

  15. noah 06/06/2007 at 1:02 PM #

    “As for the line “The reporter who gets great quotes.” Nope — it’s the reproter who cares enough to investigate the topic deeply, find the facts, find the dirt, get the facts.”

    Wrong. This isn’t about that. This isn’t one where anyone has to dig. It’s all on the surface. It’s just a matter of who talks.

    “Jim Black gave great quotes? But the media dug up enought dirt on him beforehand that law enforcement picked up the case.”

    Who said only one side has to give great quotes??? And the media didn’t dig up any dirt on Black. That investigation got handed to them. ANd they quoted the people who gave them great quotes.

    RAWFS said: “The machinations of NC’s government have been good-ole-boy as long as I can remember.”

    Fine. Then a bunch of good ole boys can get their good ole asses handed to them. The world was flat until someone took a trip.

  16. foz 06/06/2007 at 1:06 PM #

    Good luck convincing someone reaping the benefits of the system to buck that very system.

  17. Astral Rain2 06/06/2007 at 1:08 PM #

    Best way to deal with the ECU situation- run up the score on them. I’m talking Spurrier-esque run up the score. Of course you’d have to get so good that you can run up the score on them, but if Sid’s up 90-40 in the 2nd half, I want them to be pressing on D and running up the score. If you make the game such a buttstomping, they won’t want to play you again.

  18. whitefang 06/06/2007 at 1:14 PM #

    Noah, I didn’t see if anybody else found this from 1996 regarding the state legislature so I will post it:

    The ECU group has not yet had the need to establish a formal caucus, but if they do, there is little doubt who the chair will be. Democratic Sen. Ed Warren ’53 of Greenville would likely be elected by acclamation.

    Warren spent five terms in the House before being elected to the Senate in 1991, and he said some of his proudest legislative moments have come in supporting his alma mater. “My whole thrust has been to try to make sure that ECU gets its share from the state. It’s been that way since I went to Raleigh 16 years ago,” Warren said.

    “I carry the word about ECU everywhere I go,” he said. “I need to do that because Chapel Hill and State have people doing that.

    “I take a lot of pride in the work I do for ECU, especially the medical school,” Warren said. “My job is to try to make positive things happen. The medical school is a sleeping giant that’s just going to get better. The national attention it is getting now is positive for all of us.”

    Warren also cites his accomplishments on behalf of the library and the recent additions of Chapel Hill and N.C. State to the football schedule as proud moments for him”

    The link is: http://www.news.ecu.edu/april96tab/legis.html

    Obviously a state senator bragging about influencing football schedules was not something that brought the media down on him.

  19. noah 06/06/2007 at 1:34 PM #

    That’s because no one knows his name. Because the cowards at NC State and UNC haven’t dragged him around by his scrotum. And the reason they haven’t is because they’re cowards.

    The skinny little nerd told the football player to give him his lunch money and they totally gave in. Yeah, I imagine that it’s a story they don’t really want told.

    Did that dumbass hick really think that cutting funding for NC State or Carolina would HELP get a dental school at ECU built???

    “My whole thrust has been to try to make sure that ECU gets its share from the state.”

    And this has WHAT to do with the actions of the athletic department?

    “My job is to try to make positive things happen”

    Yeah, my job as AD at NC State is to act on behalf of NC State. Your job, apparently, is to be the greeter at Wal-Mart.

  20. joe 06/06/2007 at 1:48 PM #

    UNC and NCSU left themselves open to polical pressure by asking for tax money for the Dean Dome and RBC Center. Could be that NCSU decided playing ECU in FB wasn’t a bad trade off for $22 mil to help build the RBC Center.

  21. RAWFS 06/06/2007 at 1:49 PM #

    “My whole thrust has been to try to make sure that ECU gets its share from the state.”

    Plus some. Is there a medical school in western NC at App or WCU? No. A dental school? No.

    And so forth and so on.

  22. BoKnowsNCS71 06/06/2007 at 1:56 PM #

    In conversing in blogs, each person contributes what they know and what they have experienced and thus know. Many of you know more about sports (especially Wolfpack sports) than I ever will. So on those topics you will speak from your first hand knowledge and experience — based on facts that support your view.

    At some time in blog discourse, the discussion becomes not what one knows — but what one “feels”, “believes” or “thinks” should be right. That might be based on one’s religious belief, value system, or other things. It does not have to be based on fact. It’s opinion.

    All I am saying that based on looking and working with the government critter for many many years, I know where the critter eats, sleeps, craps, hunts, and how it acts. I’ve actually had dealings with the critter to get legislation passed — and sucessfully gotten that done. So my donation to this blog comes from my personal experience and knowledge. Plus what I read and hear. What I’m saying is not opinion.

    I’m just telling you this to help you see a bit more of what goes on behind closed doors within state government (university system included). You can believe it or not. You can beat the strawman (LF) or you can understand the awkward position him and Mr Bowles and why this fight is not worth falling on one’s sword.

    Maybe someone someday will attend a WPC gathering and ask old Lee (and the UNC AD) in front of the press – “Hey Lee, was it politics that forced us in to a home and away with ECU? You probably won’t get an answer cause the critter feeds him and his boss. It’s probably be something noble like “ECU is a great institution.” or :instate rivarlres are good for the schools” or “these games save energy and travel costs to the school” etc… ad infinitum. Bottom line is that none of these guys will ever be fired for doing what they were asked to do by some persuasive people.

  23. joe 06/06/2007 at 1:58 PM #

    The weird thing about playing ECU in FB is that most Pack fans seem to fall into 2 distinct camps:

    Some people foam at the mouth at the mere mention of ECU
    Some people like the idea of playing them once in a while

    It’s almost totally black and white, very few people are neutral on the idea.

  24. gopack968 06/06/2007 at 2:05 PM #

    “Some people foam at the mouth at the mere mention of ECU
    Some people like the idea of playing them once in a while”

    Most just don’t want to be forced into playing them every year.

  25. joe 06/06/2007 at 2:12 PM #

    Nobody has said anything about NCSU playing ECU every year. ECU doesn’t want that either.

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