NC State is a 12.5 Underdog to UNC

'08 Football57

It’s very hard to believe that UNC-CH is close to a two touchdown favorite against the Wolfpack. It’s a lot of fun going into this game with all of the sitting on Carolina’s shoulders.

Additionally, it has been announced that Cameron Sexton will start for Tarheels.

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'08 Football

57 Responses to NC State is a 12.5 Underdog to UNC

  1. MatSci94 11/17/2008 at 11:19 AM #

    I didn’t watch a ton of the Wake game, but from what I saw we seem to be tackling better than a few games ago.

  2. ECHO CHARLIE 11/17/2008 at 11:22 AM #

    The PACK looks like they have an extra spring in their step this week. I think they will kick some butt, win or lose. Rw will have their heads spinning !

  3. ncsu_kappa 11/17/2008 at 11:25 AM #

    Roll phuckin Tide… I mean NC State Wolf phuckin Pack! My take on coaching strategies is that we think about football all of 8-16 hours a week at the very most.

    These guys think about football for 16 hrs a day and have since they were 18 years old many of them. We aren’t going to provide them any insight or value add. There is a chance that you guess a defense that may or may not work on a particular play. For you that was luck, what our coaches do is a skill, whether we want to give them credit or not.

    (beer belch) Roll phuckin Tide…

  4. GAWolf 11/17/2008 at 11:47 AM #

    ^^ It’s funny… because it’s true.

    Speaking of fans, I just checked out InsideCarolina.com or whatever it is just to try to feed my hunger for some information about this weekend’s game. Before going forward I want to say that my wife is a Carolina grad and my brother is a Carolina grad (but deep down is still the biggest State fan I know). My brother married a freaking Carolina cheerleader for crying out loud. Their children are about as conflicted as kids can be as a result.

    Further, thanks to a really great friend and die-hard Carolina fan who always includes us in his tickets for the State/Carolina game in Raleigh, I have actually attended the last 8 State/Carolina games. That guy’s wife, interestingly enough, went to State. They are some of the finest people I’ve ever had the fortunate opportunity to befriend. And I’d say that with or without the tickets… promise.

    Anyway, I have a pretty healthy and diverse perspective on the very guts of Tarheel nation. Of course I have that necessary general disdain for all things baby blue that is required of a self-respecting third generation NC State graduate. I hate Carolina, and to see my sister-in-law give the spirit fingers to the Heels on television skeezes me out about the same as accidentally drinking from a friend’s spit cup.

    On most occasions I’ve watched games with the opposing party and had a truly enjoyable time. On the rare occasion I’ve had drinks thrown on me trying to leave Kenan stadium while wearing red. Interestingly enough the Dean Dome crowd, despite how much we mock it, has never been anything but perfectly cordial to me through the years.

    HOWEVER… and here’s the point of this after laying the ground work that I’m typically pretty cool with the baby blue kind… reading Inside Carolina just now cemented in my mind why I’ve grown to laugh at Carolina fans in my increasingly older years as opposed to getting mad at them.

    The newest 5 threads on the football page consisted of these topics (paraphrased):

    – (One particular player) Cost us the game (UMd)!
    – We SHOULD be undefeated
    – I want 40 seconds back (refs cost us the game)
    – State game predictions (most have the heels by 3 TD’s)
    – Little Brother thinks they are good but they are cute and over-confident

    It’s a tragic comedy at it’s finest. One of the threads eludes to the idea that losing to Maryland was part of the master plan and they meant to do it because now we are over-confident and they have us right where they want us. Admittedly, I didn’t read them all. I will also admit that many of the rants are all too similar to things often posted on some of our other boards.

    So what’s the one thing those threads all have in common? It’s the overall self-important, self-consumed sense of entitlement. It takes on so many forms but it’s apparent in each of those conversations. Keep in mind, these are FOOTBALL conversations… I knew better than to look at their basketball rhetoric. And that, ultimately, is why I will always laugh at UNC. I can live with them, I can work with them, I can play with them, I can go to games with them, and I can even…gulp… love them. But ultimately, I will never ever be able to stop chuckling at them.

    Win or lose Saturday I expect our team to play well. That’s something I could not have said under the last regime. Our guys will play well and they will play hard. I have no doubt in my mind. I will, however, concede that all things considered UNC will likely win. They are probably more talented from top to bottom. However, walking out of CF Stadium on Saturday for the first time all year I thought to myself:

    “Hmm. We are much improved. We could actually… possibly… maybe… beat Carolina next week.”

    And then there were the Carolina fans who turned off the UMd game and after bitching about particular players costing them the game, how the refs blew their chances, how if this and what about that they should be undefeated… the thought actually entered their minds:

    “We got them right where we want them.”

    Jebus. I can’t stop laughing…

    (I do see where some of their own are trying to reign in the idiocy, and I guess that gives me a little hope for getting through Saturday without getting pelted by a plastic cup.)

  5. Alpha Wolf 11/17/2008 at 12:00 PM #

    For some of their fans, it’s always the refs or one of their own letting them down. Otherwise how could they have possibly lost? And those are the ones who seem to have IC accounts.

    Most reasonable UNC fans I know are not thrilled about their D-line having to deal with Brown, Eugene and a mobile QB in Wilson who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.

    Most reasonable State fans I know are not thrilled about having Hakeem Nicks running through a soft-zone pass defense whose zone gaps in the middle are too big.

    This game could go either way, but I have to admit feeling that UNC does deserve its favored status. One point or one hundred, a loss is a loss is a loss to me and as such lines and point spreads don’t really mean a whole lot except as a point of pre-game discussion.

    I will say that the past two weeks have given me some optimism that State can indeed pull the upset. At any rate, I really doubt we come out and look like the team that played in Kenan for Bunting’s last game there.

  6. EverettBeez 11/17/2008 at 12:33 PM #

    I’ve got a good feeling for this coming weekend.
    I truly like how TOB’s teams show up, weekend and week out, with only minor exceptions. The Pack will be ready to play. It will be close, but my gut says we take this one.
    I also think Ole Miss wins in Baton Rouge, as we roll towards second in the SEC West.
    I guess I am just full of unnatural optimism.

  7. GAWolf 11/17/2008 at 12:37 PM #

    We got manhandled in that game. It was much worse than the score. It was uninspired play at it’s finest. To me it’s one of the most important differences between what used to be and what is now. Honestly the Wake game presented a pretty decent example of the marked improvement our team has made under TOB. I see an awful lot to be proud of and excited about.

  8. ChiefJoJo 11/17/2008 at 1:32 PM #

    I’d take State and the points. I’m no bookie, but 9-10 feels like the sweet spot to me. I will say that Carolina does have the horses to do some real damage if we’re not careful (Nicks), while we’re not going to blow anyone out.

    We should establish the run and short passing game just like the 1st and 3rd TD drives vs Wake. Win the possession time battle and wear those big DLs out (they have a huge line). At the same time, we need to limit their big plays to Nicks as much as possible and try to mix in a few zone blitzes to keep the pressure on as I doubt we’ll be able to mount a big 4-man rush–haven’t all year minus the SC game. Keep playing smart with the ball (TOs), play even or better on special teams (no punt blocks), and that’s the formula for a win.

  9. choppack1 11/17/2008 at 2:15 PM #

    Chief and others – UNC’s short passing game really worries me. Butch has always utilized his TEs and the middle of the field – and they run lots of reverses and fake reverses.

    I’ll also be shocked if you don’t see a halfback or WR pass or flea flicker – UNC scored on that last year – and 1 of Wake’s 2 TDs came on a WR pass…in both cases, the receivers were WR.

    The good news is that the staff should know this stuff is coming. We know what has worked against us last week and in our last game vs. this opponent.

    There are a lot of similarities between this year’s game and last years. Like last year, we come in on a 2 game win-streak. Like last year, UNC had better success than we did earlier in the year.

    I do think both teams are better than they were last year. The kicking game will be huge – UNC’s blocked several punts and kicks this year – and we’ve got keep them from getting easy points.

    I really think this game is ours if we don’t give UNC easy points. Of course, I’ll also tell you that it’s not just dumb luck that they are making these big plays. They’ve got playmakers that are creating these opportunities.

    I’m interested to see how we fare Saturday. When we have our full ensemble of talent – we haven’t been outclassed all year. OTOH, we may be facing our two most talented opponents these next 2 weeks.

  10. PackerInRussia 11/17/2008 at 3:18 PM #

    “One of the threads eludes to the idea that losing to Maryland was part of the master plan and they meant to do it because now we are over-confident and they have us right where they want us.”

    I don’t think that’s completely unfounded. It seemed like when Bunting was there, no matter how crappy of a season they were having, they would play their best game against the Pack. It was as if every other game were an exhibition game and only served the purpose of getting them ready for playing State.

    I remember that game two years ago. I was living with my parents in Las Vegas. It was my last football season in America before heading overseas and I thought it’d be my last chance to watch a live State/Carolina football game on TV, so I coughed up the $20+ to watch the game pay-per-view. I should have written Amato and asked for my money back.

  11. Classof89 11/17/2008 at 3:50 PM #

    People who mock the UNC boards for “blaming everything on the refs” and “sense of entitlement” and the like, must not patronize the PackPride (aka “idiot”) boards very much…every college in America has idiotic, delusional fans, and our fanbase is no different. We’re just a whole lot less successful, so we’ve weeded out all the casual delusional, idiotic fans. We just have the hardcore delusional idiotic fans. And really, what’s more psychotic–to be a delusional UNC fan (top 25 in football, top 10 hoops season to look forward to) or a delusional NC State fan (have to win last two football games just to get to .500, absolutely horrible in hoops)?

    I’m beginning to think that believing in an NC State conference championship in a major sport (hoops, FB, womens hoops, baseball) in my lifetime is akin to believing in the tooth fairy. And last time I checked, there weren’t any damn dollar coins under my pillow…

  12. GAWolf 11/17/2008 at 4:58 PM #

    89: We all feel your pain and know it to be real. And quite frankly I have long since stopped frequenting PP. I check it on the rare occasion this board is slow. I certainly stopped participating there years ago. I also think if you’ll read through my previous post I address each of your concerns and recognize them to be legitimate.

    Given all that, I’ll take my delusional belief in the tooth fairy
    (or NC State actually winning a conference championship again) because I know “she” is good and what’s right with the world. I will similarly always believe UNC and it’s alumni’s embellished sense of self to be all that is wrong with the world… and I will continue to get a chuckle from the delusion that emanates therefrom.

    You see it’s not the chuckle you give to the pure of thought little kid who is just happy to believe in the tooth fairy and get a little something for his snaggle, but rather it’s the chuckle you give while shaking your head at his bratty little buddy who believes the tooth fairy didn’t leave him enough money.

  13. packpowerfan 11/17/2008 at 5:00 PM #

    To put all of this in perspective…the lady taking my order at the Hardee’s drive-thru had this to say to me: “Them Tar-Heels are gunna beat that Wufpack!” I laughed so hard I nearly dropped my drink out the window…though I think she missed the overall irony in the situation.

  14. Dr. BadgerPack 11/17/2008 at 5:09 PM #

    ^Hope you had exact change. 😉

  15. howlie 11/17/2008 at 5:33 PM #

    I’m just surprised by the spread. I don’t want to add any incendiary remarks that can be used as bulletin board material.

    Just lace up the boots and stomp the hell out of ’em.

  16. Ismael 11/17/2008 at 5:40 PM #

    TOB made the comment today that we did not have a single missed tackle by a safety in a game. So yeah, they eat, drink, sleep, breath football; someone is counting that.

  17. Wolf Dog 11/17/2008 at 6:54 PM #

    Maryland exposed UNC. Tar Heels have lived on turnovers all year, luckiest team in the league this year. They have not won the game up front. You can run the ball on them. Maryland and Tech did. We should be able to get a running game on them. We do that, don’t turn the ball over, Irving plays, don’t screw up on special teams, and we can walk out of chapel hill with a victory. I think we getting them at a good time. They got confidence issues at the QB position while our QB getting more and more confident by the week. Eugene is due for a big game.

  18. redfred2 11/17/2008 at 7:46 PM #

    I’m not going to say a damn word, but I’M GOING!!!

  19. packalum44 11/17/2008 at 8:27 PM #

    This spread will likely change but if not, I’m going to win some easy money Saturday. Anyone know the over/under?

  20. Greywolf 11/17/2008 at 9:59 PM #

    “and to see my sister-in-law give the spirit fingers to the Heels on television skeezes me out about the same as accidentally drinking from a friend’s spit cup.”

    Grantland Rice could write any better than this… 😉

  21. highstick 11/17/2008 at 10:14 PM #

    Just win! I wore an NC State shirt all day today in celebration of winning two games in different sports on the sameday last Saturday.

    Ouch, probably would have gotten an F if I’d written a sentence like that in English at State!

  22. highstick 11/17/2008 at 10:17 PM #

    Greywolf, Barchuck? Gosh, we sure do remember worthless stuff don’t we? Can’t remember where my car keys are, but can remember some BS State trivia from 40 plus years ago! LOL!

  23. john of sparta 11/17/2008 at 11:02 PM #

    as in a previous post:
    the gambling thing could hook me.
    regardless: double-digit points?
    take ’em.
    (of course, we all know that giving
    points is just a way to increase the
    wager from the losing side.it’s not
    a prediction of the final score.)

  24. Ismael 11/18/2008 at 5:08 PM #

    just stickin this here:

    nice video of James Washington, dude’s got wheels
    http://www.athletevault.com/Videos/JamesWashington2AV.wmv

  25. redfred2 11/18/2008 at 9:06 PM #

    Ismael, I stopped watching that clip less than halfway through. But in that short time I must have seen that kid rush for anywhere from 300 to 400 yds. Only thing that concerns me is that he only had to break two or three serious tackling threats in order to rack up all of those yards.

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