As I mentioned in the (accidentally unfeatured, stupid outdated Blackberry of mine) game thread, this afternoon’s game was a prime example of why playing the Pie-rats on the road in the middle of the season (thanks, Lee!) is a bad idea. State was unexpectedly having a good season. So it became even more of a Super Bowl to EZU. State has a chance to win the Atlantic, with a crucial showdown against Florida State looming next. So it became even more meaningless to our players.
That said, sure it was still embarrassing. Look at the comments thread or the message boards, and it’s clear that a lot of people were/are very angry. Fingers are pointing at the coaches and players, and frankly, with good reason. It was a horrible effort, from top to bottom, start to finish.
But it doesn’t really matter at all to the arc of NC State’s football season. NC State will still be bowl eligible – Maryland and Wake Forest are almost indescribably putrid, and State would have to play even worse than today to lose to either team. I’m not sure that’s even possible. So, there’s your 7-5, for the bare minimum threshhold. Even if State stumbles to a 7-5 mark, it wouldn’t have made us more attractive to a bowl to have beaten East Carolina in October.
Beyond basic bowl eligibility, this season will be special or not based on what happens in the three games remaining against Florida State, Clemson, and UNC. And that’s why I was so much more enduringly mad when we pissed away the Virginia Tech game (a loss that many more fans seemed comparatively OK with). Had we won that game, then beating Florida State a week from Thursday would put NC State in commanding position to take the Atlantic Division. Instead, we probably still have to sweep Clemson and UNC, and certainly must win one of the two. That’s a much tougher road to travel.
But it still can be done. Of the three remaining opponents who will determine NC State’s season, the only one playing well right now is UNC. The program that Tom O’Brien has owned during his tenure in West Raleigh. A foe that nobody will overlook or fail to get up for. Based on what I’ve seen this year, State’s “A game” should beat FSU at home, and Clemson on the road. So, it’s still up to us.
Perhaps today’s embarrassment will do a little good. No fawning press clippings to swell players’ heads. A stark reminder that the Virginia Tech loss shouldn’t be shrugged off as a “quality loss” or even worse, a “moral victory.” Let the team come out and play angry the next few weeks. Anger is an excellent motivator.
And most importantly, hopefully the shame of October 16, 2010 will help Russell Wilson extract his cranium from his rectal orifice. Yes, he’s got a professional baseball career to look forward to. Yes, he missed Spring practice. But there’s no excuse for a fourth year junior known for his keen intelligence and leadership skills to make reads and decisions like he did today. Or like he did against the Hokies. Or like he did at Central Florida. Notice the trend? It will be evident in the film that Russell Wilson and Dana Bible start crunching through tomorrow. They have the time and ability to fix it before the Seminoles come to town.
Now, we can only wait and see if they do. But nothing would be different had we eked out a win today. Except maybe some tough questions don’t get asked, at least with the force that they should.
