2011 Key Football Stretch

'11 Football14

From ESPN

I can’t disagree with the selection of these three games. I also like some of the other comments in the entry.

NC STATE

Key stretch: Oct. 29 – Nov. 12 (at Florida State, North Carolina, at Boston College)

Analysis: NC State could be one of the most deceptively good teams in the country heading into one of the biggest games in the conference race. It wouldn’t be surprising if NC State rolled into Tallahassee undefeated, and while it would still be quite an accomplishment, the toughest competition undoubtedly has yet to come. If NC State is going to build upon last year’s success and win the Atlantic Division, they’re in a must-win situation at Florida State. The Seminoles are the preseason pick to win the ACC, but a little momentum could go a long way in a series that came down to a fourth-quarter fumble last year. Regardless of what happens at Florida State, the Tar Heels will be eagerly waiting to snap their four-game losing streak in one of the ACC’s most heated rivalries. And a road trip to Boston College won’t be easy, as the Eagles are a strong home team with two players who could win the offensive and defensive player of the year awards.

Prediction: Undefeated or not, NC State won’t beat Florida State again. The Wolfpack will play well enough to push the Noles to the fourth quarter again, but Florida State is deeper and stronger across the board. The Pack will, however, edge their in-state rivals for a fifth straight time, and the difference will be on the sideline, where Tom O’Brien will have the edge over rookie interim coach Everett Withers. Boston College will be a better, more balanced team than it was a year ago, and the Eagles will get the most out of their offense, despite an impressive performance by the NC State D. The Wolfpack goes 1-2 in this stretch.

I keep hearing that Boston College will be better this year. I don’t follow the Eagles that closely, but would love to know WHY they are going to be better?

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14 Responses to 2011 Key Football Stretch

  1. DRW 08/30/2011 at 2:36 PM #

    I also wonder why people are saying that BC will be better. Don’t they have an inexperienced QB and isn’t their best player, the TB hurt?

  2. baxter 08/30/2011 at 3:53 PM #

    I think they feel the QB situation settled over the final stretch last year and Harris can’t be overlooked. They should have a solid D as usual, and its in their house, not ours.

    However, that said, I do not buy that they will be drastically better. I expect them to be good though, and with home field I can see that game being very interesting. By that point though, you’re talking about two very emotional games before in FSU and UNC, so it could be a thing where mentally we are just worn out on the road. I’ve actually been saying FSU and BC are the games we drop confidently. However, you can’t overlook the Bye in mid October and essentially getting everyone not lost to season injuries in the offseason back and fresh. Something a lot of these other teams like FSU, UNC, BC et al won’t be banking on.

    Also UNC will be on 9 weeks of football w/o a bye before they play us (bye week is after), I find it hard to believe they’ll be functioning after that stretch optimally.

    BC will also be coming off a bitch of a stretch in Bye, @VT, @MD, FSU, NCSU.

    I guess what I’m saying, is the Atlantic is poised for FSU’s bitch schedule of @Clemson, Bye, @WF, @Duke, MD,NCSU, @BC, Miami, UVA. Seriously, I’ve never seen an easier Away schedule than the stretch of two cupcakes and only one true road test at BC.

  3. Hungwolf 08/30/2011 at 5:47 PM #

    Seems the ACC is wide open. I don’t see how BC is improved either? Word out of the Hill is they lack talent in key areas and lack depth in others. Also rumor is Whiters is in over his head. They really had open tryouts for walk ons recently? I like the fact that we get UNX after their date with the NCAA. I got a feeling with the negative press, the loses piling up, and a good spanking by FSU that the team knowing Withers is toast will have quit on him by then. I predict we beat UNX easily!

    The team that worries me is Wake, they can’t be as bad as everyone is predicting. We might get Clemson at a good time, by Nov. the fans will be calling for a new coach and the players might have quit on Debo by then too. I like that we get Georgia Tech early in the season before his players are real comfortable running that offense. FSU and Maryland seem to be our toughest games. I say we go at least 8-4! Go Pack!

  4. JEOH2 08/30/2011 at 6:18 PM #

    Clemson will be a road test for FSU, while they are never as good as they seem on paper…they are always solid enough talent-wise to compete w/ FSU and constantly beat us every year…

    BC just needs its QB to not lose games…especially if Harris is back to full strength by that point…their defense will be that good…they will be tough to beat…

  5. Lunatic Fringe 08/30/2011 at 6:30 PM #

    BC’s QB has more experience than most teams in ACC this year, but that does not mean too much this year.

    9 games – avg: ~130 yards, 6 TD, 9 INT

    Kuechly is a great LB, but he accounted for 20% of the teams total tackles last season. I just don’t know if you can have one player account for that much on D and think you can continue to be successful.

    Put it into perspective – Irving (10%), Cole (10%), Wolff (10%), Manning (7%), Bishop (7%) last year for NC State.

  6. tuckerdorm1983 08/30/2011 at 7:51 PM #

    Wake will tell me volumes about the year.

    Handle them easily.. 9-3 or better

    Struggle and barely beat them 7-5

    Lose but not by much 6-6

    Get wiped out: should have kept RW

  7. LRM 08/30/2011 at 7:53 PM #

    When did teams start having to be better than us to beat us in a game we shouldn’t lose, particularly on the road? Hasn’t that always been our problem?

  8. blpack 08/30/2011 at 8:18 PM #

    We can beat everyone on our schedule and that is exciting. However we all know we can stump our toe in W-S or along the way. I think 8-4, 9-3 is very possible and another win over UNC-cheat is coming. I do agree the Wake game is huge. Haven’t won over there since ’01. Just get out healthy and with a W and we roll from there.

  9. sundropdrinker13 08/30/2011 at 8:44 PM #

    If we get wiped out by Wake, then it ain’t Glennon’s fault, or at least not mostly his fault. That would meant that the defense completely collapsed.

  10. packalum44 08/30/2011 at 11:06 PM #

    “When did teams start having to be better than us to beat us in a game we shouldn’t lose…”

    They don’t. But it can go the other way around too. The trick to a great season is beating teams you shouldn’t beat. You do that more than losing to teams you should beat, you’ll have a 10 win season. You don’t, you’ll have a 7-8 win season. Last year we fell on the wrong side of the equation and still won 9.

    Pre-season on paper we should be favored in all games except Clemson, FSU and UNC. When was the last time you could say that? 2004…

  11. mak4dpak 08/31/2011 at 6:00 AM #

    Let’s take the games one at a time, with continuous improvement each week, and who knows what could happen. Who thought we had a chance to win the division last year? And lest we forget our hero, RW, could lose one for us, just as easily as he could win one, always trying to be the star of the game. Glennon’s not like that, and will play with the “team” concept. Can’t wait til Saturday. Let the games begin!

  12. TruthBKnown Returns 08/31/2011 at 10:23 AM #

    The team that worries me is Wake, they can’t be as bad as everyone is predicting.

    We beat Wake by about five touchdowns last year. I know it’s a different year, and the game is in W-S, but count me as not concerned. Wake is still Wake, even if they had a nice little run there for a while. But let’s be honest, that success was mostly due to one Riley Skinner. Since then, they’ve gone steadily downhill. We’re improving, not declining (even if we have a question mark at QB). I’m still not concerned. I expect our defense to put a whipping on the Deacs, and the offense should do well against them, too. They gave up about 100 points to DUKE last year.

  13. TruthBKnown Returns 08/31/2011 at 10:28 AM #

    Pre-season on paper we should be favored in all games except Clemson, FSU and UNC. When was the last time you could say that? 2004…

    I disagree on Clemson, I think that game is a toss-up. But we have a slight edge since it’s in Raleigh, and we’ll be looking for some payback for that debacle last season on their field.

    FSU will be favored over us, I agree. But I’m not convinced they have a winning QB just yet. He’s pretty much a “new guy,” too. It’s not just Glennon.

    And I don’t see how anyone favors this Heels team over ours. They’ve lost a lot, including Yates. Their QB situation is more in question than ours. At least our guy has been here three years. And the game is on our field. I’m not saying we can’t lose that game (although, I don’t think we will). I’m saying I don’t see them being favored against us.

  14. moreforw 08/31/2011 at 2:54 PM #

    …And lest we forget our hero, RW, could lose one for us, just as easily as he could win one, always trying to be the star of the game…

    One Word : Rutgers

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