Program on the Rise?

For any dyed in the wool fan of NC State Football, or pretty much any Wolfpack athletic program for that matter, it is completely unnecessary to state the obvious…NC State has been the Rodney Dangerfield of the ACC more often than not in the past.  That’s why the recent onslaught of positive press has some of us feeling a bit of culture shock.

Andrea Adelson, the new gal in town on the ESPN College Football blogoshpere, weighs in on the subject saying that NC State Football is a team on the rise….

The talk is growing louder again about NC State. Given all the talent returning, given how close it has come to winning an ACC title before, could this be the season the Wolfpack finally puts it all together?

Some folks say yes.

So the dark horse label has been firmly affixed onto this team as it gets ready for a huge opener against Tennessee on Friday night in the Georgia Dome.

“We’ve always been a sleeper team,” receiver Tobais Palmer said in a recent phone interview.”I feel as though there’s certain teams in the ACC that get respect, like Clemson, Florida State, those type of guys. Nobody gives us the respect we deserve, but that’s OK. We use it as motivation and it helps us out. Going into the first game, I’m excited to see what this season brings.”

[snip]

NC State also plays in the tough Atlantic Division, featuring preseason favorite No. 7 Florida State and reigning ACC champ No. 14 Clemson, the two highest ranked teams in the ACC. For NC State to truly have a shot at the ACC title, the Wolfpack are going to have to beat both teams, something they have not done in the same season since 2002.

They have split against them the last two seasons. Last year, NC State lost to Florida State 34-0, the first time since 2008 the Wolfpack had been shutout. But after a devastating loss to Boston College, the Wolfpack went into their home game against No. 7 Clemson without anybody giving them much of a shot, mostly because they were fighting for bowl eligibility. But they pulled off the major shocker, winning 37-13.

Go back to 2010. NC State beat Florida State but lost to Clemson 14-13 after blowing a fourth-quarter lead. Still, the Wolfpack had a shot at winning the ACC heading into their season finale against Maryland. But they lost 38-31, blowing their chances. They had to watch Florida State get to the ACC championship game instead.

“For the past two years, we’ve had a shot at it,” Palmer said. “The year before, we gave the game away losing to Maryland. Last year, we gave the league away. We’ve always been so close every year. We feel this year is the year everyone is going to dial in. We’ve been getting after each other. We’re holding each other accountable. As long as we keep doing that, we should be a hard team to stop.”

 

There is no doubt that the Pack has some question marks that must be adequately addressed.  To be sure, preseason respect alone will not translate into success on the field.  The Pack has been here before and promptly fallen flat when the spotlight shone too brightly.

But the change in culture and attitude is difficult to ignore.  As the season has been steadily approaching, one of the things I’ve noticed in most interviews with head coach Tom O’Brien and selected team leaders is a quiet and understated confidence.  The coaches and players of this team believe in each other and have confidence that the right guy will be in the right place at the right time.  They also seem to have a bit of a chip on their collective shoulder.

Fine by me.

Friday at 7:30pm in Atlanta, the Pack will have another opportunity to take that next step up the ladder, gain a little national respect and prove it means business.

Grab the Vols by the balls and don’t let go, boys!