Let's take a look at NC State football.
Best / Worst Case Record for :
Louisville | Virginia | Miami | Duke | Georgia Tech | Boston College | Pittsburgh | Florida State | Virginia Tech | Clemson | Syracuse | North Carolina | Wake Forest
NC State
I’ll be the first to admit, that a few years ago – I started to wonder about Dave Doeren’s future at NC State. Four years into his tenure and the Wolfpack were 9-23 in the ACC. Since then outside of the COVID year of 2020, Doeren has guided the Wolfpack to either 8 or 9 wins, and at least a .500 record in the ACC since 2017. Doeren is still trying to get NC State over that 10-win season, but the Wolfpack are right there knocking on the door. If there is an under-the-radar team that could challenge Clemson and Florida State, NC State could be that team.
Will Go 11-1 (7-1) if:
QB Brennan Armstrong returns close to his 2021 form at Virginia. He is reunited with OC from Virginia Robert Anae, where Armstrong looked at times to be the best offensive player in the ACC. Is 11-1 within reach of NC State? Why not? the defense is top-notch, and the Wolfpack will get Notre Dame, Clemson, and North Carolina at home. If some skill position players step up, and Armstrong /Anae can get that offense going, NC State could pull off a big surprise in the regular season.
Will Go 7-5 (4-4) if:
The defense ends up carrying the load too much again. Last year the pressure the NC State offense put on the defense eventually led to a 4-5 finish. Yes, there were offensive injuries that led to that, but the offense has to help more this year. A schedule with Notre Dame and Clemson could be two losses. Then games at Duke and at Wake Forest won’t be easy, and another upset along the way and suddenly a disappointing 7-5 season could be in the cards. I trust Armstrong at QB, the offensive line, and the defense, but I question the offensive skill positions, especially the receiving core. If there are issues there, the Wolfpack will struggle in games where the defense can’t virtually shut down opponents.
