2009 NCAA - North Carolina State
NC State should continue to make progress in the third season under Tom O'Brien. Several outside observers scratched their head when O'Brien left Chestnut Hill to take over in Raleigh. After all, he had navigated BC to eight straight winning seasons and countless bowl wins before leaving for an ACC division rival. The emergence of quarterback Russell Wilson might help explain it. O'Brien coached Matt Ryan at BC, but it's obvious that from watching Wilson play, not even Ryan has that kind of unlimited potential. Wilson was a redshirt freshman last fall, earning the starting job and then throwing 17 touchdowns with just ONE interception. He will enter the South Carolina game on Sept. 3 with a 249-pass streak without having thrown a pick.
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North Carolina State
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In each of the last two seasons, the Wolfpack have started slowly before rebounding to win four straight late in the season. The run last fall included two on the road, including a 41-10 shellacking of North Carolina as a double-digit dog in Chapel Hill. The Pack were a dog in all four of those wins, earning a bowl bid and eventually losing to Rutgers after Wilson went down with an injury. The resurgance late can also be attributed to the youthful defense, which suffered a spate of injuries in September before getting healthy and jelling later in the season. NC State looks strong everywhere on defense except perhaps at safety, where true freshman Donald Coleman might be starting from Day 1. |
| ASK the bookie? - NC State covered its last eight of 2008, and are now 15-4 in their last 19 ATS... With O'Brien now in his third season, and with four non-conference games to open up, it's entirely possible that the Wolfpack could win 10 games and emerge out of the logjammed Atlantic Division and earn a trip to Jacksonville. But the ACC is the toughest conference to handicap - if the 'Pack only win six games, The Bookie would not be shocked. |
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