NC State Football Win Tiers for 2025

NC State head coach Dave Doeren would like nothing more than to exorcise the demons of last year's Military Bowl loss to ECU in the 2025 season opener. ECU figures to be a middle-of-the-road team in the American Athletic Conference, so NC State should be able to handle the Pirates.

2. At Wake Forest - Sep. 11

In the ACC preseason media poll, voters picked Wake Forest to finish 16th out of 17 teams in the conference. The Wolfpack lost to the Demon Deacons in 2024, snapping a two-year win streak. A loss to the severely diminished 2025 Wake Forest squad would be shocking.

3. Campbell - Oct. 4

This will be the first matchup between the Campbell Fighting Camels and NC State. Campbell finished its CAA season 3-9 with just one conference win in 2024.

Conference (Sort of) Wins

The Wolfpack has a few matchups in-conference that are not guaranteed wins, but games the team must have to improve in 2025.

4. Virginia - Sep. 6

Despite both teams being in the ACC, the game won't count in the conference standings due to a scheduling quirk. Virginia was picked 14th in the media poll and should be one of the weaker teams in the conference.

5. Virginia Tech - Sep. 27

Another matchup with a team picked by the media to finish lower in the ACC than the Wolfpack, although just one spot. The home game makes this is an important win for Doeren and NC State.

Coin-Flips

6. At Duke - Sep. 20

Duke looks to be a strong ACC opponent in 2025 under head coach Manny Diaz. The Wolfpack will need to play at a high-level to snap a two-game losing streak to the Blue Devils, but it's not out of the cards.

7. At Pitt - Oct. 25

Pitt finished just one spot above NC State in the media poll, giving the Wolfpack some bulletin board material ahead of this matchup.

8. North Carolina - Nov. 29

Can Dave Doeren and the Wolfpack spoil the debut season of Bill Belichick? The Wolfpack and Tar Heels seem destined for an explosive matchup to finish the season.

Longshots

9. At Notre Dame - Oct. 11

The Fighting Irish opened at No. 6 in the preseason AP Poll. NC State could play spoiler in this spot, but it would take a monumental effort on the road.

10. Georgia Tech - Nov. 1

The Wolfpack and Yellow Jackets played an epic game in 2024, with Georgia Tech stealing a 30-29 victory in Atlanta. With quarterback Haynes King returning, the Yellow Jackets will be a tough opponent for the Wolfpack again.

11. At Miami - Nov. 15

The Hurricanes were ranked No. 10 in the opening AP Poll and will look to bounce back after a difficult finish to the 2024 season. Road games at Hard Rock Stadium can be bizarre, but Miami seems to be the more talented team prior to the start of the season.

12. Florida State - Nov. 21

Florida State is a little bit of a mystery coming into the 2025 season after last year's debacle. The Wolfpack will be on a short week for this matchup and FSU will be a talented team. It's just a matter of whether or not the Seminoles give up on the season if things go wrong early.

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