Wolfpack Becomes Darkhorse in the ACC

Last season, North Carolina State went 3-5 in the ACC, placing them near the middle of the pack. NC State was ranked 20th in the nation before any games. They were expected to make a bowl game but fell short at 6-7.

Mistakes before and during games cost the Wolfpack several games. Against Wake Forest, they lost 34-30. They were the favorite, and this was a pivotal ACC matchup. Underperformance from key players ultimately led to their losses

This year however the Wolfpack has a lot to look forward to.

The first thing is their schedule. In week one, they face off against an out-of-conference opponent, the East Carolina Pirates. The Pirates beat them last year, 26-21, so NC State is definitely looking for revenge. If the Wolfpack can start the season with a win over the Pirates, they can use that confidence and momentum in their ACC games.

Their first ACC game is against the Virginia Cavaliers. Virginia had a similar record to the Wolfpack at 5-7 last year. NC State has a really good shot to get a win here and move to 1-0 in the ACC. Virginia isn't known for having a dominant football team, and NC State has the weapons and coaching necessary to dismantle their defense and whatever they throw at them.

These next games are must-win games for NC State if they want to win the ACC. First, they need to beat Virginia, then they need to go to Wake Forest and take care of business. Last year, they lost to Wake Forest 34-30.

A close game that could've gone either way. The Wolfpack must win, along with Duke, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Florida State, who are coming off one of their worst seasons in a while. NC State has the weapons and players returning to compete and win against these teams.

The Wolfpack still has some challenging games ahead of them—a tough game versus North Carolina, which has a big recruiting class. Although North Carolina has a strong recruiting class, its freshmen are less experienced than the Wolfpack players.

The game that will decide the ACC is the one between NC State and Miami. Miami, which led the ACC for most of last year, is hungry and looking to reclaim the ACC title this year. But NC State is also hungry and is using doubt and underestimating to create chips on their shoulders and shock the ACC.