Monday NC State Football WEB RUN: Preseason Top-25, Ranking O’Brien & Spring Game, & NFL Updates

Pack Ranks 24th in CollegeFootballNews.com’s (Scout) Post-Spring Rankings

24. NC State
(2011 Record: 8-5, 2012 Roughly Projected Record: 9-3) 

This is supposed to be the year coach Tom O’Brien has been building for. A ten-win season is possible with a favorable schedule with several of the key games at home, and with a veteran team that should be able to come up with a balanced effort from the start. Facing Tennessee in Atlanta to kick off the season could be a showcase moment, but the Wolfpack need to make its biggest statement at Miami to start off ACC play. A midseason run of three road games in four will be the one big test, especially with the home game against Florida State, but the veterans should be able to handle it. The receiving corps is the biggest question mark, but the running game should be better with four starters returning up front and James Washington a nice back to work around. The entire secondary returns and the pass rush should once again be terrific. (Via CollegeFootballNews.com)

NC State is one of Orlando Sentinel’s ’5 teams that will surprise in 2012.

Buzz: It’s easy to overlook N.C. State in the ACC next season when you consider the type of seasons that Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech can potentially have next season. However, to do that could be a mistake. Many suspected that the Wolfpack to struggle with the transfer of Russell Wilson however the program appeared to make a seamless transition to Mike Glennon at quarterback. Glennon threw for 3,054 yards and 31 touchdowns while leading the team to an 8-5 record and is one of 14 starters returning to the team in 2012. The offensive line features five players who have seen time as a starter at one time or another. The secondary is the strength of this defense. Last season, the team led the nation with 27 interceptions including 13 by corner David Amerson, who is expected to continue his hot play in 2012.The schedule features five winnable games to start the season and if N.C. State has any aspirations to do well in 2012, they need a quick start. The Wolfpack play Florida State at home in Week 6 followed by road games against Maryland and North Carolina. The team finishes out the season with three of its next four at home. (Via Orlando Sentinel)”

McCargo & Pressley Sign With Bears

Former NC State defensive tackles John McCargo and DeMario Pressley have been signed to 1-year contracts with the Chicago Bears (Via RotoWorld).  McCargo has been in the NFL for 6 seasons and has seen action game action every year (5 yrs in Buffalo & last season in Tampa).  His road in the NFL has been rocky to the say the least.  The Bills tried to trade him in 2008, but when he failed his physical, the deal was void.  Pressley has dressed for the Saints, Texans and Panthers during his 3-year NFL career, and the Bears will make his 4th in four years.  Both of these alums will have to prove their worth to Chicago, and are no guarantee to make the final roster.

Wolfpack’s Spring Game Attendance Ranks 3rd in ACC

The Sports Business Journal compiled rankings of Spring Game Attendance from every team in the big-six conferences.  NC State ranked 18th overall.

Matt Fortuna took the info fromt the SBJ and put together a list of the ACC.  The Wolfpack’s attendance ranked 3rd in the conference.

• FSU (40,631)
• Clemson (28,000)
• NC State (24,797)
• Georgia Tech (18,125)
• UNC (17,000)
• Miami (10,000)
• Virginia (8,500)
• Wake Forest (5,500)
• Virginia Tech (4,000 … game ended up being called because of weather)
• Maryland (1,000)
• BC (200)

O’Brien One of Top-50 FBS Coaches According to SportingNews

Steve Greenberg and Matt Hayes took on the mega task of ranking all 124 FBS coaches.  NC State’s Tom O’Brien came in ranked at #49.

Age: 63

2011 record: 8-5, 4-4 ACC

At N.C. State (5 years): 33-30

FBS career (15 years): 108-75

Three bowls at N.C. State, and their names: Papa John’s, Champs and, well, Belk. In other words, this coach who seemed to routinely confound more-talented opponents at Boston College has yet to truly make his mark in Raleigh. He did jettison famous baseball player Russell Wilson, which we presume took courage and conviction. (Wisdom? Up for debate.)

Last season’s record was fairly impressive, but no one fears O’Brien anymore. (Via SportingNews)

Matt Fortuna of ESPN broke down their list in regards to the ACC.  O’Brien ranked 8th in the conference.  Here is how they ranked the ACC coaches:

9. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
19. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
27. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
31. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest
34. Al Golden, Miami
38. Jimbo Fisher, FSU
45. Mike London, Virginia
49. Tom O’Brien, NC State 
53. Larry Fedora, UNC
65. Randy Edsall, Maryland
67. David Cutcliffe, Duke
110. Frank Spaziani, BC

Great Piece on JR Sweezy on Seahawks.com

The Seahawks drafted JR Sweezy to transform him into a offensive tackle.  It didn’t hurt when the NC State coaching staff told them that they believed he could be a really good offensive linemen.  The Seahawks flew offensive line coach Tom Cale down to Raleigh to workout Sweezy, and he came back with raving reviews that led the Seahawks to draft him with confidence.

“It was his demeanor, first and foremost,” Cable said this week, as the veteran players continued Phase 2 of their offseason program. “His intelligence. His toughness. And how he played on defense.” (Via Seahawks.com)

Cable has made this transition before and has seen outstanding results, and believes it can happen again with Sweezy.

Read this article in it’s entirety…it’s a great piece.