Yesterday NC State Head coach Dave Doeren  said that this team “has been playing with a chip on it’s shoulder since week seven of last year”  at his weekly press conference.

I hate to be that guy, but I am going to have to disagree.

At minimum, he and I have vastly different definitions of what the phrase ‘chip on the shoulder’ means.

According to my understanding of the phrase, when a team plays with a ‘chip on their shoulder’ they feel as if they have been disrespected or that they are underappreciated, and as a result, they play with extra tenacity and aggression.  They play with a sense of anger and treat every opponent as if they are their rival.

Doeren thinks that this team started playing with a ‘chip on their shoulder’ after their tragic loss to Clemson, missing a gimme field goal to win the game.

The truth of what happened after this game was a Wolfpack team that played against Louisville looking as if they were hung over, losing 13-54.

The following week NC State played their homecoming game against Boston College.  If there is ever a good time to play with a ‘chip on your shoulder’, it is in your homecoming game against an opponent you absolutely should crush.

The result: Boston College defeated NC State on their home field 21-14.

I’ll give Doeren credit. I do think the Wolfpack played with a ‘chip on their shoulder’ in the final two games of last season against UNC and Vanderbilt in their bowl game.

UNC was a 9.5 point favorite, and NC State won 28-21. Beating teams that you aren’t supposed to beat is what it looks like to play with a ‘chip on your shoulder.’

NC State was a 5.5 point favorite over Vanderbilt, and won by 24. Crushing the Vegas spread is what it looks like to play with a ‘chip on your shoulder.’

In the season opener this year, the Wolfpack were 7 point favorites, and lost by 7 to the South Carolina Gamecocks. NC State outplayed them in every way, but the eye test showed that South Carolina played with way more passion and intensity. The Gamecocks had a WAY bigger chip on their shoulder,

In the past two weeks, NC State beat two teams they should have beat, Marshall and Furman. If you have a ‘chip on your shoulder’, you beat the Vegas spread against teams you should beat. This didn’t happen in either victory.

If Doeren thinks this is what it looks like to play with a ‘chip on your shoulder,’ I suggest he open another bag, and drop a few more chips on the teams shoulders. They’ll need a value-sized bag of chips to beat a Florida St. team they aren’t ‘supposed’ to beat this Saturday.