What is NC State Playing for the Rest of the Way?

What is NC State playing for in the final 4 games of the 2018 football season?

What they ARE NOT playing for anymore

Ever since Dave Doeren took the head coaching job, the Wolfpack’s mission statement has been 1Pack1Goal, to win their 1st ACC Championship since 1979. NC State could have put themselves in a better position, but there was no stopping Clemson this year. The Wolfpack aren’t in the Tigers league, and nobody else is either.

Before falling to Wake Forest as 19.5 point favorites last Thursday, NC State had a chance to land in a New Years 6 Bowl. The Wolfpack was ranked 14th in the College Football Playoff Rankings, giving them a couple of paths to their first ever Major Bowl. After the loss, those hopes are history. To pour salt in the wound, NC State needed Kentucky, LSU or West Virginia to lose one of their remaining games to clear the path for them, and sure enough, like clockwork, Kentucky fell to Tennessee 7-24.

NC State likely lost their chance at the Camping World Bowl (Orlando, Florida/December 28th) with the loss to Wake Forest as well. They were at one point projected to land there, but Syracuse is the more likely ACC team to head down to Florida. If the Wolfpack wins out, and Syracuse loses to Notre Dame and Boston College, then they could possibly flip places.

What they are playing for  

NC State still has a chance to win 10 games in 2018. Despite the loss to the Demon Deacons, the Wolfpack will be favored in the final three regular season games (Louisville, UNC and East Carolina). The 2002 team is the only team in school history to win 10+ games, finishing with 11 wins in a victory over Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. Even if they win 9 games, they will be only the 12th team in school history to do so.

2017 – 9-4 (Final Ranking: ?) (Doeren)
2010 – 9-4 (O’Brien)
2002 – 11-3 (Final Ranking: 12th) (Amato)
1994 – 9-3 (Final Ranking: 17th) (O’Cain)
1992 – 9-3-1 (Final Ranking: 17th) (Sheridan)
1991 – 9-3 (Final Ranking: 24th) (Sheridan)
1978 – 9-3 (Final Ranking: 18th) (Rein)
1974 – 9-2-1 (Final Ranking: 11th) (Holtz)
1973 – 9-3 (Final Ranking: 16th) (Holtz)
1967 – 9-2 (Edwards)
1927 – 9-1 (Tebell)

NC State still has the chance to win 9 games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1991-92. That’s only happened 2 times in school history (also 1973-74).

NC State still has a chance to finish ranked in the Top-25 in back-to-back seasons for the 1st time since 1991-92 (24th & 17th). It would mark only the 4th time in school history that the Wolfpack finished back-to-back seasons ranked.

1946-47 – 18th & 17th
1972-74 – 17th, 16th & 11th
1991-92 – 24th & 17th

The last coach to post back-to-back 9+ win seasons finishing in the Top-25 was Dick Sheridan (1991-92).

Perspective

Even if NC State wins out, a huge amount of the fanbase will be disappointed regardless. The loss against Wake Forest, and the rage that followed, will be buried deep in the psyche of NC State for years to come. With everything at stake, and the seemingly ‘easy’ road to close out the season, it feels like one of the worst losses in the already pain filled NC State memory bank.

If NC State could find a way to win out, their win total over be past three years would be: 7, 9, 10.

Despite the horrific loss, Doeren still has a chance to end the year in a position the program hasn’t been in almost three decades. It would be one of the best two-year stretches in NC State history on ‘paper.’

If NC State loses any of their remaining regular season games, disappointing would be an understatement. Even if they lost a regular season game, and won a bowl game, two losses against teams teams they were double-digit favorites over would tarnish the history that was made.

It’s truly a polarizing end to the 2018 season.