N.C. State (6-6) has accepted an invitation to play in the Papajohns.com Bowl on Dec. 29 in Birmingham, Ala., the school announced early Sunday evening.
Rutgers (7-5) from the Big East will be N.C. State’s opponent. The game will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern Time and will be televised by ESPN.
The game was supposed to match the Big East against the SEC, but the SEC didn’t have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all its bowl slots. That opened up an at-large opportunity for N.C. State, which was shut out of the ACC’s bowl slots by virtue of its .500 record.
All the other nine bowl-eligible ACC teams had winning records. The NCAA ruled that those teams must be placed in the nine ACC bowl slots, leaving N.C. State to seek an at-large bid.
Birmingham is the closest destination to N.C. State geographically among the bowls that considered the Wolfpack. Other possibilities had included the Texas Bowl in Houston, the Motor City Bowl in Detroit and the Hawaii Bowl.
Comments
Ridiculous
Tue, 12/09/2008 - 14:08 — SurferThese comparisons are ridiclulous. Had UNC played State when they played Rutgers, given the struggles/injuries State was experiencing, State would have been crushed. So it means nothing should Rutgers beat State or visa versa. A game is a one day event not a season. State was improving at the end of the season. Best "program" in the state, I don't know, the last time I was in CF I did not buy one. (We do know, however that UNC does have an excellent School of Journalism). Perhaps TOB should just "proclaim" State the victors, oh wait, he already did that, "We will find a way to win". Then this whole discussion is mute. Congratulations.
Your take on UNC/RU against NCSU/RU
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 22:13 — elsiedoglame.You beat Rutgers!We beat; ECU, WFU, Duke and UNC....and I know there is no "State Championship", but that doesn't take away from the fact that we BEAT all of you!!!!!I have to listen to your (UNC fan) crap all year when you DO beat NCSU in football, then on the years when you're not a clear cut favorite you say "not our TRUE rival". Please! You'd be cloating and talking junk if you had BEAT State, but you did NOT! Just deal with it or go back to pulling for Ol' Roy and the basketball team.
the last sentence.
Tue, 12/09/2008 - 15:59 — gvillegatr... or go back to pulling for ol Roy and the basketball team.
like you NCSU people are a fine example on both football and basketball fronts. you never sell out the RBC unless you are hosting UNC or DUIke. C-F ALWAYS had empty seats all year long. both endzones were about 50/50 throughout the season. You beat UNC and you guys come right back from the holes you live in. fair weather my man. fair weather.
Pity the powder blue
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 14:23 — mikbarrettNo silly attempts by Carowhina fans to put some veiled, unsubstantiated meaning behind the result of State's bowl game can change the reality of the tail-whipping UNC took in Kenan Stadium on that beautiful Saturday in late November. And their continuing frustration with that fact is summed up in these pitiful "what if Rutgers wins" discussions. So sad.
The winner gets free pizza!
Sun, 12/07/2008 - 22:53 — Biff_BeersI agree with TOB: any bowl is a good bowl. Win or lose, only the most dedicated wolfpack fans will remember this game in 4 years, but the extra practice time is the gift that keeps on giving.
Absolutely
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 01:47 — JPDOhioRecruiting is helped too, because the kids want to go to bowls and this is the next step in the Pack's improvement.
I like the matchup. Both teams struggled early and finished the season playing their best football. Forget the naysayers, these teams earned the right to be there.
Im happy with the selection
Sun, 12/07/2008 - 21:59 — aideanIm happy with the selection
The bigger joke is in
Sun, 12/07/2008 - 21:51 — jrsrThe bigger joke is in Charlotte, the Meineke Bowl really wanted NCSU.
Lets see how long the powder blue stays in the stadium when WVA starts to run over the Tarheels.
UNC/RU/NCSU are not the same
Sun, 12/07/2008 - 21:50 — SuperStuffUNC/RU/NCSU are not the same teams they were at the beginning of the year looking at their records. NCSU & RU are on winning streaks going into their bowl games which should make for a good contest. UNC was fortunate to get a win on their last game against Duke to break their losing streak so they should match-up okay with WVU. They aren't putting up big numbers this year without Steve Slaton. I'm sure Rutgers would rather play UNC-CH again instead of NCSU to be honest.
UNC/RU/NCSU
Sun, 12/07/2008 - 21:30 — gvillegatrThis is a sincere question.
what happens IF (notice I did not say WHEN) RU beats NCSU? what will the NCSU fans say???? seeing how UNC crushed RU and UNC got crushed by NCSU?
something to ponder on for the next few weeks ...
my best guess? Compare the
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 11:43 — statefan2010my best guess? Compare the two RU teams....the one that started the season and the one that ended the season, I think you'll see a big difference b/w the two
excuses, excuses, excuses.
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 12:46 — gvillegatrlook. dont make excuses about who was doing what at some point in the season. alll you do is validate my point last week when I called out NCSU to change their nickname to the "excuses."
you claim to be the best team in the state and the hottest team in the ACC.
go out and prove it by beating the same team on a neutral field that UNC pounded at their place.
Reality is.....
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 16:59 — Z1234567Let me put it this way to those "Wine and Chese" crowd. I will make it very simple to you. If NCSU loose to RU on Dec. 29 doesn't make UNC a better football team than NCSU. UNC had a chance at NCSU to prove that they are a better team this year. First of all, NC State did not just beat UNC. NC State Demoralized Butchie Davis & UNC football team on your home field this year. What was the Final score? Was it 41-10 State victory? So, it really doesn't matter if RU beat NCSU on Dec. 29. We all know that this is a different RU football program when UNC play them in the beginning of the season. Therfore, quit the complaining and admit that the "Wine and Cheese" football program is not ready for Prime Time football yet.
Illiterate Ignoramus
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 20:11 — CAROLINABLUEONENo one pays attention to the rants of illiterate Wolfies. Go milk a holstein Hiram. How many pizzas "yall" gettin fer playin da pizzer bole Hiram? Good luck. Here's a little money saving advice for you. Don't bother spending your tobacky cropping money on a ticket before you hitch up the team for the trip to Alabami, they'll be giving them away when you get there to try and halfway fill the stadium. You know YMCA and Boys and Girls Club will be used as filler. Try to get them to wear red and by all means teach them that gay little wolfie thing yall do with yer fingers. Neat stuff.
You sir (or madame) are a Jackass
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 22:17 — elsiedogI'm sure they will edit that, but it doesn't take away from the fact. Are you a 12 year old, or just have the mental capacity of one?
Go State.
Whine and Cheese crowd
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 15:15 — RonBThe Orange County Smurfs still don't understand that getting the smurf kicked out of them at home with two healthy QBs means they are inferior.
Here in realtiy, we don't have that problem.
Whine all you want about how the Big Bad Wolfpack doesn't "deserve" a bowl despite earning it on the *field*, not in the scheduling office. But that takes heart and determination, which Smurfette has more of than the kiddies playing in Kenan.
?
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 13:30 — statefan2010When did I say it was an excuse? :S I just stated a fact RU and NCSU both are playing their best football of the season right now. You can look at both of them and see that they are polar opposites of where they started.
But to some degree I agree with you, to prove that for NCSU is for real and it just wasn't a fluke season that let us win the last 4 games
Funny stuff
Sun, 12/07/2008 - 23:00 — mikbarrettThat argument might have merit, but for the fact that UNC didn't score 60 points in five straight games after getting pounded by State. You breathed a sigh of relief after hanging on for dear life to beat Duke.
41-10, baby. Deal with it.
deal with it??
Sun, 12/07/2008 - 23:10 — gvillegatrdont you think me acknowledging (msp?) UNC "got crushed" by NCSU that I have dealt with!?
now you deal and live with the fact UNC beat the snot out of RU, at their place, and you need to repeat that in order to know you do not live with a complex (u know this all to well) all off season. get ready!
and for what it is worth I do expect NCSU to win this game as of today.
Speaking of a complex
Sun, 12/07/2008 - 23:59 — mikbarrettGive this guy a mirror
Lousy bowl game
Sun, 12/07/2008 - 21:22 — topcat27Any bowl game that includes a 6-6 team is a joke, and is not worth watching.
UNC/RU/NCSU New Sun,
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 09:32 — corkeyUNC/RU/NCSU
New Sun, 12/07/2008 - 20:30 — gvillegatr
This is a sincere question.
what happens IF (notice I did not say WHEN) RU beats NCSU? what will the NCSU fans say???? seeing how UNC crushed RU and UNC got crushed by NCSU?
something to ponder on for the next few weeks
Answer: Something for you to ponder .....
what happens "DID" (notice I didn't say IF or WHEN) NCSU took your beloved "Holes" to the shed and spanked you....so...it doesn't really matter....now does it?
corkey
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 11:25 — gvillegatrit will matter a great deal if you girls lose to RU.
nc state? really?
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 10:02 — JPMajor"Holes" I'm pretty you misspelled "Heels" but good try. I know they teach how to dig holes & ditches at NC State so you probably got confused but nice try.
We can train a monkey to count medicine
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 17:22 — Z1234567Yeah! You can also Thanks NC State and our engineers when using new technologies. As if why someone should pay $20K/ yr to go UNC school to learn how to count medicine or flip pages to learn more about the medine? We can train a monkey to count medicine or flip pages. Or we can train a monkey to say "Cough-cough" as if going to a doctor.
We can train a monkey to count medicine
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 20:20 — CAROLINABLUEONEKeep up the good work Einstein, you're up to spelling "medicine" correctly two out of three times. You'll get there eventually Zippy, then you can try a harder word like "eventually. You hang in there now.
if the best comeback you can
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 21:28 — statefan2010if the best comeback you can make is to crizitize his spelling then take it somewhere else.
nc state? really? Mon,
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 13:44 — corkeync state? really?
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 09:02 — JPMajor
"Holes" I'm pretty you misspelled "Heels" but good try. I know they teach how to dig holes & ditches at NC State so you probably got confused but nice try.
Nope ...spelled it just the way it's pronounced!
really?
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 11:41 — statefan2010Nice try but NC State does offer alot more than you so wittlying put it "how to dig holes and ditches"
Just remember every time you eat, drink, or maybe take a drug that was researched at NC State to thank NC State for all of the advances that it has made :)