RALEIGH — With six wins, N.C. State’s eligible to play in a bowl game for the first time in three seasons. Where the Wolfpack will end up likely won’t be determined until after the ACC Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Frankly, State coach Tom O’Brien doesn’t care where, just that the Wolfpack can keep playing.
“Any bowl is a good bowl,” O’Brien said.
With Saturday’s 38-28 win over Miami, the Wolfpack gave the ACC 10 bowl-eligible teams with nine conference tie-ins. At 4-4 in the conference, State is technically eligible for any of the ACC’s bowl slots except the Orange Bowl.
Charlotte, in the Meineke Car Car Bowl on Dec. 27, and Washington, with the inaugural EagleBank Bowl on Dec. 20, are prime targets for State’s postseason.
“At the end of the season, I think they are playing as well as anybody in the conference,” Meineke Car Care Bowl executive director Will Webb said of the surging Wolfpack, which have won four straight.
Charlotte, which chooses sixth in the ACC bowl order, might have its choice of Clemson or the Wolfpack, two teams with large fan bases and proven track record of selling bowl tickets.
“We’d be excited to have either one of them,” Webb said, without committing to either team. Webb said the likely Big East representative in Charlotte would be either West Virginia or Rutgers.
For O’Brien, the chance at extra practice is the No. 1 incentive for the postseason, although Navy, his alma mater, would be the opponent in the EagleBank Bowl.
“The more practice we can get with these young guys, the better off we’re going to be in the long run,” said O’Brien, who went 6-1 in bowl games at Boston College.
The Wolfpack players were more concerned with the win over Miami, after losing to Maryland 37-0 last season in a similar position, than what will happen in December.
“That’s the one thing we had on our mind,” State senior guard Meares Green said. “Just remember 37-0. We definitely couldn’t have another performance like that.”
Comments
State of football in NC-bowl game please
Sun, 11/30/2008 - 09:44 — fullershsept21Hi people: Let me first say I am an ACC football fan and not really a UNC or State or Duke fan etc. I appreciate you articles over the past two weeks but I am amazed at how much this city and NC State celebrate mediocrity. It is nice to see a talented young star in Russell Wilson do well, but NC State is not a winning football program. Mythical State Champs and by the way throw in William and Mary……they may be bowl eligible , but they do not deserve to go to a bowl over other programs in the ACC that actually have winning programs.
Clemson: 7-5 and destroyed South Carolina which beat State, and they beat State
Wake Forest beat a good Baylor club, and 2 SEC teams (Ole Miss that is going bowling) and Vandy (that will bowl and was ranked #12 at one time)
There is not doubt that State will be good next year..but to proclaim Russell Wilson ..the best player in the ACC…he isn’t even on a winning program…and he can’t touch what Riley Skinner has done. AS you know Riley came in as a freshman and took Wake (a program similar to Duke’s) and they no only won..and were ACC champs…they went to the Orange bowl……….
But then again……NC State is once again basking in their mediocrity….
Hugh
Skinner was a great player
Sun, 11/30/2008 - 19:19 — statefan2010Skinner was a great player there is no doubt of that, but to say that NCSU doesn't deserve to go to a bowl game after winning 4 straight over very good teams? I'm not sure how you can make that jump.
I look at what State started out as and I look at how they ended the season and the outlook is not bad. We have a strong defense that can make the stops when they need to stop them and we have an offense that is clicking and taking names. We also have a great QB that is only a redshirt-fresh who has only thrown 1 intereception in over 200 passing attempts.....not bad in my book
We beat Wake, and Clemson
Sun, 11/30/2008 - 10:03 — ncsumatmanWe beat Wake, and Clemson beat 2 I-AA teams to get that 7-5 record, not that accuracy counts.
NC State
Sun, 11/30/2008 - 10:17 — fullershsept21Thanks...but still State does not have a winning record. I do agree that among the three..Wake and State deserve to go over Clemson. Clemson was 1-4 against teams that were ranked at one time, Wake was 3-3 and State was 4-5 against teams that were ranked at one time. But you may want to check my accuracy.
I'll take uncertainty...
Sat, 11/29/2008 - 22:48 — JPDOhioover the certainty of not being bowl eligible at all. What a finish to the regular season! The future is bright.
I don't think this is correct
Sat, 11/29/2008 - 22:27 — twhittenton"State is technically eligible for any of the ACC’s bowl slots except the Orange Bowl. "
In fact, they may not be eligible for any of them.
If I understand correctly, a 6-6 team cannot be selected for a bowl if a 7-5 team is available. As there are nine ACC teams with records of 7-5 or better, I would think those nine would be the ones to fill the nine spots. However, I'm not sure whether that rule applies to Clemson due to their two wins over FCS opponents.
No, your wrong!
Sun, 11/30/2008 - 00:13 — morgannyyThe teams have to be separated by 2 CONFERENCE WINS to not be skipped over. A bowl can take a 4-4 team over a 5-3 team, but not a 6-2 team. The other record doesn't matter.
No, I'm not
Sun, 11/30/2008 - 23:55 — twhittentonSee the update to this blog:
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/ncaa-monkey-wrench-in-pack-bowl-plans
Congrats to Mr. Giglio - a professional sports journalist - for finally figuring this out.
Extra practices will def.
Sat, 11/29/2008 - 21:47 — aideanExtra practices will def. pay big dividends in the future, and this group of guys deserves this postseason opportunity and will relish it.