In a wide-ranging teleconference with reporters Friday morning, former N.C. State coach Chuck Amato touted the program’s accomplishments during his tenure.

Amato, 49-37 over seven years before he was fired at the end of the 2006 season, will visit N.C. State on Thursday night as a top assistant to Florida State’s Bobby Bowden.

Offer football coaches anonymity and the candor flows. That's what Athlon did for its football preview magazine, which includes a scouting section from unnamed opposing coaches.

You won't hear anything even remotely this close to being interesting at the media kickoff later this month in Georgia, especially the comments about schedules. 

You'll have to buy the magazine for all 12 teams but here's a sample:

Boston College: "Overrated. Good coaches and their kids play hard but their cupboard is bare this year. ... Matt Ryan was probably worth two or three win by himself last year."

N.C. State: "Good staff. That's a team on the rise right there. ... I'm interested to see who their quarterback is. They like the freshman [Mike Glennon] but are they going to play a true freshman?"

Wake Forest: "They've got a friendly schedule. [ACC commissioner John] Swofford took care of them by letting them play Florida State before they get all their guys back. And then they 've got a Thursday night game against Clemson, and that place will probably be a hornet's nest."