The last time N.C. State played in a bowl game in Birmingham, Ala., the Wolfpack beat Southern Mississippi in Brett Favre’s final college game in 1990.

The Wolfpack is in line for a second bowl trip to Birmingham — but it needs help from Troy. If the Trojans, an 11-point favorite at home, beat Arkansas State, an at-large spot opens up for the Papajohns.com Bowl on Dec. 29. N.C. State is expected to be invited to that bowl if Troy wins.

“We’ve talked to N.C. State and they are high on our list,” Mark Meadows, the executive director of the Papajohns.com Bowl, said Friday. “We’re very excited about the possibility of them being in Birmingham.”

N.C. State doesn't have a choice but the Wolfpack would prefer to play in the PapaJohns.com Bowl against a Big East opponent.

N.C. State and the ACC officials are working with the Birmingham, Ala. bowl to land an at-large bid  in the Dec. 29th game, according to league and N.C. State sources.

The bowl works on three levels for the Wolfpack (6-6):

• Bowl math

ACC bowl partners in Charlotte or Washington might want to invite N.C. State to their game, but the NCAA might not allow it.

Under ACC rules, N.C. State can play in any of the conference’s bowl tie-ins except the Orange Bowl. Under a relatively new NCAA rule, N.C. State could get left out of the conference bowl lineup and perhaps the postseason altogether.

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.