Miami, Clemson Rise in Week 5 ACC Power Rankings
Saturday Blitz ACC Power Rankings Week 5
6. North Carolina State Wolfpack, 4-1 (0-1), Lost to Florida State Seminoles 56-41 Last Saturday
North Carolina State wasn’t fooling us with that 4-0 record. After playing Florida State incredibly tough for three quarters, they have shown us they are legitimate in Dave Doeren’s second season, and things may only be getting better. Even if Florida State plays down to its opponents, getting up like that early was still impressive.
The Wolfpack have an offense that is very balanced, ranked 40th in passing and 26th in rushing, to average 40 points a game. In fact, ever since its 24-23 victory to open the season up against Georgia Southern, it’s scored more than 40 points every game. And Georgia Southern runs a quirky offense designed to keep teams like N.C. State from scoring at will. But this is a great offense that can’t be taken lightly, and it proved how good it was in the 56-41 loss to Florida State.
The Wolfpack are still 4-1 and now look like they could do a lot more than just reach a bowl game. Boston College, Syracuse, Wake Forest, and North Carolina all look like likely wins for this team now, and Clemson, Louisville, and Georgia Tech could all be upsets. So don’t be surprised if this is a 10-win team, but don’t be surprised if it’s a 6-win team either.