College Football Playoff Ranking Projections: Top 25 for Week 12
By Zach Bigalke
NC State rebounded from its loss to Clemson in Week 10 to earn its seventh win of the 2017 season. The No. 23 Wolfpack held position in the College Football Playoff Top 25 thanks to a tense 17-14 win at Boston College that pushed them to 5-1 in conference play. Defense carried the day as the Wolfpack offense struggled to put away the Eagles.
Ryan Finley had an uncharacteristic 13-of-32 performance, throwing for just 146 yards with an interception. Nyheim Hines picked up the slack, rushing for 110 yards and a touchdown as NC State put up 221 yards on the ground as a team. Boston College outgained the Wolfpack on the ground, but managed only 110 passing yards as they alternated between quarterbacks Darius Wade and Anthony Brown.
Dave Doeren’s team won’t play for the ACC title after Clemson beat Florida State, but they will move a few spots upward in the rankings this week. Wins over Wake Forest and North Carolina to close out the regular season would keep NC State in the hunt for a New Year’s Six berth.