College Football Playoff Rankings 2018: Top 25 projections for Week 12

NC State lost a heartbreaker against Wake Forest on Thursday that effectively eliminated any shot that the Wolfpack have at winning the ACC this year. Up 23-13 at the beginning of the second quarter, Dave Doeren’s defense allowed the Demon Deacons back into the game with a pair of late touchdowns. The latter, coming with only 30 seconds left in the game, gave the visitors a 27-23 victory and dealt NC State their third loss of the year.

Ryan Finley went 35-of-52 for 376 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Finley also punched in a short rushing touchdown. But it wasn’t enough to offset a running game that managed only 47 yards on 27 carries, or to match the output of Wake Forest’s 435 yards of total offense.

NC State won’t fall completely out of the College Football Playoff Top 25 this week, but they are hanging by a thread after their latest loss. Doeren and his staff need to get the Wolfpack back on track quickly to have any shot at a New Year’s Six bowl. Luckily, they get the trio of 2-8 Louisville, 1-8 North Carolina, and 2-7 East Carolina to close out the regular season.