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NC State considered a top-10 team by two Action Network writers

On3 imageby:Ethan McDowell•08/12/22•

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(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

The Associated Press will release its first NCAA football top-25 poll of the season Monday at noon, establishing the varying degrees of preseason hype for each program that makes the list. NC State should be a lock to be included, and at least one voting member thinks very highly of the Wolfpack headed into 2022. 

Brett McMurphy from The Action Network shared his AP ballot earlier today. He made waves with his optimistic take on NC State, ranking them ninth in the nation and slotting an unexpected ACC rival into the top-five.  

Two ACC squads made the top-10 of his ballot— the Wolfpack and Miami, his No. 4 team in the nation. Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia fill out his top-four teams, making the Hurricanes the clear outlier. Clemson narrowly missed out on the top-10, checking in at No. 11. 

Miami finished last season 7-5 but hired Mario Cristobal as the program’s new head coach, instantly injecting excitement into the program. McMurphy’s poll reflects that preseason hype and places the Hurricanes in playoff position to start the year. At ACC Media Days earlier this summer, Miami was also voted to win the coastal division. The program’s only division title came in 2017. 

McMurphy’s poll projects NC State above Clemson, a program the Wolfpack defeated at home last year in a dramatic double-overtime thriller, handing the Tigers their second loss of 2021. That led to a three-loss season and an uncharacteristic down year for the perennial ACC powerhouse.

The ACC’s media poll disagrees with McMurphy and projects Clemson to return to its usual heights, picking them to win the conference. NC State will face the Tigers Oct. 1 on the road in what will be a crucial step towards deciding who represents the Atlantic Division in Charlotte at the end of the regular season.

The poll from McMurphy included a total of five ACC teams, with Wake Forest and Pittsburgh checking in at No. 17 and No. 19 respectively. Action Network also publishes college football betting power rankings from Collin Wilson. 

“Our power ratings are fueled by Collin Wilson’s projections, which aim to judge the true quality of a team based on advanced metrics, coaching changes, year-over-year roster continuity (TARP) and a host of other underlying components,” The Action Network’s website reads.

NC State sits eighth in Wilson’s rankings, directly underneath Miami and four spots below Clemson. 

USA Today recently released its preseason Coaches Poll, with NC State slotting in as the No. 13 team in the nation. The Wolfpack received a total of 726 votes in the poll, sandwiching itself between Oregon, No. 12, and Michigan State, No. 14 on the list. Clemson is the only ACC team ranked higher than the Wolfpack at No. 4, with Notre Dame directly behind the Tigers in fifth.

Head coach Dave Doeren is a voter on the coaches poll. The highest NC State appeared in the 2021 poll was No. 18.

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