NC State football bowl projections entering week 13
After NC State football improved to 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the ACC with a 41-17 win over Syracuse, where does the Pack project to go bowling?
Let’s update the latest picks.
Erick Smith of USA Today last week had NC State going to the Cheez-It Bowl against Iowa State. In his updated projections, the Wolfpack have been replaced in that Orlando-based game by Clemson. The Wolfpack is now instead headed to Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 31 against Texas A&M in a rematch of the 2018 Gator Bowl.
On3’s Mike Huguenin also has NC State falling off the Cheez-It Bowl, but he the Wolfpack facing South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte Dec. 30.
Locally, Joe Giglio of WRALSportsFan.com and 99.9 The Fan, well-known for his accurate bowl projections, is saying, “Not so fast” on taking NC State out of Charlotte.
Brett McMurphy of Action Network continues to be consistent with his pick of NC State going to the SDCCU Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Dec. 28. He has changed the opponent on weekly basis, however, this time switching it from Oregon State to Arizona State. They have the Sun Devils favored by 0.5 point in that hypothetical matchup.
College Football News has been on the same wavelength with McMurphy. For the third consecutive week, it has the same bowl, and after having UCLA as the matchup last week is now going with Arizona State, too.
Over at ESPN, Mark Schlabach also has NC State going to San Diego, but playing Oregon. Last week, Schlabach had the Pack going against Washington in that bowl.
His bowl projections counterpart Kyle Bonagura continues to send the Pack back to Jacksonville, Fla., for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Dec. 31, but now against Kentucky instead of Auburn on New Year’s Eve.
Given that NC State has played in two of the past three Gator Bowls, and that would be a rematch of last season, one wonders why Bonagura would make that pick.
Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com is sticking with his bowl projection from last week: Charlotte for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Tennessee. That game will be played Dec. 30.
That’s also the same bowl of Stewart Mandel of The Athletic, but Mandel has the Wolfpack playing LSUSteve Lassan of Athlon has the same game Palm picked.
While most projections have centered around San Diego and Charlotte for the Wolfpack, an outlier is Richard Johnson of SI.com. He has NC State playing TCU in Dallas for the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Dec. 28.
NC State football will host rival UNC for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday in Carter-Finley Stadium and on ESPN.
——
• Talk about NC State football inside The Wolves’ Den
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolfpacker
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolfpacker
• Like us on Facebook
