OUR FINAL TAKE: NC State vs. Tennessee
Several members of the Inside Pack Sports staff predict the winner of the NC State-Tennessee matchup.
James Henderson (IPS Publisher)
State 31, Tennessee 24
A lot of NC State fans this morning.
Look, NC State can lose this game. Lines are around double digits now and Tennessee is a good team. But, I think NC State is good too and I believe the Pack’s strength on defense is Tennessee’s weakness: the secondary.
In a game a lot of people are picking to be high-scoring, that’s a potentially big advantage for NC State.
I don’t care what happened 20 years ago versus SEC teams at night on a Saturday in September on non-ESPN channels, etc... you get my point. The past is the past, just like it was for NC State basketball back in March.
State’s good enough to win this game. They’ve been focused on this game for months now. I’ll be surprised if we see a bad performance from them.
Steve Williams (IPS Football Recruiting Analyst)
Tennessee 35, State 17
The Wolfpack fan in me just keeps saying, "we're due". Actually, we're way overdue to win a game like this.
When I take the red-tinted glasses off I have State's effort against WCU and UT's win over Chattanooga to go on.
Objectively, this IS a game State could win but it's going to take every facet of the game playing at an elite level. That's a lot to ask for in week two.
Bryant Carson (IPS Football Analyst)
Tennessee 34, State 24
If Nico is what people seem to think he is then I think he’s able to take advantage of State’s aggressive defensive sets and put some quick and easy points on the board for the Vols. Big plays given up in big games will doom the Pack again.
Phillip Danford (IPS Football Analyst)
Tennessee 31, State 24
It feels like we’ve been talking about and breaking down this game from so many different angles for weeks. And I think a very cogent argument can be made for how NC State wins this game with it all starting in the trenches. But ultimately, I think Tennessee has a higher level of talent and believe the NC State offense is still developing that chemistry. So, I’m taking Tennessee but with the thought that this contest will ultimately better prepare the Wolfpack for their upcoming game in Death Valley.
Alex Gee (IPS Analyst)
State 28, Tennessee 24
I’m definitely higher on the Pack than most are after last week, but I haven’t seen anything to discourage preseason optimism. Heck, there are things to be encouraged by if anything. Skill positions looked explosive and significantly upgraded. Pass protection was elite. Good movement off the ball from the interior 5.
I also think that Tennessee is ripe for an “upset” (would it be an upset in our minds if it was 52-10 against freaking WCU?) I think that State is built to really challenge Tennessee’s offensive structure. I also really like the Tackle matchup against Pearce Jr. Belton & Peak can win that matchup. Efficient offense is the key. Very few teams have national success playing the offensive style Tennessee does. T
here’s a lot of flash and there are some big outputs, but if State plays to the level that I believe they can play then we are staring a sub 30 point ball game right in the face.
Rob McLamb (IPS Writer)
Tennesse 31, State 20
While it would not shock me much if the Wolfpack did win, I think when you have done as poorly against the SEC as NC State has, the burden of proof is then squarely on the Pack to do something the program has done only once in 25 years.
This is a barometer season for NC State. Can the Wolfpack win 10 or more games, compete for the ACC title, and/or finish in the top-12 in the nation. Games like this can help forecast the future.
I think NCSU can do those things. But to be elite in college football eventually means dealing with the SEC and having some success. The ramifications for this run deep. If there is another Dexter Lawrence out there currently in middle school or just starting high school, show him why he doesn’t need to go to Clemson to play for titles. He can do it in Raleigh.
Tennessee looked better last week, so I’ll pick them. In two weeks NC State goes to Death Valley to face the Tigers. I’m looking for reasons to pick the Wolfpack to win down there. Stuffing the Volunteers is all the ammo that I’d need.
Daniel Wilson (IPS Writer)
Tennesse 45, State 42
This is going to be a slugfest, and I’m predicting that this game comes down to the final seconds of regulation. Call it wishful thinking, but I think this can be a pivotal victory in the Dave Doeren era, signifying the Wolfpack crossing into a higher echelon of the college football landscape. If NC State wishes to be seen as one of the best programs in the country, this will be the nexus point for that transition. Or it could be a regression back to the status quo, but this isn’t the time for that.
PJ Williams (IPS Recruiting Analyst)
Tennessee 40, State 31
At the beginning of the season, I picked State to go 10-2, with one of the losses against Tennessee. I'm really tempted to pick the Pack here, but I'm going to stick with my initial outlook.
I think Tennessee is going to score points. I'm worried about the intermediate middle of the field and how State's linebackers hold up in coverage and against the run, which is an aspect of the Tennessee offense that isn't talked about enough. I expect State to make Nico look human more than other teams have been able to up to this point, but ultimately not enough to pull out the victory.
My concerns for the offense early in the season centered on the new pieces coming together quickly. For me, it just feels like this matchup is a week or two too early to be confident in winning in a shootout against the Vols. I badly want to be wrong.
Sam Locklear (IPS Intern)
State 34, Tennessee 30
If you like games with a lot of scoring, this will be one of those games. I have NC State coming away with the win. When it comes to shootouts all you need to win is 1 or 2 defensive stops. So I trust NC State's defense to get a stop more here. So all the offense has to do is keep up and make the Vols pay when mistakes are made.
Jake McSwain (IPS Writer)
State 34, Tennesse 28
If I were to have made this pick on Sunday, I think I would be picking the Vols, but the more I ruminate on this one the better I feel about it.
Their QB is viewed as a world beater, but until I see the kid handle some adversity, I’m unwilling to go along with him being the chosen one.
Their Dline is admittedly good, and James Pierce Jr is great, but I’m choosing to not let one game destroy the good faith States O-Line built up last year.
The Tennessee secondary has its flaws, and Grayson McCall is equipped to expose them and has the playmakers to do it.
Lastly, I’ve listened to a lot of national sports and Tennessee outlets this week. The more I listened the more fed up I got, predicting the Vols to win is one thing but this ranked Wolfpack team is being treated like they have to play the game of their life to keep it close. If it pisses me off I am banking on it pissing off the actual team 10x as much.
So let’s keep the Why Not Us Energy flowing.
BP Cox (IPS Photographer)
Tennessee 35, State 24
Looking back, I believe the Western Carolina game could have been a necessary evil for NC State. I'd rather have a wake up call vs WCU than opening vs an SEC team and not showing up at all. At least the rust has been knocked off for the Pack.
My 3 Factors are:
1) TN QB Nico Iamaleava was impressive in their opener, what will Tony Gibson throw at him?
2) NC State's offensive line is going to have a challenge vs the Vols' defensive front. They did well in pass protection, but the run protection was missing for 3 quarters.
3) NC State will not win unless other playmakers show up. We cannot have another "Thank God for KC game", especially against Tennessee.
Even with the latest lines (NCSU +9 on Friday 3:45 pm), I think this game could go either way on many levels. While I want to take the Pack and the 9, I think the Vols take this one and cover. I hope to be proven wrong.