MCLAMB: Where Things Stand For NC State
As Dave Doeren reminisced about his time coaching at Northern Illinois during his weekly press conference, it was easy to see that his recent weekend at Clemson weighed most heavily on his mind.
Depth chart? Not right now. We only know that C.J. Bailey will start, Anthony Belton will not start, and Red Hibbler is off the roster. Conveniently, the Wolfpack is hosting NIU in that sense, as it does not require Doeren to list his starters, and he said immediately after the debacle at Clemson that all starting jobs were an open competition this week.
NC State should have the fight part down pat. It seems the Wolfpack has an annual slog where they straddle the fence between adversity that leads to a subpar season against showing great character that ends at a near-best version of itself while inspiring NCSU fans to hope for an even better future.
Last season, the adversity brought out the best in many Wolfpackers, including Doeren and his starting quarterback, Brennan Armstrong. That, along with an invigorated push for contributions to augment the NIL funds for football players, has led to heightened hopes and expectations.
Tennessee and Clemson showed NC State where it stands. The Wolfpack is not ready for that level. Honesty is like a rose. It is pretty but it has thorns. One month into the season and NCSU in its current form is a team fighting for a bowl appearance. Six wins is not yet a guarantee.
The program has something from the past to draw when needing to battle to overcome adversity and respond when most think they have little left to give. The consistent wins in Chapel Hill and bowl appearances can assuage the lack the titles to an extent. NC State has usually been one of the better teams in the ACC and, often, has lately been better than North Carolina.
However, that past is also presenting a tough problem for fans who don’t have a four or five (or six or seven) year window at NC State and instead have decided to make running with the Pack a permanent part of their lives.
The fightback that will need to occur for Doeren’s team in 2024 will likely at best bring back NC State to a season of seven-to-nine wins. In other words, the Wolfpack will have to battle tooth and nail to get to where it usually ends up.
This team has a burden of proof that perhaps others did not possess. They must show that NC State is indeed on the verge of breaking through, even if it will be in 2025 or 2026.
The Wolfpack also needs to show signs that it is a worthy program to invest in. A simple look around the NCSU Athletic landscape shows that women’s basketball, baseball, wrestling, and now men’s basketball are all extremely close to being at a national championship level. Pinch off some dollars for those teams and you get the impression they would use it wisely, with banners and trophies to present back for the effort.
Football rules the roost financially and NC State has a unique platform. In one sense, the Wolfpack is often at the cusp of taking the next step. No coach has presented a consistent bowl-worthy team at NC State like Doeren. In another sense, it feels like they are standing outside a club where they can hear the music and feel the beat, but bouncers like Tennessee and Clemson are there to ensure they don’t get in.
NC State can be an ACC champion in football. NC State can have a top-10 season on the gridiron. It is not impractical to believe that.
The Wolfpack will not do those things in 2024.
This season is now about stripping it down, figuring out who to build around (players and coaches), and starting the path to glory with the eight or nine games left this season. Be better this Saturday, then reboot and be even better the following weekend. Keep it simple. Justify the time spent asking them for money. The fans are watching, but if they don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel soon they might not be spending.