2011 NC State Wolfpack Football Predictions, Odds, Picks and Schedule – 2011 North Carolina State NCAA Football Preview

2011 NC State Wolfpack College Football Expert Predictions, Picks, Vegas Odds and Schedule – North Carolina State NCAA Football Preview: Coming off a successful 9-4 season, Tom O’Brien made a controversial decision that could potentially determine the future of his career and the North Carolina State football program. O’Brien made the decision to throw superstar quarterback Russell Wilson off the team prior to the start of the season because of Wilson’s desire to pursue both baseball and football.  Now, an otherwise loaded team is going to have to find a way to replace Wilson’s 4,000 yards of total offense and 37 touchdowns from a year ago. With Wilson, the Wolfpack was expected to contend for the ACC title. If they fail to do so without him, O’Brien could public enemy No. 1 in Raleigh.

Give O’Brien a little credit. He wasn’t crazy enough to dismiss Wilson without having a solid backup on the roster. Junior Mike Glennon was an elite prospect coming out of high school, and he will be given the reins of a passing attack that ranked among the top 20 nationally last season. Unfortunately for the first-year starter, not a single starting wide receiver from last year’s team returns. Senior tight end George Bryan does give Glennon a nice safety valve, but there is definitely going to be an adjustment period while the new group of starters builds some chemistry.

The good news for Glennon is that he should have a solid running game to lean in 2011-12. Mustafa Greene will be the featured back this season after rushing for nearly 600 yards as a backup in his freshman campaign. Greene will benefit from a loaded offensive line that features four returning starters, including three upperclassmen. The Wolfpack has consistently been among the least productive rushing teams in the conference under O’Brien, but he has the horses to change that trend this season and will need to in light of the inexperience in the passing game.

N.C. State ranked in the top 30 nationally last season in terms of points allowed, giving up just over 21 points a game to opponents. With eight starters back from that unit, a repeat performance is certainly within reach. The Wolfpack welcomes back two starting defensive linemen, two linebackers, and the entire starting secondary from last season. Safety Earl Wolff piled up nearly 100 tackles last season and will be the likely leader of what should be one of the better units in the ACC.

Looking at the schedule, the Wolfpack will have plenty of time to break in Glennon under center. The first seven games of the season are relatively easy, including games against Liberty and South Alabama. Road games against Virginia and out-of-conference opponent Cincinnati are the only two matchups that should pose problems. The back half of the schedule is much tougher, featuring road games against Florida State and Boston College, along with home games against North Carolina, Maryland and Clemson. N.C. State’s success during the final stretch, especially the home games, will determine whether or not O’Brien’s bunch is in contention in the Atlantic Division. Dodging Virginia Tech and Miami is an added bonus.

In the end, the loss of Wilson is going to have an impact on the Wolfpack. Even if Glennon lives up to his reputation, he doesn’t have the mobility that Wilson brought to the table. At the very least, the offense figures to shift from a pass-heavy attack to more of a run-first approach. Granted, N.C. State has the personnel to handle such a shift, but Wilson was the dynamic playmaker that can be the difference between winning and losing close games. A stout defense will help the cause, but it’s hard to imagine the Wolfpack exceeding last year’s results and winning the ACC without the services of Wilson.

2011 North Carolina State Wolfpack College Football Predictions: 9-3 Record

Preseason 2011 North Carolina State NCAA Football Odds:
Odds to Win 2012 BCS Championship: NA/Off the Board
Odds to Win 2011 ACC Championship: +3000
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2011 North Carolina State Football Schedule
Sat, Sep 3 Liberty 6:00 pm —
Sat, Sep 10 at Wake Forest 3:30 pm —
Sat, Sep 17 South Alabama 6:00 pm —
Thu, Sep 22 at Cincinnati 8:00 pm —
Sat, Oct 1 Georgia Tech TBA —
Sat, Oct 8 Central Michigan TBA —
Sat, Oct 22 at Virginia TBA —
Sat, Oct 29 at Florida State TBA —
Sat, Nov 5 North Carolina TBA —
Sat, Nov 12 at Boston College TBA —
Sat, Nov 19 Clemson TBA —
Sat, Nov 26 Maryland TBA —

Check out NSAwins.com’s official 2011 College Football Over Under Team Wins Odds and Predictions and 2011 ACC Football Odds and Predictions articles.

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