NC State Football Serves Miami a Holiday Thumping (But… It Doesn’t Matter)

December, 05, 2008 , by Ben

In addition to Turkey, NC State football plopped a heaping portion of Ben-foot on my Thanksgiving plate. My foot was securely placed in my mouth on Saturday, when the Wolfpack delivered Miami a vehement pummeling. The Hurricanes’ status quickly fell to tropical depression as they were adamantly denied any hope of a victory.

If you’re wondering why I’m eating my toes…

Last week, a plethora of quite enthusiastic NC State faithful took emphatic and vocal exception to a particular piece published on this site, which suggested that perhaps NC State football’s big win over UNC wasn’t entirely predictable or deserved given their “mediocrity” earlier this season. However, as a writer in the super-connected age of the internet, I’m blessed to have readers who are willing to swiftly enlighten me on the the errors of my thinking. I was quite lucky to receive quite a few comments, suggestions, and constructive criticisms regarding my article, including astute observations on a variety of issues:

Concerned fans/nouns, “John” and “Reality”, made suggestions as to how to alternatively approach such a sensitive social topic:

“get over it.”

“Just get over it.”

Several well-meaning readers, (including the oft-elusive “WiseOne”) offered alternative, in-depth analysis of the Wolfpack’s win:

“little babies couldn’t hold on to the ball”

“...NC State is a ‘thin’ team.”

I was even fortunate enough to receive a bit of career coaching from a gracious reader, “You’re an idiot & I should know”, who took the time to compose a formal letter (I strongly recommend reading the entire composition):

”...With the written word the author’s intended tone is either lost or misinterpreted, but I think your overinflated sense of UNC’s ability and entitlement really popped off the page. If you are not currently enrolled in the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication Program, you should be. Obvious talent like yours should not be wasted.”

Truly and unequivocally, I appreciated the constructive nature of the insight. Today though, I’d like to make the following point: None of it matters.

Here’s why (two reasons).

1. As schools like NC State and UNC battle for hometown bragging rights, it’s the teams from other conferences who compete for meaningful accolades. In truth, every team in the ACC is mediocre. Since finalizing its three-team expansion in 2005 (a move that, ironically, was intended to solidify the ACC’s status as a “football conference”), the quality of play has deteriorated to an embarrassing level. This year, only two teams, Boston College (#18) and Georgia Tech (#15), finished the regular season in the top-25 AP poll. Both of these teams, please note, were beaten at UNC’s Kenan Stadium by a combined deficit of 42 points. (And in the interest of full disclosure, B.C. beat NC State at Carter Finley; unfortunately the Pack didn’t play Georgia Tech this year.) Not one team in the ACC finished with more than 5 conference wins or 9 overall wins. Only four teams finished with a conference record over .500.

This is not parity. It’s pitiful. Our neighbors from the SEC and the Big 12 most likely keel in laughter when they hear sputtering about NC State or UNC being “good” football teams. Or anyone else from the ACC, for that matter. Beating any ACC team is about as prestigious as being named summer-school valedictorian. It doesn’t matter. The ACC’s collective mediocrity is undeniable.

2. Even if an ACC team (let’s take NC State, for example) were good, it still wouldn’t matter. It’s a worn-out horn, but I’ll continue to play it. The idea that sportswriters, coaches, a focus-group, a computer, a set of hyper-intelligent robots, or anything other than a full-out playoff can adequately determine a football champion is utterly ridiculous. The current Bowl Championship Series method represents the epitome of all things anti-climactic and abstruse. For those unfamiliar with the BCS, the method is akin to your cable cutting out 90 seconds before the end of a show on the Playboy channel. Totally unsatisfactory. The system is so absurd that our president-elect has even contributed to the criticism.

Case in point, despite the overwhelming mediocrity of the ACC, 10 teams are bowl-eligible. Ten teams. Out of twelve. That means 83% of the entire conference is considered by this system worthy of playing in a bowl game, a mini-championship of sorts. Only Duke and Virginia are left out of the mix. (Again, in the interest of illuminating “Reality,” as it were, the worst of the bowl-eligible teams is NC State, and because of this, they may actually be left out of the bowl party. Their best hope at this point seems to be the newly instated EagleBank Bowl, an achievement which seems about as laudable as reaching the sweet-sixteen of basketball’s NIT. ...which, in fact, NC State might be able to do this year.) Because of this “everybody-wins” system, any achievement is subsequently lackluster, even a “national championship”. It’s hard then to argue that any win for any college football team actually matters.

In light of this, our quibbles look ridiculous.

So, as I finish off the last few bites of my sweet-potoesies (I promise I will), I move that we forget our differences and turn our collective heads towards basketball, whose system produces definitive champions.

Though, I guess, the sight of a big red jacket on the RBC Center sidelines may be bittersweet for Pack faithful. And… UNC fans, I guess, would have to celebrate the Heels’ number-one preseason ranking, which might be annoying. So… how about something a bit less controversial? Ultimate frisbee, anyone?

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