Tag: NC State Wolfpack

A look back at Clemson’s College GameDay performances

For the eighth time in its 30 years of existence, college football’s premier traveling pregame show is back in Clemson. And if history is any indication, that may bode well for the Tigers come Saturday night. College GameDay is set to broadcast …

For the eighth time in its 30 years of existence, college football’s premier traveling pregame show is back in Clemson. And if history is any indication, that may bode well for the Tigers come Saturday night.

College GameDay is set to broadcast Saturday from Bowman Field on Clemson’s campus ahead of the Tigers’ top-10 matchup with NC State that night. Host Rece Davis and his usual cast of sidekicks – Desmond Howard, David Pollack, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso – will shoot segments for other ESPN programming on Friday before reconvening for Saturday’s three-hour show, which, weather permitting, will begin at 9 a.m.

It’s the GameDay crew’s first trip to Clemson since 2020, but it’s made its share of trips here over the years. That got us thinking: How have the Tigers performed with College GameDay in town?

The Tigers are 6-1 in games that have been preceded by a GameDay visit to their campus. Here’s a look back at how those games played out, starting with the most recent:

Oct. 10, 2020: Clemson 42, Miami 17

The Tigers jumped out to a 21-3 lead in this top-10 matchup and never looked back. Trevor Lawrence threw for 292 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, Travis Etienne had a 72-yard scoring burst as part of a 149-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance, and Clemson’s defense stymied Houston quarterback transfer D’Eriq King and the rest of the Hurricanes’ offense, limiting Miami to just 210 yards in the rout.

Aug. 29, 2019: Clemson 52, Georgia Tech 14

Fresh off its most recent national championship, Clemson opened the season as the nation’s top-ranked team and looked like it against the Yellow Jackets. The night belonged to Etienne, who had three rushing touchdowns, including ones of 48 and 90 yards, en route to 205 yards on the ground, a career-high for Etienne at the time. Georgia Tech turned it over four times, contributing to a 35-0 start for Clemson en route to the lopsided win.

Oct. 1, 2016: Clemson 42, Louisville 36

Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson entertained a capacity crowd inside Memorial Stadium with a quarterback duel for the ages. In a game that featured more than 1,070 yards of offense, Watson and Jackson accounted for 854 of them. Jackson, the Cardinals’ Heisman Trophy-winning signal caller that season, threw for 295 yards and ran for 162 more and two scores to help Louisville go tit for tat with Clemson and its quarterback, who threw for 306 yards and five touchdowns. Watson’s last one came on a 31-yard strike to tight end Jordan Leggett late in the fourth quarter, putting the Tigers ahead for good in an instant classic.

Oct. 3, 2015: Clemson 24, Notre Dame 22

A rainstorm spurred by Hurricane Joaquin brought sloppy conditions that made for some sloppy play at times inside Memorial Stadium. Watson accounted for three touchdowns and Notre Dame committed four turnovers. But the Fighting Irish rallied from a 21-3 deficit and threatened to tie it with just 7 seconds left following DeShon Kizer’s second touchdown pass, but Clemson’s defense stuffed Kizer on the ensuing two-point run to escape with the win.

Oct. 19, 2013: Florida State 51, Clemson 14

Clemson’s lone home loss with the GameDay crew on hand was a decisive one. In a matchup of top-5 teams, the Tigers were no match for the eventual national champions and their Heisman-winning quarterback, Jameis Winston, who threw for 444 yards and three scores on just 22 completions. Clemson didn’t help itself with four turnovers. The Seminoles led 51-7 at one point en route to handing Clemson what’s still its largest home loss in the Dabo Swinney era.

Aug. 31, 2013: Clemson 38, Georgia 35

GameDay’s first visit to Clemson during the ‘13 season was a far more enjoyable one for the home team. Quarterback Tajh Boyd helped the Tigers keep pace in the seesaw affair, throwing for three touchdowns and running for two more. Clemson took the lead for good in the third quarter on Chandler Catanzaro’s 24-yard field goal, and the Tigers pulled off what was their second straight top-10 win over an SEC opponent at the time.

Oct. 21, 2006: Clemson 31, Georgia Tech 7

GameDay made its first-ever visit to Clemson for what many expected to be a tightly contested game to determine first place in the ACC’s Atlantic Division. Instead, it was domination by the Tigers. James Davis rushed for a career-high 216 yards while his backfield mate, C.J. Spiller, ran for a touchdown and caught another. The Tigers’ defense pitched a shutout through three quarters, holding Georgia Tech to just 205 total yards and star receiver Calvin Johnson without a catch for the first time in his All-America career.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce limited edition signed cards from the freshmen football players are now in our online store.  There are only 100 of each signed.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Clemson vs. NC State: Who has the edge?

Clemson will look to stay ahead of the pack in the ACC’s Atlantic Division on Saturday when NC State visits Memorial Stadium for a top-10 showdown. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.. The game will be televised by ESPN. Clemson’s defense vs. NC State’s …

Clemson will look to stay ahead of the pack in the ACC’s Atlantic Division on Saturday when NC State visits Memorial Stadium for a top-10 showdown. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.. The game will be televised by ESPN.

Clemson’s defense vs. NC State’s offense: Clemson’s resistance against the run has been about as expected considering the wave of talent the Tigers have along their defensive front.

The pass defense? Not so much.

Clemson’s issues on the back end continued in a major way last week against Sam Hartman and the rest of Wake Forest’s offense. After yielding 337 passing yards on just 20 completions, the Tigers rank 104th nationally against the pass.

Yet an issue NC State’s offense has had is pushing the ball down the field through the air, so there are questions as to whether or not the Wolfpack are equipped to follow other teams’ blueprint of exploiting Clemson’s young secondary. All-American left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is gone. So is star receiver Emeka Emezie. As a result, veteran quarterback Devin Leary is throwing for just 222.5 yards a game, and the Wolfpack are averaging just 7 yards per pass attempt.

And get this: NC State’s lack of explosiveness through the air has come despite only playing one Power Five opponent to this point.

Maybe Clemson gets some of its injured defensive backs back in the lineup and has more success mixing up its coverages this week. Or perhaps Clemson’s back seven is just the remedy NC State’s passing game needs to get going. If rain becomes a factor, both offenses could resort to a more heavy ground game, though it’s hard to see the Wolfpack, who already rank in the bottom of the ACC in rushing, having much success there against the nation’s No. 8 rush defense. Advantage: Clemson

Clemson’s offense vs. NC State’s defense: D.J. Uiagalelei and his supporting cast are playing the best football they’ve played in the last two seasons.

The passing offense in particular has been drastically improved. Uiagalelei, who’s completing right at 65% of his passes, is coming off a season-high 371 passing yards and a career-high five passing touchdowns. He’s already got more passing touchdowns through four games (10) than he did all of last season (9), and the running game, spearheaded by Will Shipley, has put together consecutive efficient days on the ground for an offense averaging more than 43 points a game.

But this will be the offense’s stiffest test to date. Because NC State hasn’t given up much of anything to its opponents.

The Wolfpack are in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense and rush defense while their 281 total yards allowed on average are 13th-fewest in the FBS. The group has gotten a major boost from the return of veteran linebacker Payton Wilson, who missed most of last season with an injury. The second level, which also includes leading tackler Drake Thomas, may be the strength of the Wolfpack’s unit while Aydan White and Tyler Baker-Williams are capable corners that have already combined for four interceptions.

NC State hasn’t exactly faced the stiffest competition with games against East Carolina, Charleston Southern and UConn, but the Wolfpack did hold Texas Tech to 353 yards and 14 points in a two-touchdown victory. They’ve also forced nine turnovers, tied for most in the ACC.

Saturday is a chance for both sides to further prove they’re for real. Advantage: Draw

Special teams: B.T. Potter continues to show his value as one of the nation’s top kickers. His 52-yard field goal in the waning minutes last week helped Clemson get to overtime against Wake Forest. He’s a perfect 7-for-7 so far this season.

As for NC State’s kicking situation, Chris Dunn infamously missed three field goals in last year’s meeting between these teams, though he’s off to a 5-for-5 start this season. 

Clemson has blocked three punts this season. But when the Tigers are punting, they’ll have to be careful. Thayer Thomas is one of the ACC’s most dangerous punt returners. His 18.5 yards per return are tops in the league, and most teams have worked to minimize his chances to do damage (four returns in four games). 

Part of that is hang time, something Clemson needs to improve after last week. Aidan Swanson averaged just 33 yards per punt against Wake Forest and is averaging just 39.4 on the season. Will Shipley is a threat for Clemson as a kickoff returner (23-yard average), but he’s only gotten two chances so far this season. Advantage: Draw

Bottom line: It’s hard to be more evenly matched than these teams appear to be on paper. In a game where the elements could come into play, too, whichever team flinches first could easily find itself on the wrong end of the scoreboard. If this game was being played in Raleigh, I’d give the overall edge to the Wolfpack. But Clemson hasn’t lost at home since 2016, so give me the Tigers in an oh-so-close one.

Prediction: Clemson 27, NC State 21

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce limited edition signed cards from the freshmen football players are now in our online store.  There are only 100 of each signed.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Doeren: NC State ‘not intimidated’ by stakes against Clemson

With eight shared or outright division titles in the last 11 years, Clemson has long been the cream of the ACC’s Atlantic crop. But NC State will try to take a step toward crashing the party when the teams renew their series Saturday. And there …

With eight shared or outright division titles in the last 11 years, Clemson has long been the cream of the ACC’s Atlantic crop. But NC State will try to take a step toward crashing the party when the teams renew their series Saturday.

And there could be more than just conference implications at stake.

The teams are meeting for the first time as top-10 opponents. In fact, while Clemson (4-0, 2-0 ACC) has gotten used to great expectations with six College Football Playoff appearances in the last seven years, this week was N.C. State’s first time to crack The Associated Press top 10 since 2002. It’s the first time the teams have ever met as top-10 opponents, making it the highest combined ranking matchup in series history.

The winner would not only jump in the driver’s seat in the race for the Atlantic Division title but also put itself squarely in the early CFP discussion. But asked this week if there could be an intimidation factor for a team that’s not used to playing in these types of games, NC State coach Dave Doeren quickly shot down that notion to local reporters.

“We’re not intimidated. We’re excited,” Doeren said, according to The Wolfpacker. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity. You’ve got two good teams playing for a lot, and whether you guys think we’re good or not, we’re excited to go down there and compete with a team we have a lot of respect for.”

While the Textile Bowl has been dominated by Clemson historically (59-29-1 record in 89 all-time meetings), Doeren’s program has closed the competitive gap as of late. NC State (4-0, 0-0) played the Tigers to one possession in 2016 and 2017. After the teams took a break from their series in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wolfpack ended their eight-game losing streak to Clemson last season with a double-overtime win at Carter-Finley Stadium.

This year’s matchup shifts to Memorial Stadium, where it will take center stage in front of a national television audience Saturday night. The Tigers haven’t lost on their home turf since 2016. Their 36-game home winning streak is the longest in the sport.

But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he expects another tightly contested matchup with an NC State team that comes in with a scoring offense and scoring defense that both rank in the top 45 nationally.

“Phillips Rivers was the quarterback (at NC State) when I came in here in ‘03, and as far back as I can remember, they’ve always been tough,” Swinney said. “We’ve had a few games here or there that got out of hand if you will, but most of them have been hard-fought games. I’m sure this will be the same.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce limited edition signed cards from the freshmen football players are now in our online store.  There are only 100 of each signed.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

ESPN disagrees on LSU’s bowl projection after Week 4

Where are the Tigers heading in the latest projections after the shutout against New Mexico?

After a shutout win over New Mexico 38-0, the LSU Tigers improved their record to 3-1 on the season.

How does that change the opinion of ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach on where they think LSU will be playing in their possible bowl game?

According to Bonagura, LSU will be facing off against the NC State Wolfpack in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 30. A matchup against the Wolfpack would be an interesting one. NC State is currently 4-0 on the season, and its only close game was in Week 1 at East Carolina. Since then, the Wolfpack knocked off Texas Tech at home 27-14 for a high-quality victory.

We will see what NC State is really made of as it travels to Clemson this Saturday.

According to Schlabach, LSU will take on Maryland in the Music City Bowl. There are a couple of Alabama ties in Maryland that would make this one interesting. Former Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley is the Terrapins’ head coach, and Taulia Tagovailoa (Tua’s little brother) is their starting quarterback.

The Terrapins are 3-1 so far this season after a 34-27 loss to No. 4 Michigan last week in Ann Arbor.

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Richard Sykes, longtime NC State men’s golf coach, dies at 78

He coached NC State for 46 years.

Richard Sykes, who coached the North Carolina State men’s golf program for 46 years, has died. He was 78.

Sykes took over the Wolfpack program in 1971 before retiring in 2017. He was inducted into the Golf Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001 and he coached 34 All-Americas, including former PGA Tour winners Tim Clark, Carl Pettersson and the late Vance Heafner. Sykes led NC State to 24 NCAA Regional appearances, 12 NCAA Championship appearances and the program’s lone ACC title in 1990 during his tenure.

“Richard Sykes is one of the pillars that NC State Athletics is built on,” NC State Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan said in a release. “Although for 46 years he was our head men’s golf coach, Coach Sykes was much more than that to NC State. He was a passionate leader, educator and builder of young men. He had an infectious personality and I don’t know of anybody that spent time with Coach Sykes that didn’t leave with a good story to share and a deeper appreciation for him and his program. This is a tremendous loss for our University and my condolences are with his wife Pam, his children, David, Rick, Paige and Stacy and his five grandchildren.”

Sykes was a 1968 graduate of NC State, where he earned his degree in recreation and parks administration. He ran on the freshman track team while at NC State and was also on the men’s varsity golf team for the 1965-66 season.

He oversaw the completion of the Lonnie Poole Golf Course, NC State’s home golf course designed by Arnold Palmer’s Course Design Company. A former member of the National Advisory Board for the Golf Coaches Association of America, Sykes has served on the NCAA Selection Committee and has been the chairman as well.

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McGuire’s Musings: Please don’t talk about the College Football Playoff race yet

McGuire’s Musings: Too early for playoff debate, Billy Napier’s big debut at Florida, bad coaching awareness in Week 1, the new cutest animal sidekick in college football, and more

The college football season is still being broken in, and I already am having gripes with some of my most hated features of college football; a lack of goal-line cameras, bad coaching, and way-too-early College Football Playoff debates.

Of course, neither are avoidable any time you settle in for a weekend of college football consumption. And with a top-five showdown between Ohio State and Notre Dame and a game pitting Georgia and Oregon, you are bound to hear the phrase “playoff implications.” That’s a bunch of garbage as far as I’m concerned, and it’s about to be even more ridiculous once the College Football Playoff expands. So, naturally, as Utah lost to Florida hours after Oregon was demolished by Georgia, the quick reaction from some was to ponder if the PAC-12 had been eliminated from the playoff already.

Have we not learned the lessons of the past that show one loss in Week 1 or Week 2 is not the kind of playoff eliminator some may want to believe it is? Going 11-1 and winning your conference still gives you a mighty strong argument to make for the playoff conversation, and we can have those conversations later in the season.

When is the appropriate time to start talking about the playoff hunt? How about at least waiting until after the first release of the College Football Playoff rankings? Honestly, that’s probably still too soon to take it seriously. But I have decided I’m not going to start talking about the playoff picture until I at least move out of shorts weather. And I like to try sticking to shorts until my birthday, which isn’t until early November.

Anyway, I think Alabama and Georgia are going to have a good chance to be in.

Did Notre Dame just give the Big Ten some hope?

Coming into the season, there was little dispute that the Ohio State Buckeyes are the team to beat in the Big Ten. And that may still be true! But the Buckeyes had a struggle against Notre Dame at home in a highly-anticipated matchup. The Irish felt they were being disrespected coming in, and I’ll be among the first to admit I was on board with the idea of Ohio State pulling away and taking care of business.

Whoops.

Ohio State still managed to get the win thanks to a tough and resilient roster built by head coach Ryan Day, but it took time and patience to cross the finish line with the win.

But the question now becomes is anyone in the Big Ten good enough to do what Notre Dame did to Ohio State, to the point that the Buckeyes still are not the team to beat in the conference? Michigan seems to be the most likely candidate, as they should be after topping Ohio State last year and winning the Big Ten. But is there anyone else in the Big Ten that could pose a similar threat to Ohio State?

In fairness, Ohio State did lose their dynamic playmaking wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but there should still be a load of offense coming from Ohio State this season. Notre Dame’s defense deserves credit for causing the problems it did for the prohibitive Big Ten favorite.

I certainly would hate to be Arkansas State in Week 2. The RedWolves come into Ohio Stadium next weekend, and it may not be pretty as Ohio State looks to vent some frustrations over this one.

NEXT: Billy Napier scores a big win in his Florida debut

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Will Penn State be a top 25 team heading into home opener?

Penn State has a very good chance of being ranked when they open the home schedule in Week 2.

Penn State had the luxury of sitting back and relaxing on the first full Saturday of the college football season already with a win in its pocket. After winning its season opener in exhilarating fashion on Thursday night at Purdue, the Nittany Lions could spend some time soaking in all the college football world had to offer on the first full slate of games of the 2022 season, and a few results likely went Penn State’s way if it hopes to be ranked going into Week 2.

A couple of teams ranked in the top 25 took a loss in Week 1, but it is not exactly a guarantee Penn State will manage to work in ahead of those who took an “L” in Week 1. Cincinnati, the No. 22 team in the preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, came up short on the road against No. 23 Arkansas, 31-24.

Swapping the two teams in the rankings is inevitable, although some voters may drop Cincinnati from the top 25 as a result. That would leave one spot open for a newcomer in the Week 2 poll.

 

Penn State was second team among others receiving votes in the preseason coaches poll. The only team in front of them was Iowa. The Hawkeyes figure to lose ground after scoring seven points in a 7-3 victory over San Diego State that incredibly featured three scores by the Hawkeyes. If Cincinnati does drop out, Penn State could make the move into the rankings toward the bottom of the top 25.

No. 24 Ole Miss and No. 25 Houston came away with victories although Houston had to take care of UTSA in overtime, 37-35. That may be enough for some voters to move Penn State ahead of the Cougars given the level of competition of UTSA and Purdue.

It will also be worth watching just how hard the voters hammer the No. 11 Oregon Ducks. There is no shame in losing to No. 3 Georgia in a season opener in Atlanta, but the Ducks were grilled by the defending national champions, 49-3. Oregon may be a very good team this season, but historical poll trends suggest Oregon is in for a big drop in the next batch of national polls, and staying in the top 25 may be in some doubt after that showing.

No. 13 NC State will probably be OK, but having to escape East Carolina with a 21-20 victory courtesy of some late-game special teams woes by the Pirates could hurt their ranking. Enough for Penn State to make a run? Not likely, but polls can be weird sometimes.

Penn State coming in at No. 24 in the Week 2 polls would not be surprising to see.

The new top 25 polls will be released on Tuesday after the extended weekend schedule features Clemson and Georgia Tech on Monday night. LSU and Florida State also play each other in New Orleans on Sunday night.

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NC State Wolfpack Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players

NC State College Football Preview 2022: Team breakdown, season prediction, keys to the campaign, and what you need to know

NC State Wolfpack Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the NC State season with what you need to know and keys to the season.

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NC State Wolfpack Preview
Dave Doeren: 64-49, 10th year at NC State
12th year overall (87-53) 2021 Preview
2021 Record: Overall: 9-3, Conference: 6-2
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
NC State Top 10 Players | NC State Schedule & Analysis

NC State Wolfpack Preview 2022

NC State was the overlooked really, really good team of 2021 – two of its three losses were on the road by a total of four points.

Devin Leary was the overlooked really, really good quarterback of last year – Kenny Pickett and other ACC stars got all the attention.

NC State overall has become an overlooked really, really good program under Dave Doeren.

It hasn’t been able to bust through and get to an ACC Championship game, much less win one, but outside of a 4-8 clunker in 2019, the Wolfpack have been consistently solid with three nine-win seasons in five years and an 8-4 2020 that might have been nine with a regular schedule.

That was coming off a nice run of three straight winning seasons and 22 wins before taking things up a few notches.

How good has NC State been under Doeren? Clemson is obviously the star of the conference, and not counting Notre Dame – put a ring on it, ACC – NC State has the second-most wins of any ACC program over the last eight seasons.

And this might just be the best team yet under Doeren.

The offense gets back Leary working behind a veteran offensive line that really and truly might be overlooked.

The defense not only should get back eight starters, but returns a few injured stars to form what could be the nation’s best linebacking corps – or close to it.

So no overlooking NC State this year. Put the pressure on.

Clemson is still the most talented team and should rise back up and take the ACC – getting to the ACC Championship could be tough with the Atlantic Division date with the Tigers in Death Valley – but being the second best team in the conference is the reasonable goal.

Ten wins, possibly 11, and the program’s best season than the 11-3 2022 season …

That wouldn’t be overlooked.

Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
NC State Top 10 Players | NC State Schedule & Analysis

NC State Wolfpack Preview 2022: Offense, Defense NEXT

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NC State player throws shade at Clemson

An NC State player threw some shade at Clemson during a show on the ACC Network. During the ACC Network’s all-access program featuring NC State, Wolfpack linebacker Isaiah Moore was shown on camera saying, “Clemson still thinks they got the best …

An NC State player threw some shade at Clemson during a show on the ACC Network.

During the ACC Network’s all-access program featuring NC State, Wolfpack linebacker Isaiah Moore was shown on camera saying, “Clemson still thinks they got the best defense in the country.”

Last season, Clemson ranked No. 2 nationally behind only Georgia in scoring defense (14.8 points per game allowed) and eighth nationally in total defense (305.5 yards per game allowed), while ranking tied for ninth in total sacks (42.0).

NC State’s defense, meanwhile, ranked tied for 14th nationally in scoring defense (19.7 points per game allowed) and 19th nationally in total defense (330.8 yards per game allowed).

Moore, who made the aforementioned comment, is a graduate student going into his sixth year at NC State in 2022. In 2021, he was an honorable mention All-ACC performer who suffered a season-ending knee injury at Miami. At the time, the Chester, Va., native was the team leader in tackles for loss and ranked second in total tackles.

NC State will travel to play Clemson at Death Valley on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Penn State left out of preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

The release of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll shows Penn State has some work to do.

If it wasn’t clear enough that Penn State is a team that will have something to prove this season, the release of the preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll may drive that point home a little bit harder. Penn State was left out of the preseason coaches poll, which was released on Monday ahead of the 2022 college football season.

Alabama gobbled up the majority of the first-place votes from the voters in the coaches poll to claim the top spot in the preseason poll. With 54 first-place votes, Alabama comfortably sits atop the USA TOSAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll to start the season. Big Ten favorite Ohio State is ranked second in the poll with five first-place votes to its name. Defending national champion Georgia received six first-place votes but sits No. 3 overall behind the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes.

Just four teams from the Big Ten appear in the preseason coaches poll. In addition to Ohio State, the coaches poll includes defending Big Ten champion Michigan (No. 6), Michigan State (No. 14), and Wisconsin (No. 20).

Iowa and Penn State are the first two teams left out of the poll, and first and second respectively in the “Others Receiving Votes” category. So it seems Penn State won’t have to do too much to crack the top 25 in the first few weeks of the season. A road win at Purdue and a road win at Auburn would likely move Penn State within the top 25 in the first few weeks of the season.

Penn State’s schedule includes three preseason top 25 opponents according to the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll; Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State.

A look at the full preseason AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:

Rank Team Points 1st Place Votes
1 Alabama 1,634 54
2 Ohio State 1,564 5
3 Georgia 1,542 6
4 Clemson 1,356 –
5 Notre Dame 1,284 –
6 Michigan 1,232 –
7 Texas A&M 1,219 –
8 Utah 1,134 –
9 Oklahoma 1,027 –
10 Baylor 891 –
11 Oklahoma State 859 –
12 Oregon 734 –
13 North Carolina State 726 –
14 Michigan State 711 –
15 Southern California 602 –
16 Pittsburgh 450 –
17 Miami (Fl) 433 –
18 Texas 383 1
19 Wake Forest 381 –
20 Wisconsin 369 –
21 Kentucky 353 –
22 Cincinnati 339 –
23 Arkansas 334 –
24 Ole Miss 327 –
25 Houston 257 –

Others Receiving Votes

Iowa 248; Penn State 246; Tennessee 163; Brigham Young 152; Louisiana State 143; Auburn 98; Central Florida 55; North Carolina 34; San Diego State 25; Fresno State 21; Mississippi State 19; Florida 17; Utah State 12; Air Force 12; UCLA 10; Boise State 10; Appalachian State 10; Minnesota 6; South Carolina 5; Kansas State 4; Iowa State 3; Army 3; UL Lafayette 2; Southern Methodist 2; Purdue 2; Oregon State 2; Coastal Carolina 2; Texas-San Antonio 1; Louisville 1; Florida State 1

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