Here we go again...

I'm getting used to this whole being favored to beat Carolina thing, though it still makes me uncomfortable.



"Would that my finger could strike you dead, ref!"

Caulton Tudor sums things up nicely:

State has all of the ingredients to be a top-20 program. All that's missing are the wins; specifically, the big wins.

Beating UNC wouldn't qualify as a big national win, of course. It's entirely possible the Heels will venture into mid-November without a victory.

No, the issue for State this week is about dodging the downside. A win wouldn't turn heads, but a loss would, a lot faster than a year ago, when UNC was at home with Darian Durant at quarterback.

Like last year, the Heels come into the game with a losing record. Like last year, NC State needs to win in order to put it on a solid track to the post season. So far this season, North Carolina has been middling on both sides of the ball. The absenses of Darian Durant and Ronnie McGill have really hurt the offense, and while the defense has looked better, no one will be mistaking it for the Steel Curtain anytime soon.

But the Heels have been competitive in their first two games, and against some (it appears) pretty good teams, too. So while I'd love to say that I expect NC State to repay last year's unpleasantness with a blowout, I don't think it's going to happen. I'm not too demanding: I would just like to win, and if at all possible, have some nails left.