After a long offseason, college football is finally back, almost as a whole, with the SEC starting competition Saturday. This also means the return of Wolfpack Wager. This week we will look at the Wolfpack’s trip to No. 20 Virginia Tech, Duke’s game at Virginia and a top-25 matchup between No. 22 Army and No. 14 Cincinnati.
NC State at No. 20 Virginia Tech (-7)
The Wolfpack and its new-look offense will travel to Blacksburg, Virginia for its first road game against a Hokies team that will be playing in its first game of the season due to COVID-19. The NC State offense will be going up against a much more difficult defense than what it saw against Wake Forest. That leads us to the question, can NC State offensive coordinator Tim Beck sustain the offense that came out in the opener?
The key to the win last week and what will be the key to the season is the offensive line. Pro Football Focus ranked NC State at No. 3 in the top offensive line rankings through week three of the college football season. When the Wolfpack can run the ball, it is a much better team, and that is the difference between this year’s team and last year’s. This season opener could be a fluke but at least the talent of the running game is not.
Virginia Tech returns quarterback Hendon Hooker, who is dangerous both in the air and with his legs, so expect the offense to revolve around him. An NC State defense that ultimately struggled for the entire game against the Demon Deacons will look to feed off two crucial stops at the end of the game last week that helped seal the win.
After a statement win to open the season, can the Wolfpack put a win against a ranked opponent on its resume? I am not sure it can, but I do think it can keep it close.
Pick: NC State +7
Duke at Virginia (-5.5)
After the Blue Devils looked promising in their opening game against a top-10 Notre Dame squad, Duke was garbage at home against Boston College in a 26-6 loss. The Blue Devils coughed up the ball five times, including two interceptions by quarterback Chase Brice, a transfer from Clemson.
On the other hand, the defending ACC Coastal Division champions will be playing their first game of the season after the cancellation with Virginia Tech last week. The Cavaliers no longer have Bryce Perkins behind center, but his backup last year, Brennan Armstrong, is now taking over at QB1. Despite the new quarterback starting in his first game, fully expect Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall to have his boys fired up and ready to easily beat the Blue Devils.
Pick: Virginia -5.5
No. 22 Army at No. 14 Cincinnati (-13.5)
The final pick on the card takes us to a top-25 Group of Five matchup. The traditional triple-option Black Knights offense this year has been nothing but spectacular, putting up a combined 79 points in two games. Army has also looked impressive defensively, allowing only one touchdown on the season. It’s also worth noting that Army typically shows up in games against bigger schools. For example, taking Michigan and Oklahoma to overtime in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
The Bearcats offense went rampant on a mediocre Austin Peay team in its first game, scoring 55 points. Cincinnati has also been predicted to compete with UCF for the American Conference Championship this season. Despite the lofty expectations, I just do not see what Cincinnati has done to earn such a big spread. To me, this game could go either way in a close battle.
Pick: Army +13.5
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