Chuck Amato out at NC State

The Technician, NC State's studnet newspaper, has reported that the Wolfpack football team has a meeting scheduled for 9 p.m. tonight at the Murphy Center inside Carter Finley.

News has been swirling all day about Chuck Amato's future at NC State. This meeting and several published stories on-line seem to point to Amato's firing or resignation as head coach. An announcement is expected sometime after this 9 p.m. meeting.

Don't expect any sort of press conference until Tuesday, however. It would be innappropriate to hold a press conference on Monday. This is because it is UNC's day to announce the official hiring of Butch Davis and Sydney Lowe's biggest game thus far as Wolfpack basketball coach.

If the firing is made official, then stay tuned for my list of potential replacements for the head coaching position at NC State.

Chuck Amato Does nothing to Help Himself

If there was ever a year where the Wolfpack had no excuse to lose to the Tar Heels from UNC, then it would be this year. The Tar Heels entered the game with a lame duck head coach and a 1-9 record and that lone win came against D-1AA Furman (barely!). The 'Pack didn't come in much better either. Five straight losses, all of which the team could have and should have won, and a non-existent offense. However, there was no way that Chuck was going to drop a third straight to Carolina. That would only incite riots in Raleigh. The Wolfpack managed only 3 field goals and lost the game 23-9. John Bunting ended his tenure as the Tar Heels head coach with a 4-2 record versus Chuck Amato.

Could Amato's fate be the same as Bunting's? It looks more and more likely with every passing minute. There is no excuse for losing to Carolina this year. There is no excuse for being penalized more than the Oakland Raiders. You can't win games when you have more penalty yards than rushing yards.

Any other year my opinion would be: Chuck deserves one more year, at least, to right the ship and win big. However, the loss to the Tar Heels altered my sentiment. If we can't beat a 1-9 Tar Heel team with their already replaced coach, then what is there to make me think that we can beat them when Butch Davis takes over on Nov. 27? A repeat performance next season by Chuck and the 'Pack could set the program back a decade.

It will not take long for Davis to start attracting big time recruits to Chapel Hill. In fact, he already has had one change a committment and a few others considering it. Jim Grobe will more than likely be back in WInston-Salem next season and he is making his name known in recruits' households. Skip Holtz could likely have bragging rights over N.C. State, if the ECU Pirates were to come into Carter-Finley and win this weekend's rivalry game.

I have been a supporter of Chuck all along. And up until this weekend I stood firm with my support. I felt sick to my stomach watching the Tar Heel defense score a touchdown on a 4th and 6 fumble by QB Daniel Evans. That was the straw that broke the camels back. We had an offense that couldn't score against tall grass, 3 time outs and were backed up in our own territory. That screams punt, especially with the way the defense had played. But, we went for it and gave the Heels a TD and an emotional win.

There is one sign that a coach should be fired. If the coach looks like he has lost his players. If the players are no longer playing hard, disciplined or with any passion. Throughout the first 10 games of the season, I felt like the team had played hard. They didn't play disciplined, but they never have. And, they always seemed to have a passion out there on the field. However, that was not the case this past weekend in Chapel Hill. The team just looked as if they were out there because they had to be. They must have been ready to watch the Michigan v. Ohio State game or something.

I have never been more dissapointed. It is one thing to lose and go down swinging. It is a completely different story to lose and go down in a fiery nose dive. It looks like Chuck has lost the players and he has definitely lost the fan base. If he is going to stay, then Athletics Director Lee Fowler and Chancellor James Oblinger need to let it be known that Chuck is the man for the job. But, if a change is going to be made, it needs to be made this year. Amato has done a lot for the University and the football program. He has laid the foundation for a successful program with facilities and national prominence. Maybe he has reached his peak and has set it up for the next guy to take it to the next level. This is no light matter. A lot of people could lose their jobs just before the holidays. But, a lot of money and time has been expended by a lot of people and they deserve a return on their investments. The time is now. Either give Amato a loud vote of confidence or walking papers.

Photos:
1. http://www.tarheeldaily.com/photos/buntingamato300.jpg
2. http://abclocal.go.com/images/wtvd200.101705amato.jpg

Jimmie Johnson's Chase with Destiny

Jimmie Johnson has been NASCAR's #1 driver all year long. If it were not for a mid-summer hick-up, Johnson would have went wire-to-wire as the championship leader. Heading into this weekend's Ford 400 at Miami-Homestead, Johnson has a lead of 63 points over 2nd place Matt Kenseth.

Only twice, in NASCAR's modern era, has a driver lost the points lead in the final race of the season. That doesn't seem to be likely this year. Johnson and the 48 Lowe's Chevy always seem to find a way to finish near the top. Johnson hasn't finished outside of the top-2 in nearly a month. And this weekend all Johnson needs is a top-12 finish to clinch the NEXTEL Cup.

Johnson seems poised to win his first title. In his 5-year career in NASCAR's top division Johnson has been competitive in all of them. He has been the championship runner-up twice. But, this time he takes the lead to Miami and Matt Kenseth has all but conceeded the championship. Kenseth has not ran great in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, but due to the fact that he entered the Chase as the points leader and just hasn't had as much bad luck as everybody else he finds himself in 2nd.

When Kenseth won the last Winston Cup he was criticized because he only won one race. That was one of the reasons that NASCAR went to the Chase system. So, I don't think that Kenseth wants to win this one with a bunch of 12th and 13th place finishes. Kenseth is not the only driver besides Johnson with a shot to win the title.

Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all have a chance to win the championship this weekend. However, they are each 90 or more points behind. That means to win the championship they would need to win the race and have Johnson finish in the mid-30s. And, I don't think that will happen to Johnson. It could, because it's NASCAR and it is unpredictable. Anything can happen. Johnson could blow a tire early and hit the wall or he could get caught up in someone else's mess.

The important thing for Johnson is not to be too conservative. They will run the race conservatively and concentrate on not beating themselves. But, you can be too conservative and that can be the thing that beats you. They just don't need to take chances. They need to run the race as they normally would, minus the risky passes and making risky calls on pit road. They cannot sit in the middle to the back of the pack and expect to hold on to the championship. They will be tempting fate if they do that.

Luckily for Johnson, he has a lot of support around him. Rick Hendrick has won 5 championships as an owner, 4 of those were won by Johnson's teammate and co-owner, Jeff Gordon. Between Hendrick and Gordon will be enough advice and wisdom to put Johnson in the right place at the right time.

The excitement this weekend will be for the final spot in the top-35 in owner points. Kyle Petty is 47 points ahead of 36th place Sterling Marlin. Why is the top-35 so important? Well, because the top-35 in owners points are guaranteed a spot in the first 5 races next season. And that will be big because there will be a lot more teams trying to get into the races next year with the entry of Toyota into NASCAR. Kyle Petty should have no problem holding that advantage over Marlin because they never seem to be more than 3 to 4 spots away from each other at the end of the races.

I said at the beginning of the Chase that Kevin Harvick would win the NEXTEL Cup. I guess I will be wrong, but it won't be the first (or last) time that it will happen. Harvick could still pull it out with a miracle, but it doesn't seem unlikely. It is going to be Jimmie Johnson's evening Sunday. He should get the championship and it will validate everything that team has done over the past few years. Congratulations Jimmie! I hope that I am not getting too far ahead of myself.

Photos:
1.http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050316/050316
_jimmy_johnson_ehmedium.jpg
2.http://nbc25.net/uploadedImages/weyi/Sports/Stories/jimmie%20johnson.jpg

College Football Picks!

BREAKING NEWS: This morning (11/17) the betting lines had Wake Forest as a 1 point favorite in tomorrow night's match-up with Virginia Tech. So, I will change my pick from Wake, straight up, to Wake -1...

Here's my picks for this weekend's action, starting with tonight's game...

(8) West Virginia @ Pittsburgh -- Pitt +11 X WVU-45 Pitt-27
Buffaloe @ (12) Wisconsin -- Wisc. -38
N.C. State @ UNC --NCSU -3 1/2
(16) Oklahoma @ Baylor --OU -20 1/2
Michigan State @ Penn State -- Michigan St. +17 1/2
Miami @ Virginia -- Miami +3
(21) Maryland @ (20) Boston College -- Maryland +8
(22) Tennessee @ Vanderbilt --Tenn. -8 1/2
Duke @ (18) Georgia Tech -- Duke +24 1/2
Western Michigan @ Florida State -- FSU -16
Army @ (6) Notre Dame -- Notre Dame -29 1/2
(5) Arkansas @ Mississippi State -- Arkansas -14 1/2
Utah State @ (12) Boise State -- Utah State -38
(15) Auburn @ Alabama -- Alabama +3 UPSET SPECIAL!!
Arizona @ Oregon --Oregon -14
(19) Virginia Tech @ (14) Wake Forest -- Wake Forest -EVEN- This game is off the radar, but will prove to be the best "game" out of any of the other games being played...
South Florida @ (10) Louisville -- Louisville -17
(7) Rutgers @ Cincinatti -- Cincinatti +7
Ole Miss @ (9) LSU -- Ole Miss +27 1/2
(17) Cal @ (4) USC -- Cal -6
AND NOW I SHALL PICK THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR!...
(2) Michigan @ (1) Ohio State -- It's a tough call, I mean it could go either way...I want it to be a blowout, so that I don't have to hear about why these 2 should play again for the National Championship. Jim Tressel has owned Lloyd Carr since taking over in Columbus. However, this year I am taking (2) Michigan +7...Michigan wins by at least 20! maybe.

ACC Football as the Season Winds Down

I have been away for a little more than a week. Well, sports is on my mind and I want to talk about it. The ACC football season is winding down and the conference championship game is only 2 weeks away. We know for sure that Georgia Tech will be there, but who will be the other team there? It's between Wake Forest and Maryland, and they will play to see who goes next weekend in College Park, M.D. There are a few things that I want to discuss, so, here goes...

Coaching Changes
UNC announced this week that they have hired former Miami Hurricanes and Cleveland Browns head coach, Butch Davis, to replace recently fired John Bunting. Davis turned a reeling Miami program around. However, Carolina is in a drastically different situation than was Miami in 1995 when Davis took that job. In Miami, Davis had an awesome recruiting base in the same town, and an even deeper pool of talent in the state of Florida. In North Carolina, Davis has to compete with 4 other in state D-I programs to compete with. The good news is that one of them, Duke, is out of the football picture right now. However, Chuck Amato (N.C. State), Jim Grobe (Wake Forest) and Skip Holtz (East Carolina) have all made a recruiting name for themselves in the state. Competition for recruits does not just include the in-state guys; Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee), Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) and Tommy Bowden (Clemson) have all had success recruiting within North Carolina. Thus, there is greater competition for the top talent than there is in Florida and N.C. has a far less bountiful talent pool than the Sunshine State. Can Davis do it? Yes. Why?

Well, both Chuck Amato and Jim Grobe could be gone at the end of the year. First, Chuck Amato faces the 2 biggest contests of his tenure at N.C. State in the season's final two weeks. He needs a win against UNC worse than anything and a win against ECU would go a long way to keeping his job secure in Raleigh. However, losing one, or even both, of the games could spell the end for Chuck. I think that would be the wrong decision and would UNC an upperhand for the next few year, but there is a great chance that Chuck has to win the last 2 in order to keep his job. Jim Grobe has had a miracle year at Wake Forest. History tells us that Wake Forest coaches leave after having comparable seasons. Grobe can do no wrong at Wake; however, he's not going to get the respect on campus that an under-achieving Skip Prosser gets. There are some schools, like Michigan State, that I think Grobe would leave for. But, he needs to be careful in choosing his destination. A football school looking for a coach would be stupid not to bring Grobe in. Wake Forest needs to wake up and give Grobe and his staff a BIG raise or someone else will and Wake will be without a single football coach. Heck, if State does push Chuck out, then my vote for his replacement would go to Grobe. We have some extra money left over from not hitting a home run in the basketball coaching search.

ACC Championship
Georgia Tech will represent the Coastal Division; but the representative for the Atlantic Division will come down to a match-up between Maryland and Wake Forest at Maryland on Nov. 25. Wake Forest is having the best season in school history. The 'Deacs are 9-1 and are in the top-15 in the country. For the first time in school history the 'Deacs will play a third consecutive primetime television Saturday night game against the Hokies of Virginia Tech. The resurgent Hokies are out of the conference title hunt, but they are looking to improve their bowl potential. Well, back to the point at hand. Wake Forest has never played in any of the games now known as the BCS bowls. The Orange Bowl would be the 'Deacs destination were they to win the ACC Championship in Jacksonville, Fla. It's amazing to think that the 'Deacs are just one botched field goal attempt for making an argument for a birth in the National Championship game in Arizona. Both Wake and Maryland have flown under the radar all year and are going to go head to head for a chance at the BCS. I will admit that I have been waiting for Wake to falter, but now I am pulling for them. They are the best story this year besides Rutgers. The 'Deacs play hard and honest, and that is why I am picking them to take care of the 'T(w)erps next weekend. Ralph Friedgen seems like a seedy guy. Marykand plays dirty and has had their success this year fall into their lap. They don't deserve the opportunity to play Georgia Tech, the 'Deacs do. I don't see Wake being able to tople the Yellow Jackets. Tech just has too much offense and the Wake defense, as good as they are, will not be able to shut-out the Calvin Johnson led crew like they did Florida State. I wouldn't bet against Wake, because they coninue to prove everyone wrong. I just hope those "Wake" basketball fans don't turn into "Wake" football fans in the next couple of weeks, because that would be an insult to the players, coaches and true Wake fans intelligence. So, Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Patriots, Cowboys, FSU(football), Miami Heat, Detroit Piston and whoever is doing the best this year fans, stay away from the 'Deacs. They don't need your bandwagon love, because you'll be off just as soon as some other team you know nothing about wins a game or 2.

Photos:
1. http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2004/football/nfl/12/02/butch.davis/p1_butch2_all.jpg
2. http://www.covers.com/images/2006/180x180/grobe_jim061016b.jpg


3. http://www.gnu-bee.com/football/helmets/wake_forest.gif

FAITH HILL!!!

Faith has even made ESPN with her exhibition of how to be a poor loser! If anything it has brought her a lot of publicity. And you know what they say: "All publicity is good publicity!" Was it a joke? Only Faith and God know that answer. She can say all she wants to that it was just a joke; but, no one will believe her. I know that I don't. I agree that Carrie Underwood should not have won. It should take years to make it to that level. Just because she was on American Karaoke doesn't make her Female Vocalist of the Year. Carrie Underwood is definitely not on the level of Faith Hill, Reba McIntire, Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood and Barbara Mandrell (just to name a few). I think we all said "WHAT?!?!?" when the announcement was made. If it were not for Simon, Randy and Paula, then Underwood would be working at a grocery store somewhere. The award should have went to Faith Hill, I mean she did have the best year out of the nominees. Personally, I think it should go to Martina McBride every year by default. Oh Carrie, your new song about slashing tires is terrible.

Photo:
http://dailyblabber.ivillage.com/entertainment/archives/E_FaithHillAngry_400.jpg

Wave your flag with pride!

Michigan State message boards are asking for him, Ivan Maisel is writing about him, the Southern Fried Football Tour even visited him this weekend and Wake Forest has him. I am talking about Jim Grobe of course. This man could get a flower bed to win football games. His wins and losses record may not say it; however, he has turned perrenial losers into winners. In fact coming into the year his overall record and record at Wake Forest were below .500. Now, he is a few games over that point. He did it at Ohio and he has done it in Winston-Salem. Now, if he could only teach Goal Post Disassembly 101.

The Demon Deacons defeated Boston College over the weekend in the biggest football game in Winston-Salem since the 2003 4-AA state championship game between Independence and New Bern high schools. Apparently, the stmosphere was great. This according to Mark Packer, of the Southern Fried Football Tour, and the TV coverage. That would be in deep contrast to the atmosphere of the Clemson game earlier in the year. Maybe it's because big games are usually played at night at Wake Forest (because a majority of basketball games are at night).

The 'Deacs are 8-1 and heading into their toughest stretch yet. In the season's final 3 weeks Wake must play at Fla. State, home against a rejuvinated Va. Tech and then at Maryland for what could be the showdown for Jacksonville. They will, as usual, probably be underdogs in at least 2 of those games. However, like they have done so many times this year they will probably win. Win or lose in the final weeks the 'Deacs have made a statement. And that statement could very well cost them their coach. I hate to say it, especially with Butch Davis coming to town, but I hope he doesn't go anywhere. The Wolfpack probably would never win another in-state game, but I love the way his teams play.

If anyone deserves a shot at the big time, then its most definitely Jim Grobe. If he had the talent pool from which to fish, he would not have the record he has. He could easily make a Michigan State powerful once again. If this year has proven anything, then it is that Grobe will not get the respect he deserves in Winston-Salem. Skip Prosser loses everything but his head and the people there still love him? It makes no sense! This year's slogan should be "Wake Ourselves!" because Wake Forest has something special going on and I'm not sure if everyone there realizes it. There were still empty seats this past weekend. But, I doubt the first time the Tar Heels come calling this winter that there will be an empty seat to be found.

If UNC hires Butch Davis as its next football coach, then it is higly possible that Grobe would jump to the top of Michigan State's coaching list. According to Internet reports, UNC and Davis are close to making a deal. Where Davis goes, stars will follow. And that means a lot of losses for Wake, State and Duke (who loses every week already). So, this year would be a great time to leave if Grobe decided to do so. Grobe might not have the personality of a Skip Prosser; but, I can guarantee you that he would never lose games with a lack of effort. If Grobe had the level of recruits that Prosser gets, then Wake Forest would be more like Texas or Tennesse. Appreciate Grobe now, before he is wearing another school's colors!

Photo: http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/wake/sport/cheer/mascot.jpg

ACC Basketball Preview!

This year's ACC basketball season should be a good one. The conference only has 4 teams ranked in the top-25 pre-season poll. But, its just like last year when the ACC received no respect in only getting 4 teams in the tournament when 5 obviously deserved a bid. This season is hard to gauge. Carolina will definitely be the class of the field. But, who will finish second will be the biggest question that will be asked. I will do my best to break it down as far as how I see the conference season playing out...

1. UNC 27-5 (14-2)
2. Duke 24-7 (12-4)
3. Ga. Tech 25-6 (12-4)
4. Fla. State 22-8 (11-5)

5. Boston College 23-7 (10-6)
6. NC State 20-10 (9-7)
7. Maryland 19-12 (8-8)
8. Virginia Tech 17-11 (7-9)
9. Wake Forest 16-12 (6-10)
10.Miami 14-16 (4-12)
11.Virginia 12-18 (2-14)
12.Clemson 12-18 (1-15)

The above is a prediction, an estimate, and I have no idea how things will turn out. I have yet to see any of these teams play or practice. So, what do I know? Nothing really. The conference records are matematically possible, I think. But, this is how I see it based on the numbers from last year, as far as returners and returning offesnse, etc.

Conference Player of the Year: Tyler "Travel" Hansbrough, UNC
Coach of the Year: Sidney Lowe or Coach K...It will be a toss up.
Rookie of the Year: Brandon Wright UNC
Conference Tourney Champ: Florida State
Sleeper Teams: Wake Forest and NC State

I gathered my information from the ACC's media preview from the conference's website.

Photo from: http://www.theacc.com

College Football Picks!

These are a few matchups that I have chosen from this weekend's action!...

Ball State @ (2) Michigan -- Michigan -33 1/2...Michigan could cover in the first quarter.
Maryland @ (19) Clemson -- Maryland +20...It'll be close for a while but Clemson will pull away.
Virginia @ Florida State -- Florida State -12...Virginia's luck stops at Doak Campbell.
(7) FLorida @ Vanderbilt -- Florida -17...Florida needs style points to stay in the BCS title race.
Navy @ Duke -- Navy -11 1/2...Power houses in the '40s, these 2 schools are no longer that.
North Carolina @ (11)Notre Dame -- Notre Dame -25...ND may score a hundred in this one!
(1) Ohio State @ Illinois -- Illinois +24 1/2...OSU will win but by no more than 21.
Washington @ (24) Oregon -- Washington +16 1/2...Quack! Quack! Ducks by 13!
(13) LSU @ (8) Tennessee -- Tennessee +3 1/2...Rocky Top still have shot at BCS title.
(16) Boston College @ (22) Wake Forest -- Boston College -3 1/2...Can't go against a road favorite.
(20) Ga. Tech @ NC State -- NCSU +5 1/2... Night game, homecoming...The 'Pack usually shows up.
(9)So. Cal @ Stanford -- USC -28...Cardinal will pay for Oregon State upset.
Oklahoma St. @ (4)Texas -- Texas -17 1/2...Colt McCoy for Heisman!
(12) Arkansas @ South Carolina -- Arkansas -2 1/2...P-I-G SOOOOOOOOOUEY!
(18) Oklahoma @ (21) Texas A&M --A&M +2...The loss of Adrian Peterson catches up with the Sooners.
(23) Va Tech @ Miami --Miami +3...Home dogs is rare for Miami, and they won't lose this one.
UCLA @ (10) CAL --UCLA +17...CAL by 14.

This should be an awesome weekend of college football! A lot of the BCS Picture will clear up this weekend. The ACC and SEC championship games could be set this weekend. Will it be Louisville vs. the winner of the Ohio State/Michigan game (Nov. 25, Ohio State by 10)? Or, a one loss team from the SEC? Who knows! It should be great!

John L. Smith Out at Michigan State

When it comes to college sports I normally stick to the ACC. And Michigan State's firing of their head football coach, John L. Smith, is definitely an ACC story. The conversation of who will replace Smith has started already, and I am writing an horu before MSU's press conference is scheduled.

When you think Big 10 football, what do you think about? You think about smash mouth, run the football first football. And when you survey the college football coaching landscape you will see a coach who loves to run the football, and does it with great success, just down the road in Winston-Salem. Wake Forest head football coach Jim Grobe will definitely be at the top of MSU's list.

Grobe employs a Big 10-like running game. His teams remind me more of a Big 10 team than they do an ACC team. I mean that by style of play, not talent or quality of play.

The Spartans have lacked discipline and have lacked results because of that since Smith arrived in Flint. Grobe's Deacons play with an intensity and fire that is seldom matched. They play disciplined football and this year that has translated into a 6-1 record thus far.

When you compare the 2 programs you must give the edge to Michigan State. They have nice facilities and a fan base that shows up to each and every game. In both Winston-Salem and Flint Grobe would be playing second fiddle to the basketball program; however, a win over Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State could quickly change that. Another thing is money. Grobe would get a lot more of it from Michigan State, than he will ever get from Wake.

The 54-year-old Demon Deacon coach is from West Virginia. He has a tough West Virginian personality that is needed at Mich. State. However, he is an ACC guy. He played football and received both his undergraduate and Master's degree from the University of Virginia. Could that be enough to keep in the confernce? Possibly so.

Grobe is used to fighting for recruits. Wake Forest is located in a state that has 5 D-1A football schools and is dominated in recruiting by SEC schools. So, he could recruit in Big 10 country. He is also a great guy, with great character; something many felt Smith lacked after the way he left Louisville. Parents could feel comfortable in sending their kid to Mich. State if Grobe were there. He also coached at Ohio University, so he knows the recruiting landscape in that area very well.

Michigan State needs a guy like Grobe and Grobe needs a school like Michigan State. Grobe maybe perfectly happy in Winston-Salem and if he is, I hope he stays. However, he has done an awesome job at Wake and if he wants to move to the upper echelon of the coaching ranks, then he will at least consider going to MSU. The Swiss would hate to see him leave, but I wouldn't. I think it is a testament to his coaching ability that his name would even be mentioned for a position like Michigan State. Sparty would benefit greatly from bringing in a guy like Grobe to clean house.

The picture to the right is a picture of Grobe when he was the coach at Ohio University. So, he's wearing green. Could we see that color on him again very soon? Or, a better question, how much of it will he be making in a couple of months?

I had to write this quick so that I could be one of the first to report it. So expect more in the near future on this subject.

Photos:
1.http://images.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/_photos/2005-11-17-in-jlsmith.jpg
2.http://www.ohiou.edu/ohiotoday/sum98/jpegs/grobe1.jpg

Chuck, I want to support you; but, you make it hard to do so.

Dear Chuck,
What is wrong with our football team. I was hoping that our state would have a top-25 team at the top of the conference; however, I wasn't hoping it would be the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. I was hoping that it would be the Wolfpack.

Our football team is 3-5 with and have to play 2 top-25 teams in the next 2 weeks. Our bowl prospects are grim at best. I was disappointed in last year's trip to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. I think this program is capable of so much more than that. Why are we going to fall short of a trip to even the Boise Bowl or the Stuckey's World Famous Pecan Log Bowl at South of the Border?

To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. Our 5 losses have come to teams we shouldn't lose to. On the flipside, 2 of our 3 wins have come against teams that I could understand us losing to. Akron has beaten us, North Texas and Miami...OF OHIO! Southern Miss has beaten us, SE Louisiana, Central Florida and Houston; oh by the way they lost to ECU. Wake Forest is a good team, this year, but we still have no excuse to lose to them. Maryland, we kick started their season and now they're on a roll. Virginia has beaten us, Wyoming, Duke and Carolina; and, also lost to ECU.

So the way I see it is the only game that we shouldn't be concerned about losing would be the Carolina game. I mean if we can't beat teams that have lost to ECU, then we can't expect to beat ECU, right? Oh wait, we should worry about the Carolina game because we always find a way to screw that game up.

Oh Chuck, I want to give you my full support. I have the utmost confidence in you when we play Florida State. But that seems to be the only team that we are ever truly ready to play. I wish we could have them on the schedule 12 times a year.

I know that it takes time to build a program up. But, it seems that we have taken a step back since Phillip Rivers left. We have been through countless assistant coaches. That seems to be the reason for the lack of continuity in our program.

The team just hasn't looked prepared to play this year. We start slow, really slow. And that is a sign that team and the coaching staff just are not prepared well enough. It's a shame too. You came to NC State and have built this program and our facilities, and I will always give you credit where credit is due. Thus, I have to credit you with the lack of production on the field this year.

Do I think you should lose your job? No. Like I said earlier, I know it takes time to build a program. You have taken this program to national relevance. And that is a big step. People everywhere know who NC State is when it comes to football. However, we have lacked consistency over the past 3 years and we seemed to have reached a ceiling. Ten or 15 years ago 3-5 wouldn't mean a whole lot; and the fact that it means so much now is a symbol of the great things you have done here. Our record is not acceptable and it shouldn't be if we hope to take this program to the next level.

Oh I just hope that you can have the team ready to play this weekend against Georgia Tech. I want to believe, I want to say 'Told you so' to all the Chuck haters when we make it to the big time, I want to say a single digit in front of the NCSU on the top of the ESPN screen and most of all I want what is best for our program. And right now I think you, Chuck "The Chest," are the man for the job. But, please do not give me reason to think otherwise by continuing to lose games like we have over the past 3 weeks.

Sincerely,
Concerned Wolfpack Fan
Carter-Finley Regular

Photo:
http://www.tarheeldaily.com/photos/buntingamato300.jpg