Week 1 (NCSU @ SC)

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ajoytoy

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Glad football is finally back!!:00hour

Going to change the location of my posts from last year on the site...will continue to post my pool picks...last year was the first year in the pool that I didn't recoup some of my entrance fee...hopefully it will be the last...:0corn

If the Pack has a game during the week that I am posting my pool picks and regular picks, i will post the match-up summary:shrug: ...if people don't like it, tough:mj07: ....not many Pack fans on here (or that post regularly), so it will at least give you an update on the Pack's attitude going into the game...I try to be impartial in my picking of Pack games, but as i have stated before I don't bet against them...This year should be a transistion year for O'Brien and the squad...they could be as bad as last year or could get it together and make a run at the ACC...the X-factor will be the QB...Starting redshirt Freshman Wilson will determine how the offense works this year...Defense should be above average..Does not help to start at SC, but if you want to get better, you cant play "easy win" games for all the non-conference games...Can the Pack win? Don't think so, but I will definitely be rooting them on...Will the Pack cover? Think that could happen...Will I play it? Not the line, but maybe a halftime wager if the line is right....every football junkie will be watching this game...if the line continues to move up on thursday there is always the possibility i would play it (14.5 or higher)...looking at the under for the game since if the pack will have any chance to win, they will have to keep the scoring low...When i don't play a Pack game, I might give a lean...I am in no ways an expert on the Pack (look at my past record on them), but I will be watching them more closely than any other team. If you have questions through the year on the Pack, please reply back and i will try to find the answer...the best to all this season...hopefully I will not be a fade...or i might just fade myself...

Pool plays will be the 4 best plays for the week...1 will be a Best Bet (BB) and it will be my best selection...over the course of 4 years playing the pool, I have done pretty well on the BB...please do not follow me (or anyone else for that matter) blindly...do your own research and hopefully we come to the same conclusion that the side we are picking is the correct winning side...


Pool Picks have to be in by Friday afternoon, so i "should" have them on MJ's on the same day...sometimes i will add plays friday night, saturday and of course at times i will play a halftime if i am watching a game or i have a good middling opportunity...I normally get my thread up mid-week and will put leans on there for the following week so i can look into them more during the latter part of the week...any info you have or suggestions are more than welcome...we are a family here trying to help each other out...lets try to continue to keep it that way

Hope we all have a profitable season:SIB

Back later with plays and leans
 
Irish

Irish

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Best of luck this season to you and the Pack... just not in week one because I am counting on them to have a tough time against the SC defense.

Cheers
Irish
 
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ajoytoy

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ony Haynes: NC State Meets Spurrier Again

ony Haynes: NC State Meets Spurrier Again

BY TONY HAYNES



When NC State faces South Carolina on Thursday night, it will be running up against an old, but familiar foe. The Wolfpack hasn?t played against a Steve Spurrier-coached team since it dropped a 27-10 decision to Florida in the 1992 Gator Bowl. But the real fun occurred from 1987-89 when the Wolfpack and Spurrier?s Duke teams produced some of the wildest, zaniest shootouts in ACC history.



Defense was an afterthought when the Pack edged Duke 47-45 in 1987. The next year at Carter-Finley Stadium, a late field goal allowed NC State to forge a 43-43 tie. The result sent the Wolfpack to the Peach Bowl and Spurrier to the suspended list. Disputing a late pass interference penalty that got the Pack into field goal range in the final seconds, Spurrier was suspended one game for saying the call was ?the worst in football history.? Spurrier, however, got some measure of revenge in 1989 when his Blue Devils prevailed 35-26, despite 535 passing yards and 73 passing attempts by State?s Shane Montgomery.



So what does this history lesson tell us? Not much, other than the fact that ACC football has changed dramatically since the late 80s. The seeds were planted in 1992 when Florida State brought its emphasis on speed and defense into the league. Others in the ACC followed suit and started recruiting faster players at all positions on defense.



More than likely, Thursday?s opening night match-up with Spurrier?s Gamecocks will not at all resemble the wide-open, scoring fests that fans enjoyed in 1987, 1988 and 1989.



Both teams will be going with first time starters at quarterback and both clubs expect to be stronger on defense than they were last season.



NC State?s offensive keys: After winning a pre-season quarterback derby that started with five players competing for the starting job, redshirt freshman Russell Wilson now has the keys to coach Dana Bible?s offense. At Collegiate High in Richmond, Virginia, the athletic Wilson threw for 3,009 yards and rushed for an additional 1,132 yards his senior year. But that was when he was piloting a Cessna. On Thursday, he?ll be sitting in the cockpit of a 747. The control panel of a 747 is a heck of a lot more convoluted than a control panel of a Cessna, so the differences for Wilson will be dramatic.



Wilson can have success, but only if his teammates rally around him. A redshirt freshman with zero college experience cannot do it alone. His best ally would be an effective running game that allows NC State to control the ball, the clock and the game. But that best-case scenario could be difficult to come by for a number of reasons. South Carolina has some serious studs in its front seven on defense. Sophomore tackle Ladi Ajiboye (6-1, 298) was a second-team freshman All-America last season, while end Jordin Lindsey (6-3, 266) is a senior who was named the most outstanding defensive player in the 2006 Liberty Bowl. Linebackers Jasper Brinkley (6-2, 269) and Eric Norwood (6-1, 267) are among the best at their positions in the talent-rich SEC.



The question is this: Can a revamped NC State offensive line that features converted defensive tackles Ted Larson and John Bedics open up running lanes for backs Andre Brown and Curtis Underwood? Brown, who?s coming off a foot injury, will get plenty of work with starter Jamelle Eugene sidelined by a sprained ankle. Brown is what coaches refer to as a ?bouncer,? meaning he feels more comfortable bouncing to the outside even on interior running plays that are designed to go inside. In this game, Brown must be willing to grind out some tough yards between the tackles when asked to do so.



Of course, Wilson?s legs could be the X-factor.



?Coach O?Brien?s offense has never been that much of a quarterback run-oriented offense,? Spurrier said. ?Russell Wilson is supposedly a very good athlete who can make plays throwing and running. We?ve been working on quarterback runs during the pre-season.?



Wilson shouldn?t be categorized as a ?running quarterback,? however. For NC State?s offense to function properly, he needs to be a ?quarterback who has the ability to run.?



NC State?s defensive keys: Just as the Wolfpack isn?t quite sure what it will get out of Russell Wilson, South Carolina is wondering how junior Tommy Beecher will react in his first game as a starter. Beecher has played sporadically during his career, completing 16-of-25 throws for 194 yards.



?Tommy Beecher is an unknown,? said Spurrier. ?He has the ability to make excellent decisions throughout the game and we?ll have to see if that occurs.?



Beecher?s number one target will be Kenny McKinley, a legit SEC wide receiver who is on his way to passing Sterling Sharpe on South Carolina?s all-time receptions list.



Of course, the most effective way to defend an experienced quarterback is to apply pressure up front and create confusion with a variety of defensive looks. Wolfpack defensive coordinator Mike Archer now has a group of players who have a better understanding of his zone coverage schemes, a fact that should produce more turnovers this season.



?The kids are now playing everyday and they?re playing faster because they know what they?re supposed to do,? Pack head coach Tom O?Brien said. ?That should happen as you progress in a program. They?re not thinking about where they have to line up or where they?re supposed to go; they?re just playing football. We?ll be much better from that standpoint.?



South Carolina knows NC State finished last in the ACC in rushing defense a year ago and will likely test a unit that will be starting three new linebackers. But let?s not forget: the Gameocks ARE coached by Steve Spurrier. Even with a new quarterback, South Carolina will take some shots downfield, looking for a few big plays in the passing game that would be backbreakers for an NC State team trying to keep the game close and winnable in the fourth quarter.



Kicking game: This could very well be O?Brien?s biggest concern. South Carolina?s Ryan Succop is one of the top returning placekickers in college football. The senior was 13-of-17 on field goals last season and made all 37 of his PAT attempts. Succup also owns a respectable 42.3 yard career average as a punter. I?d love to give you NC State?s kicking statistics, but there?s not much to work with. Sophomore placekicker Josh Czajkowski has a long name, but is short on experience. Let?s put it this way: if Czajkowski makes his first field goal attempt on Thursday, he?ll be the most accurate kicker in NC State history because he?ll be 1-for-1. The starting punter and placekicker is also a sophomore. Bradley Pierson averaged a modest 37 yards on 62 punts last season.



NC State?s return teams took a hit with Eugene?s injury. Last year?s team MVP was expected to handle some of the punt and kick return duties.



On paper, the Wolfpack would seem to be at a distinct disadvantage in the kicking game against South Carolina. NC State will have a tough time leaving Columbia with a win if it gets dominated in that phase of the football game.
 
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ajoytoy

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plays:

plays:

Ok State -7
W. Michigan +14.5
Or. State -3
Wake -12
Clemson -4.5
Kent St. +10
TCU -6.5

Leaning Pack at 14.5 or higher and the Under....will be back will pool picks later

glta
 
Skipper

Skipper

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Toy:

Always love your plays and glad to see you leaning under. I cannot see NC St. scoring that many pts. I think the total is inflated a little based on So Carolina's D being poor over the last couple of years, but these guys are upperclassmen and I think the d could be the strength of this team.

I am hedging by taking So. Carolina because I just cannot see NC St. scoring over 14

GL and always look at your plays
 
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ajoytoy

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Pool Plays

Pool Plays

NCSU
Or. State
TCU
Clemson (Best Bet)

Added NCSU +14.5..under fell down to 44, so i am leaving it alone...

glta
 
Skipper

Skipper

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Tough start for your boys Toy. I think it is going to be a long year. Any word on the starting QB? Hate to see that happen

GL this weekend:00hour
 
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ajoytoy

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Skipper said:
Tough start for your boys Toy. I think it is going to be a long year. Any word on the starting QB? Hate to see that happen

GL this weekend:00hour
Click to expand...
just what i heard on the tv last night, that it was a concussion...hope he can get back on the field soon...Pack played tough in the FH...but SC showed a great performance in the 2nd half...hope the Pack can learn from their mistakes yesterday...time will tell
 
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ajoytoy

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Plays:

Plays:

Ok State -7
W. Michigan +14.5
Or. State -3 (L)
Wake -12 (W)
Clemson -4.5
Kent St. +10
TCU -6.5
NCSU +14.5 (L)
Missouri -9

Parlay:
Wake -2 (W), VT+1/2 & BC Pick (-110)
sorry about forgettng to post this on thursday

gl out there
 
D

Double Two

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Sorry about the Pack the other night. Defense played well til they wore out but ya'll need to find some "O". Best of Luck with your selections today and for the entire season Toy!!!:)
 
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