The State of N.C. State

Once upon a time, N.C. State was regarded as an emerging power with all sorts of nice facilities and a recruiting pipeline to Florida.

Eight wins in 2000, Chuck Amato's first year. Eleven in 2002. Eight in 2003.

Once upon a time, Clemson fans bemoaned N.C. State's rise and wondered if the Wolfpack were running away from the Tigers in the conference hierarchy.

Remember when Amato's bunch pranced into Death Valley on a Thursday night in 2002 and smoked the Tigers 38-6? What an awful night in Tigertown.

Clemson came close the next year in Raleigh, botching some plays late as the Wolfpack held on for a 17-15 win.

In those days, as plans for expansion were percolating in the minds of ACC brass in Greensboro, N.C. State figured to be a headliner in a new-and-improved conference.

Surely no one in Raleigh predicted what has unfolded in the post-expansion ACC. As the conference's seventh season as a 12-team outfit winds to a close, check out N.C. State's ACC record over that stretch:

21-33

The only worse record? Dook.

And the Wolfies aren't much of a hindrance to Clemson anymore; the Tigers have defeated N.C. State seven consecutive times since that 2003 night in Raleigh, including convincing victories in 2009 (43-23), 2008 (27-9), 2007 (42-20) and 2005 (31-10).

Tom O'Brien was brought in to replace Amato and bring stability and discipline to the program, but the results haven't been all that hot. He is 5-0 against North Carolina, and fans certainly take some satisfaction in that. But the euphoria starts to wear off when they look at his record against the rest of the ACC (11-22).

And now, after last week's ugly loss at Boston College, the 5-5 Wolfpack are on the verge of staying home for the holidays. O'Brien's bunch must beat Clemson and Maryland to assure bowl eligibility; two of N.C. State's wins this year have come against FCS schools (Liberty and South Alabama).

O'Brien is also flirting with his fourth losing season in five years. You have to think his job will be in some real danger if that happens.

Recruiting appears to have slipped in a big way in recent years. This team has some nice pieces and is absolutely capable of hanging with Clemson on Saturday in Raleigh, but its composition just has a house-of-cards feel to it when you look to the future.

Other programs get mentioned before N.C. State when the topic is ACC underachievement. Miami. Florida State. Clemson. But given the Wolfpack's resources and the money they've put into football over the last decade or so, this isn't near the return on the investment they were anticipating.

LW