North Carolina State Wolfpack 2009 College Football Predictions: If the North Carolina State Wolfpack football team can pick up in the ACC where it left off in coach Tom O'Brian's second year in 2008, it might very well win the Atlantic Division in his third year and represent the ACC in the Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game this December. O’Brien led the Wolfpack to its first bowl appearance since 2005, winning the final four regular season games, before dropping a 29-23 decision to Rutgers in the Papajohns.com Bowl to finish 6-7 overall, 4-4 in the ACC and tied for 3rd in the Atlantic Division.

In a College Football Predictions preseason poll, media pundits who cover ACC football have picked the NC State to finish third in the Atlantic Division. Oddsmakers at sportsbook Bodog.com list the Pack's odds of winning the 2010 BCS Championship at 100-1 (+10000).

NC State welcomes back 15 returning starters including 7 each on offense and defense and junior PK Josh Czajkowski, who finished 4th in the ACC in field goals. Leading the returnees will be sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson as he looks to build on his strong freshman performance from a year ago.

You will not find a good offense without a quality line and the Pack are not short of talent there. With center Ted Larson and tackles Jake Vermiglio and Jeraill McCuller, this group of upperclassmen shows a lot of promise. These are all players who have familiarity with Coach O'Brien's system which should be an added plus to the stability of the offense.

Defensively, State should be improved with two of its top three tacklers returning in linebackers Ray Michel and Nate Irving as well as its best pass rusher in defensive end Willie Young, who had 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. The Wolfpack’s run defense improved at the end of the year, holding its final 5 foes to an average of just 98 yards per game, after allowing 173 yards a game in the first 8 contests. Two starters return in the secondary in cornerback DeAndre Morgan, who led the team in pass breakups with 10 and safety Justin Byers.

NC State opens its season with a bang by hosting Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Thursday, Sept. 3. This game is a revenge game if there ever was one as South Carolina humbled the Pack by winning 34-0 last year down in Columbia.

Schedule makers were kind to NC State by awarding them with a record eight home games including the first four. Following the South Carolina game, the Pack hosts Murray State and Gardner-Webb followed by a more difficult challenge, the Pitt Panthers on Sept. 26. Three of the next four games will come on the road; at Wake Forest, home for Duke followed by Boston College on Oct. 10th and Florida State on Halloween night. Then three of the final four games will be in Raleigh; Maryland Nov. 7 and Clemson Nov. 14, at Virginia Tech Nov. 21 and finish the regular season at home against North Carolina on Nov. 28.