While the majority of off may rightfully laugh off any playoff predictions for NC State, a finish in the nation’s top 10 is by no means a zany notion--in fact, there is plenty of precedent for teams that finished the year prior outside the top 25 to finish the next in the top 10.
As NFLDraftFever.com explains in this piece, in six of the last seven years, multiple schools have gone from unranked to finishing in the top 10 the next season. Based on the things those teams had in common, the article goes in search for potential breakout squads for 2017 and ends up with a list of 16 power-five schools that meet the criteria--including NC State.