NC State finally stepped onto the big stage Saturday, but instead of grabbing hold of the spotlight, it crumbled under the weight of its own ineptitude.
Clemson is a very good football team. It’s a program that has succeeded mightily in the development of talent and depth and positioned itself at the pinnacle of college football. At its best, it would beat any level of NC State product, obviously. That doesn’t mean that the Wolfpack, which have been steadily upgrading talent and depth in its own right, can’t win a matchup like last Saturday’s. It just means that State has to play to its highest level to give itself a chance.