A breakthough year in sports doesn’t have an exact definition, but we’ve come to understand it primarily as abrupt positive change. Some breakthroughs are loud (see: Miami), others more understated (NC State this year, perhaps), while others are practically ignored. Say hello to Wake Forest.
You might be surprised to learn, for example, that Wake Forest is favored by a couple of points this weekend. While State has gotten plenty of media coverage for its successes this season, and there has been plenty of writerly lament for what’s happened at UNC and Duke, the Deacs keep flying outside of notice.