(06-29-2019 06:01 AM)XLance Wrote: (06-28-2019 03:54 PM)Statefan Wrote: There are too many conference games now. Most are boring. Good intersection P-5 games are something rarer. I'd rather watch NC State play Penn State, UCLA, or Illinois than watch State play WF, BC, or Syracuse year after year.
I can understand State not wanting to play Wake Forest, they never seem to be able to beat them, BUT WAIT State can't seem to ever beat Penn State either (State losing 17 out of 19 contest with the Nittany Lions).
From 1965 to 1981 we played PSU in 2-1 fashion.
In 67 we lost 13-8 and it cost us a major bowl
in 73 we lost 35-39 and it cost us the Gator Bowl
in 74 we won 12-7
In 75 we won 15-14
In 77 we lost 21-17
In 78 we lost 19-10
In 1979 we lost 9-7 on a no time fg that they kicked into a howling north wind from 54 yards and it cost us the Gator Bowl
In 1980 we lost 21-13
In 1981 we lost 22-15
For much of the 50's, 60's, 70', and 80's many of our best players came from Pa as were were able to recruit and keep kids that were second on PSU's and Pitt's wish list.
The games were almost always exciting and there is no shame losing to Penn State. Beat WF, no matter how good they are and you get nothing. Same for UNC and Duke. NCSU is a big game for WF for reasons that go back over 100 years. NC State no longer sees the game that way, especially the players so ours sleep walk through the first half and by the time the yet again realize that Wake has a good team, we have to press ourselves to win. It's a pride game for them and we don't show equal courtesy and therefore get what we deserve because of our lack of respect.
We made a crucially bad coaching hire after Bo Rein left for LSU and the series was ended in the early 80's. Debbie Yow was not going to attempt to schedule a game against James Franklin - the man she wanted coaching Maryland instead of the Fridge.
NC State is a high risk, low reward game for top P-5's. Going back the last 20 years we beat Texas in Texas. We had Ohio State beat twice and failed to punch the winning score into the end zone under Phillip Rivers. Oklahoma State and LSU backed out on us. Tennessee backed out on us and then agreed only to play in their backyard of Atlanta on a Friday afternoon on the Labor Day weekend. Since we no longer control our schedule we are hesitant to attempt to schedule another top 10-15 program since we already have to play FSU and Clemson and the league office might give us all three in consecutive weekends.
I don't think Texas Tech, Mississippi State, Vandy, and BYU will back out, but if we played academically analogous schools in other conferences they would be the likes of Michigan State, Maryland, Auburn, LSU, TAMU, ASU, Oregon State, UCLA, and Oklahaoma State. What Big 10 wants to risk a game with NC State? NC State and MD will not play football again for two generations. Auburn will not agree to come to Raleigh, nor will LSU, they will want to play in Atlanta.
It's for these reasons that Penn State is missed.