Dave Sez

Big Week For The Chest

Caulton Tudor has a well-written piece today on how big this weekend's game with Carolina is for Chuck Amato.

Often, newspaper columnists, Tudor included, go to extremes in an effort to get attention and sell papers. This article offered plenty of opportunity for hyperbole, but I don't think Tudor crossed that line. He plainly pointed out that Amato's job will not be in jeopardy if he loses this game. The fans will be quite upset though, and there will likely be some boos mingled in with the wolf calls in Carter-Finley.

For several years now, NC State fans have loved the feeling that they've finally gotten a leg up on the "Blue Bellies" from Chapel Hill. Chuck Amato very quickly built up a strong program in Raleigh while John Bunting has muddled around with a program that Carl Torbush torpedoed.

But here's the thing - for as much excitement as Amato has brought to Raleigh, he hasn't really distanced NC State far from Carolina, at least not in their head-to-head games. Bunting is 2-2 against the Pack and won last year. You might recall that Carolina went on to go to a bowl game while State stayed home.

So yes, this is a big game. The Wolfpack has a better team and a better coaching staff. They should win. But if they don't, if they lose to the Heels for a second consecutive season, I wonder if much of that hype and promise will whoosh out of the big red balloon.