As usual, Joe Giglio does a great job breaking down the ACC’s bowl scenarios. And we have known for a while that NC State will be bowling this year, it’s just a matter of which game. According to Giglio, the destination likely depends on the winner of the ACC title game but should be one of these three: the Mayo Bowl (Charlotte), Gator Bowl (Jax), or Cheez-It Bowl (Orlando).
Clemson winning the ACC title game would put both the Tigers and Notre Dame in the playoffs, and after the Cheez-It and Orange take UNC and Miami, NC State would likely be the choice for the Gator Bowl. A Notre Dame win in the ACCCG knocks Clemson out of the playoffs and everybody else takes a tumble down the pecking order as a result—in that event, Giglio projects State in the Mayo Bowl.
I like the idea of going to Charlotte for the proximity to Raleigh but also because the opponent will be a Big Ten team. Has NC State played a Big Ten team since its Ohio State series during the Amato era? (No, Maryland doesn’t count, funny guy!)