Looking Ahead: Doeren Upset About Schedule
It doesn't take much to upset NC State head coach Dave Doeren. In fact, a couple of laptops have been known to send the Wolfpack coach into a conniption fit. Entering the 2021 season another inanimate thing has drawn the ire of Doeren—schedules.
Doeren took to the microphone at the ACC Kickoff and let those in attendance know exactly how he feels.
"I think I've been on the record of saying I would like a different rotation than we have. I'm not saying realignment or any of those things are necessary to do that," Doeren said. "I really don't like the fact that I don't get to play everybody for every seven years. Every seven years I'll see Duke on our schedule or Virginia Tech, these teams that are close by, Virginia. I don't think that's fair to the student-athletes at any of these schools. If I'm a North Carolina person, grow up -- Payton Wilson is a great example. Grows up going to Duke football games, he comes to NC State, he gets to play them one time. Some of our guys don't ever get to play Duke. I just don't think that's a good way to put it together. That's my opinion.'
Of course, everyone would love to have a guaranteed win on their schedule by adding the Blue Devils, but Dave, it isn't that easy. Well, maybe it was in 2020?
"I loved last year, playing as many teams as we got to play from the other side," Doeren said. "What's the best way to do that? That's not for me to decide. I would just like to see a little bit more of a rotation. How that gets done, is it getting rid of divisions, realigning, adding another conference game? I don't know. That's for people ahead of me to decide."
That 2020 schedule that Doeren loved resulted in a 7-3 conference record and a 8-4 overall record, with a 1-point win over Liberty and a loss to Kentucky in their bowl game.
Maybe Doeren the real reason he was happier last season had nothing to do with the teams he doesn't get to play every year, and more to do with one team he does have to play—Clemson, who is currently favored at -2400 to capture the Atlantic Division again, according to FanDuel.
