NC State's 2021 football schedule was released Thursday morning.

Now that the dates for each game are confirmed, it's time to look at how the Wolfpack's 12 opponents compare to each other in level of difficulty.

Here are the Pack's 2021 opponents ranked 1-12 from most winnable to most difficult:

When: Week three, Sept. 18

2020 record: N/A (Season postponed to Spring 2021)

Best returning player: Senior running back Devin Wynn (90.9 yards per game, 14 touchdowns in 2019)

All-time series record: Furman leads 5-8-4

Last meeting: NC State 49-16 (2017)

When: Week one, Sept. 2 (Thursday night)

2020 record: 1-8 (0-7 American)

Best returning player: Senior linebacker Antonio Grier Jr. (50 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2020)

All-time series record: NC State leads 2-1

Last meeting: NC State 49-17 (2014)

When: Week five, Oct. 2

2020 record: 5-5 (4-2 Conference USA)

Best returning player: Freshman linebacker Tyler Grubbs (99 tackles, 9.5 TFL, one sack and one forced fumble in 2020)

All-time series record: NC State leads 1-0

Last meeting: NC State 40-14 (2013)

Observations: It's important to consider when this game will be played to fairly gauge the level of difficulty of the matchup. While Louisiana Tech shouldn't scare Wolfpack fans after the Bulldogs finished .500 in 2020 out of Conference USA, NC State will host the Skip Holtz-coached squad one week after hosting Clemson in late September.

A meeting with the Tigers is always a physically exhausting event, and the Wolfpack's energy against La. Tech will be something to watch. Another interesting storyline will be the familial connection. Holtz, the Bulldogs head coach, is the son of former NC State coach Lou Holtz, who coached the Pack from 1972-1975. He later went on to have a historic career at Notre Dame and as an ESPN personality.

When: Week 12, Nov. 20

2020 record: 1-10 (1-9 ACC)

Best returning player: Sophomore linebacker Mikel Jones (68 tackles, 4 INTs, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 2020)

All-time series record: NC State leads 12-2

Last meeting: NC State 36-29 (2020)

When: Week nine, Oct. 30

2020 record: 4-7 (3-7 ACC)

Best returning player: Redshirt junior quarterback Malik Cunningham (237 passing yards per game, 20 TDs, 12 INTs, 55 rushing yards per game, 7 rushing TDs in 2020)

All-time series record: Louisville leads 7-3

Last meeting: Louisville 34-20 (2019)

When: Week 10, Nov. 6

2020 record: 3-6 (2-6 ACC)

Best returning player: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jordan Travis (132 passing yards per game, 6 TDs, 6 INTs, 70 rushing yards per game, 7 rushing TDs in 2020)

All-time series record: Florida State leads 26-14

Last meeting: NC State 38-22 (2020)

When: Week seven, Oct. 16

2020 record: 6-5 (5-5 ACC)

Best returning player: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Phil Jurkovec (255.8 passing yards per game, 17 TDs, 5 INTs in 2020)

All-time series record: Boston College leads 10-7

Last meeting: Boston College 45-24 (2019)

When: Week two, Sept. 11

2020 record: 4-7 (3-7 SEC)

Best returning player: Freshman corner Emmanuel Forbes (44 tackles, 5 INTS, three interception returns for TDs (led FBS) in 2020)

All-time series record: Series tied 3-3

Last meeting: Mississippi State 51-28 (2015)

Observations: NC State was supposed to host the Bulldogs in 2020 as its marquee non-conference matchup, but the game was scratched due to the scheduling changes caused by COVID-19.

This early-season contest should be a good gauge for how competitive this Wolfpack team will be in 2021. The matchup will present a particularly tough test for the young NC State secondary, who will have its hands full against Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach's air raid offense.

When: Week 11, Nov. 13

2020 record: 4-5 (3-4 ACC)

Best returning player: Redshirt junior wide receiver Jaquarri Roberson (102.9 receiving yards per game, 62 receptions and eight TDs in 2020)

All-time series record: NC State leads 67-41-6

Last meeting: NC State 45-42 (2020)

When: Week 13, Nov. 26 (Friday night)

2020 record: 8-4 (7-3 ACC)

Best returning player: Sophomore quarterback Sam Howell (298.8 passing yards per game, 30 TDs, seven INTs, five rushing TDs in 2020)

All-time series record: UNC leads 68-36-6

Last meeting: UNC 48-21 (2020)

Observations: No matter what the two teams' records are entering the final week of the regular season, this Friday night matchup will attract plenty of eyeballs over rivalry weekend in college football.

North Carolina has had NC State's number in the past two seasons since Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown returned to the program in 2019. UNC was able to run all over the Wolfpack in Kenan Memorial Stadium in what was a ranked matchup in 2020. The game was played one week after the Pack's starting quarterback Devin Leary suffered a season-ending leg break against Duke, so morale could have played a factor for State.

Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell's postgame comments following the latest meeting in Chapel Hill should give NC State's players plenty of bulletin board material to enter the 2021 matchup with fire in their bellies.

When: Week eight, Oct. 23

2020 record: 8-3 (7-2 ACC)

Best returning player: Redshirt senior quarterback D'Eriq King (244.2 passing yards per game, 23 TDs, five INTs, 48.9 rushing yards per game and four rushing TDs in 2020)

All-time series record: Miami leads 5-10-1

Last meeting: Miami 44-41 (2020)

When: Week four, Sept. 25

2020 record: 10-2 (8-1 ACC)

Best returning player: Freshman quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei (390.5 passing yards per game, four TDs, 0 INTs in two starts in 2020)

All-time series record: Clemson leads 59-28-1

Last meeting: Clemson 55-10 (2019)

Observations: Of course Clemson is No. 1 on this list. The Wolfpack enjoyed a nice break from facing the Tigers in the annual Textile Bowl in 2020 due to COVID-19 scheduling shakeups.

Prior to last season, NC State had faced Clemson every year since 1970. The Wolfpack won six straight against the Tigers from 1971-1976 but has only beaten its out-of-state rival three times in the last 20 meetings.

The Pack could benefit from facing Clemson early in the season. The 2021 meeting will be NC State's conference opener and will be the ACC road opener for the Tigers. Of Clemson's seven regular-season conference losses since 2012, four have come before mid-October.

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