N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien takes an academic jab at UNC

The rivalry between N.C. State and North Carolina has been more exciting off the field than on it as of late.

Since N.C. State has won the past five meetings against the Tar Heels, calling the game a rivalry is a little inaccurate. But N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien is doing his best to keep things as spirited as he can.

During his weekly radio show earlier this week, O'Brien took a jab at North Carolina's academic scandal. UNC has been under investigation for multiple academic improprieties, including some classes in the African American Studies department that didn't have a professor or didn't require students to turn in any work except a final paper.

"We do go to class here at NC," O'Brien said. "We have syllabuses and instructors that show up, so [the players] better be there."

Ouch.

N.C. State has done it's best to pick on its in-state rival whenever possible. In June, N.C. State put up several billboards in the Raleigh area that read "Welcome to our STATE" and last year O'Brien and UNC interim coach Everett Withers exchanged barbs through the media.

New North Carolina coach Larry Fedora, who came from Southern Miss, which got into its own billboard war with Ole Miss and Mississippi State, hasn't done much trash talking. That's probably good. Better see what his team can do on the field before he starts posturing off of it. Besides, if UNC beats N.C. State for the first time since 2006, that should do all the talking for him.

H/T to The Big Lead

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