Let’s not make this more than it is. It’s merely the undeniable truth of football in its current form.

An elite quarterback wins championships. An elite quarterback changes everything.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce Devin Leary. The reason NC State — forever lovable in the crowd and never alone on the stage — has a legitimate chance to reach the Playoff.

That’s right, the Playoff.

“He’s in a different place,” NC State coach Dave Doeren says of Leary, “which makes our team different.”

Translation: We have an elite quarterback, that’s how you win big games.

And before you can say Georgia won it all last year with a nasty defense, I’d like to remind you that the Georgia defense didn’t make a perfect throw on a deep ball touchdown with the Bulldogs trailing in the fourth quarter.

The Georgia defense didn’t go from throwing 3 interceptions in an SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama to not throwing any in the national title game against Alabama — and throwing 2 decisive touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

Georgia won the national title last year because quarterback Stetson Bennett played elite in the national championship game (and for much of the season).

“It’s the nature of the position,” Leary said. “But I think now more than ever, the way offenses have exploded, the quarterback has to play well.”

There’s a formula most coaches use for quarterbacks. The first year as a starter is understanding your role, the second is the big jump, the third is championship level.

This is Year 3 for Leary as the full-time starting QB at NC State. He redshirted in 2018, then started the final 5 games as a redshirt freshman in 2019. The job was his in an abridged 2020 pandemic season (that included an injury), and then he delivered a breakout season in 2021 that was barely a blip outside the ACC. He broke NC State’s single-season record with 35 TD passes and threw just 5 picks. He averaged 8 yards per attempt and was just a name outside the geographical footprint of the ACC.

They’re not dinking and dunking in this offense, either. They’re throwing the ball downfield and attacking defenses and winning games they didn’t in the past. Like beating Clemson for the first time in 9 years.

They return 18 starters from a team that, in the past 2 seasons, has lost 7 games — 4 by 3 points or less. They don’t have a marquee nonconference game, and they play in one of the 2 weaker Power 5 conferences.

So the road to the Playoff is straightforward: Win every game, or forget it. And that’s where Leary enters the equation.

“That’s a different cat now,” Syracuse coach Dino Babers said. “Just a terrific talent.”

There’s no denying the impact of the quarterback in the Playoff era. Clemson won 2 national titles with generational players Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence.

LSU won it all because Joe Burrow had the greatest single season in college football history. Oklahoma reached the Playoff with Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts — 2 Heisman Trophy winners and a runner-up.

Oregon reached the Playoff with Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, and Florida State’s last run at the national elite came with Jameis Winston.

That’s 5 No. 1 overall picks in the NFL Draft, and everyone in that aforementioned group is or was an NFL starter. While Leary isn’t projected to go that high in the 2023 draft, there is a more apt comparison: Desmond Ridder.

The same Desmond Ridder whose play in 2021 led Cincinnati to a breakthrough season and become the first Group of 5 team to make the Playoff.

While Leary isn’t as dynamic in the run game as Ridder, he’s more polished as a thrower and — like Ritter — he’s surrounded by dangerous skill players and a defense that will be among the best in the nation.

Doeren has been, and always will be, a defense-oriented coach. He made his bones early in his career as Wisconsin’s DC, and he has his best unit yet at NC State.

The Wolfpack were No. 14 in the nation last season in scoring defense (19.7 ppg.), and in an offense-fueled game, gave up less than 30 percent of 3rd-down conversions (No. 5 in the nation, 29.4 percent).

The defense will get 3-and-outs, it’s up to Leary and the offense to find a way to win close games. Those 4 losses by 3 points or less completely changed the narrative over the past 2 seasons — and overshadowed a record-breaking season by Leary in 2021.

It also didn’t help that Clemson had its worst season in years, further separating and insulating the ACC from not only the Playoff argument but also games that matter in November.

So Leary’s 2 TD passes in 26 seconds to beat North Carolina were but a mention after the fact. Same with his 18 TDs passes in the last 5 games.

Same with UCLA bailing on a bowl game — on the day of the game — that could’ve provided momentum and (here’s the key) preseason expectations and that all-important narrative. The Wolfpack begin the season ranked No. 13 — matching the 1975 team for the highest starting point in program history. They haven’t been ranked higher than No. 10 since 1974.

“We do have high expectations,” Leary said. “And a little bit of what we put on film last year, we’re kind of earning that respect a little bit.”

The next step is the Playoff. With the elite quarterback leading the way.