Tech Sports Blog

[The following post was published at HokieHaven.com on November 23, 2007.]

This is it: Rivalry Week. It started last weekend with Ohio State and Michigan squaring off in Ann Arbor, continues through Thanksgiving, and culminates on Saturday. Arkansas at LSU, Texas at Texas A&M, Georgia at Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State at Oklahoma, and Florida State at Florida are just a handful of familiar long-time foes battling it out on the gridiron this weekend for bragging rights. Most of those don’t mean very much on the national scene, but there are a few others that do. How about Missouri and Kansas facing off for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game and a chance to play for the National Championship? The stakes can not be much higher than that game. Of course, our Virginia Tech Hokies play a fairly high-stakes game this Saturday at Virginia. The winner advances to the ACC Championship Game and the loser does nothing but wait until the bowl invitations are announced.

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is past. In many ways it seems like yesterday that I made my first road trip of the football season for the opening game versus East Carolina. Now the holiday season is staring me down. Before I know it, Christmas 2007 will be a memory, the 2007 college football season will be in the books, and we’ll be in the middle of basketball season. Where has the season gone? It truly has been a roller coaster ride that has brought us to November and the best football we’ve seen the Hokies play this season. Now, with the regular season all but in the books, and a trip to Jacksonville on the line, Virginia Tech takes on Virginia.

I’ve spent a little too much time observing various message boards this week, and it’s quite easy to let yourself get aggravated when visiting the other teams’ boards. With both teams playing well, and so much on the line, the fans are a little extra pumped for this one, and online forums allow people to take on personality traits they wouldn’t otherwise have. Simply put, internet message boards can sometimes bring out the worst in people. Before it sounds like I’m getting soap-boxy, I’ll stop, because it is not my intention to rant about evil messages boards and the internet. I bring that up because maybe it explains why so many (on both sides) sound cocky about Saturday’s game. There are some Hokies and Hoos alike who exude overconfidence that I just can’t get into. Rivalry games can change how teams play, so I’m really not sure what to expect this Saturday.

That said, I do admit that both sides have reasons to be confident. Both played some of their best football in their last games, both are 9-2 overall, both are ranked in the polls fairly high, and both defenses are playing at a high level. If I were a Virginia fan, I’d be confident because my team has found ways to win. We Hokies can rail on the Hoos all we want about their soft schedule and poor offensive numbers, but at the end of the day Virginia has found ways to win a number of very close games. Winning brings a team together and instills confidence despite shortcomings. Like or it not, Virginia has won just as many games as the Hokies, and the Cavaliers finally seemed to break loose in their last game when they pasted Miami 48-0.

As a Virginia Tech fan, I’m confident in the Hokies because they are not the same team that I watched get spanked by LSU in the second weekend of the season. They are healthy, the offense is clicking, and they are putting lots of points on the board. The Hokies have won five of their last six games in convincing fashion. Gone are the 17-7 and 17-10 wins, now we have seen 27-3, 40-21, and 44-14. We have also seen the Hokies respond to adversity on the field. Both Miami and Florida State crawled back in the game in the third quarters, but Tech shut them down in the fourth. The Hokies will not be scared if this game is close in the third quarter.

If you ask me, Virginia Tech is a better team on paper. I think any reasonable college football fan would agree with me on that. The Hokies have played more quality opponents, and they have better numbers overall. However, I won’t be calling this an easy win for Tech, and I expect the Cavs to give us their best shot on Saturday.

Quick Hits

• If you thought our rivalry was intense, or if you thought the Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry was intense, think again. The Wall Street Journal reported on the bitter rivalry between Kansas and Missouri. Long story short: that rivalry goes back to the Civil War days where towns in each state were pillaged by raiders from the other. After reading the article, the term “Jayhawk” doesn’t seem so cuddly anymore.
• With reports of the BCS commissioners possibly expanding the “at large” pool from the top 14 to the top 18, Tech’s chances of an at-large BCS in the event of a loss in the ACC Championship Game may greatly improve. Heck, the Hokies might stay in the top 18 and receive an at-large bid should they lose to Virginia. Each team’s bowl situation is very much a subplot of Saturday’s game.
• After the Hokies started sluggishly, the quarterback position was debated relentlessly, and folks thought whoever was under center might be a liability. Looking back on the season, nothing has been further from the truth. Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor have thrown only four interceptions so far this season. Glennon threw one pick against East Carolina and one at LSU. Taylor threw one against North Carolina and one against Florida State. On the flip side of the ball, Jameel Sewell has thrown eight interceptions this year.
• I hate to admit it, but I just can’t get into the rivalry like some folks on the message boards. While I want to see Tech beat Virginia every time they play each other in every sport, I just don’t feel the amount of hate that bitter rivals are supposed to feel. Life is too short to let one football game get me bent out of shape. Maybe my lack of animosity towards Virginia is because one of my sisters is a Virginia alum, and she does not fit the stereotype that we have of Virginia folks. Perhaps it’s the outpouring of support we received from UVA in the aftermath of April 16th. Heck, maybe I have gotten soft because I moved to Charlottesville last year and the Wahoos have rubbed off on me. If you see me drinking a Zima at a tailgate this weekend, feel free to punch me in the neck.

[The following post was published at HokieHaven.com on November 16, 2007.]

As the final seconds ticked off the game clock last Saturday at the end of the Florida State game, I could almost hear Tangina from Poltergeist declare to the Hokie Nation that “This house is clean.” We could finally sing, “Ding Dong, the witch is dead!” The proverbial monkey was finally off of our collective back. It had been over 30 years since the last time we beat Florida State – in fact, Coach Beamer had never beat Bobby Bowden – but the last three losses to those hated ‘Noles were particularly bitter. As new members of the ACC, Florida State was the only team we had yet to conquer on the gridiron as an ACC peer.

Those last three games against Florida State (’99 National Championship Game, ’01 Gator Bowl, and ’05 ACC Championship Game) were certainly on our minds last Saturday, and the emotional release after the win punctuated that point. Even though the win was barely a blip on the college football radar, the fact that the students rushed the field after the game demonstrated what the win meant to the program. The Seminoles had seemed to be our nemesis team: when we played them the stakes were high, Bobby Bowden managed to out-Beamer the Hokies, and Tech lost. The 40-21 victory over the Seminoles exorcised those demons, and the Hokies can now only look towards the future.

What exactly does the future hold? Two of the Hokies’ most familiar foes are the only opponents remaining on the regular season slate. Tech has faced Miami every season since 1992, and they have faced Virginia every season since 1970. Recent history has been kind to the Hokies as they are 3-1 against each the last 4 years, but these aren’t your big brother’s ‘Canes and ‘Hoos. Miami has lost their last 2 games, and 4 of their last 5, including a 48-0 woodshed beating at the hands of the Cavaliers. At 5-5, they still need to win one more game to become bowl eligible. With Virginia Tech and Boston College remaining, Miami’s postseason fate remains very much in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Virginia, who had been the posterboy of mediocrity the last few years, has scratched and clawed their way to be amongst the ACC elite. Following an embarrassing loss at Wyoming the first week of the season, the Wahoos went to work and flew under the radar to a 9-2 record with only the Hokies standing in their way to a trip to Jacksonville at the end of the season. Who would’ve thought that the regular season finale in Charlottesville would mean so much?

As for Saturday’s game against Miami, it’s hard to believe that a game against the Hurricanes could mean so little in the grand scheme of things. Virginia Tech’s win over Florida State eliminated Miami from the division race before the ‘Canes could eliminate themselves by losing to UVA. There have been so many memorable games between Tech and Miami that have meant so much. The 43-10 smackdown we gave them in Blacksburg in 1999, the 41-21 loss they handed to us a year later when it was #2 vs #3, the Earnest Wilford drop in 2001 when Miami was #1 on their way to a national championship, and the 31-7 beating we handed to them in 2003 when they where #2 are just a few of some of the great games played between the two schools.

This time Miami isn’t ranked, and the outcome of the game will not affect our quest for an ACC Championship. Even with the reduced stakes, I can’t help but to feel excited about Saturday’s game. Saturday is senior day for one of the more memorable senior classes Virginia Tech football has seen. The likes of Vince Hall, Xavier Adibi, Chris Ellis, Duane Brown, and Eddie Royal will be playing their last game in Lane Stadium. In addition to that, this season has made a turn for the better since the nasty loss to LSU, and this will be the last time that most of the fans will get see this team in person.

At 8-2, the Hokies are just two wins away from yet another 10-win season, and the Hokies control their own fate for their bid at a second ACC Championship. Those dark weeks following the loss in Baton Rouge are nothing but a distant memory, and Tech put together some very nice wins. Even with the QB swap-a-roo (which I have warmed up to), I get the feeling that the team is starting to hit their stride. Hopefully they will build on this momentum and win four more games this season.

Quick Hits

• Did you catch Bobby Bowden’s comments about last weekend’s game? The Roanoke Times reported that the game was one of the three worst physical whippings suffered by any of his teams during his coaching career. That is some high praise, although I’m not entirely surprised by it. That was one of the hardest hitting games I think I’ve ever witnessed.
• ACC Championship Game update: Things are much clearer now. The winner of next week’s Virginia Tech vs Virginia game will play the winner of this week’s Boston College vs Clemson game.
• How about Maryland? Just when I thought they’d end the year with a losing record and have to stay home for the holidays, they pull off one of the biggest upsets in the ACC by knocking off Boston College. They are now 5-5 overall, and with Florida State and N.C. State remaining they have a legit shot at getting bowl eligible.
• While Miami has looked bad the last few weeks, I don’t expect Saturday’s game to be an easy win for the Hokies. It’s a rivalry game, and I get the “wounded animal” sense from the Hurricanes. They were embarrassed last week, and they’re going want to prove to themselves that they’re not that bad.
• Yet another #2 goes down. While writing this column, I watched Arizona upset #2 Oregon on Thursday night. They’re the fourth #2 team to lose this season. (Not to mention the #1′s have been upset.) This has truly been a fun year to watch college football, and I don’t have a clue who’s going to make it to the National Championship Game.

I saw this posted on a few message boards, so I thought I’d help spread the word:

Hokies Thank the World

The event is free and open to the public. Please arrive on time and visit the check-in tent on the drillfield. Wear something Orange or Maroon (preferred but not required), and dress appropriately for the weather. Jackets may be laid on the ground during the satellite and helicopter operations.

The Hokies Thank the World event takes place on Saturday, November 17, the morning of the Virginia Tech – Miami game in Blacksburg. Join fellow Hokies on the Drillfield as part of your gameday activities!

The “Hokies Thank the World” event will bring together thousands of Hokies on the Virginia Tech Drillfield to spell out a message of thanks to the world in recognition of the global outpouring of support and love for the Virginia Tech community following the events of April 16. The message of thanks will be recorded by ground, aerial, and satellite imagery and will be shared with the world through www.HokiesThankTheWorld.org. The event will take place on November 17, 2007 beginning at 10:35am and ending at approximately 11:12am on the Virginia Tech Drillfield in Blacksburg, Virginia. All are invited to participate in this community-wide effort to thank the world. The event will take place rain or shine. In the event of cloud cover, the satellite imagery may not be collected, but aerial imagery will be collected as scheduled.

[The following post was published at HokieHaven.com on October 29, 2007.]

Unfortunately, I don’t have much of a blog update for this week. Work has been busy, and I haven’t had much time to write. Instead of leaving my readers empty handed, I took a few minutes to go over the various scenarios for both division races in the ACC. While there are three teams with just one conference loss, there are still a number of teams who can still win their division for a shot at the ACC Champsionship.

Here is what we know:

• NC State and Maryland have been eliminated from the Atlantic Division race.
• North Carolina, Georgia Tech, and Duke have been eliminated from the Coastal race
• Boston College and Clemson control their respective destinies in the Atlantic
• Virginia Tech and Virginia control their respective destinies in the Coastal

The situation in the Coastal division is the more simple of the two, so I will start with it.

Virginia (5-1): The Cavaliers are in the driver’s seat of the Coastal. Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s game at Miami, UVA will advance to the ACC Championship Game if they beat Virginia Tech on the last weekend of the regular season. If Virginia loses to Virginia Tech, they can back into the division title if they beat Miami, the Hokies lose back to back games to Florida State and Miami, and Miami loses their season finale to Boston College.

Virginia Tech (4-1): Virginia Tech also controls their own destiny in the Coastal Division. If the Hokies beat either Miami or Florida State, and then beat the Wahoos in Charlottesville on November 24th, then Virginia Tech will earn a trip to Jacksonville. If Miami beats Virginia this weekend, then the Hokies can still win the division if they lose to both Florida State and Miami provided Tech beats Virginia and the Hurricanes lose their season finale to Boston College. There is no scenario that allows Virginia Tech to go to the ACC Championship Game with a loss in Charlottesville.

Miami (2-3): Miami can still win the Coastal Division, but they would need some assistance by the Hokies. In order for the Hurricanes to earn a trip to Jacksonville they would need to win out (Virginia, at Virginia Tech, at Boston College), and Virginia Tech would have to beat Virginia at the end of the season after losing to both Florida State and Miami. This would create a three-way tie for first at 5-3, and Miami would win the tiebreaker because they would have beat both Tech and UVA. (Note: even though it’s possible North Carolina wins out and finishes at 5-3 to fit into that first place tie, Miami would still win the tiebreakers.)

While the Atlantic Division looks just as simple with Boston College leading, things can get pretty interesting if BC stumbles down the stretch. Because there there are actually a ton of permutations for the Atlantic crown right now, I’m going to go through the easiest path to the ACC Championship Game for the teams in contention there.

Boston College (4-1): BC still resides all alone at the top of the Atlantic Division. They just need to beat Clemson and beat either Maryland or Miami. This would put the Eagles at 6-2 or better with the possible tiebreakers over Clemson and Wake Forest should there be a tie for first place.

Clemson (4-2): Clemson has Wake Forest and Boston College remaining on their ACC schedule. If the Tigers beat them both, they would finish at 6-2, with a possible tiebreaker over BC, and Clemson would earn a trip to Jacksonville.

Wake Forest (4-2): While Wake has a good ACC record, they need a little help in order to advance the ACC Championship Game. Wake Forest needs to beat Clemson and North Carolina State to finish at 6-2. Because the Demon Deacons lost to Boston College in week 1, they would also need the Eagles to lose at least two of their last three games.

Florida State (3-3): Assuming I did my math correctly, it is still possible for Florida State to make to the ACC Championship Game. In addition to winning their two remaining ACC games (at Virginia Tech, and vs Maryland), the Seminoles need a whole lot of help from the divison rivals. Boston College would have to lose Maryland and Miami, but the Eagles would need to beat Clemson. Clemson would have to lose to Wake Forest and BC. Wake Forest would have to beat Clemson, but lose to NC State. North Carolina State would have to win out. This would create a four-way tie for first at 5-3, and the Seminoles would win the tiebreakers.

The situation in the Atlantic will become much more clear this weekend. Wake Forest and Clemson square off on Saturday in what is essentially an elimination game, and Florida State travels to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech. Come Sunday, the Atlantic could very well be a two horse race.