I'll choose Virginia Tech over our association

I probably take it too serious.  In fact, I know I do.  And I've tried working on it but sometimes it still hits close to the heart.  With that said, I'll choose my alma mater over you.  You in this sense being anyone who wants to take pot shots at my Hokies.  I may not come out and say we're no longer cool.  Actually, I probably won't say anything much at all...to you...ever again.  Yep, I'll definitely choose my alma mater over our association.

I'm trying to put into words what the difference is for an alumni versus a fan.  See, to have gone to Virginia Tech, lived it, breathed it, loved it is different than to watch nationally televised games or cheer for them because you're from the state.  Being an alum, it becomes part of you, it's in your makeup, it becomes a characteristic of you. When friends think of you, they think of all the things they love about you and that includes your love for Virginia Tech.  It is part of your personality.

The exhibition of this part of you is seen during football games but it's felt year round, through tragedy and through accomplishment.  I may not tote my VT flag on my car every day of the year for every accomplishment but I am proud throughout the year.  Not because of the football or basketball team.  But because of what Virginia Tech made me.  The person I was when I stepped on that Blacksburg campus was but a fraction of the man I was when I left. The experiences, the friends, the education -- all combined to let me blossom into the person I am today.

So how do you explain to a fan of some team why you take Virginia Tech insults personally?  Unless they've attended a school and have those same feelings, is there a way to explain it?

I'm sure my serious approach has turned some people away from me at various points in my life, and I'm ok with that.  Like I said, this is part of me and not part of me I necessarily want to change. So yeah, I know you're having a little fun at the Hokies expense, and I know I take this too personally.  With that said, keep in mind I take this personally.

Ut Prosim.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl Fun

A week ago today, I was excited beyond belief. I was headed to my first ever bowl game. Well, technically not my first. I did drive down to Miami for an Orange Bowl game against Nebraska only to find out that my girlfriend's brother (who never liked me) hadn't secured my ticket. So I sat in a bar outside of the Orange Bowl watching a game that I was supposed to go to drinking pitchers of beer (which apparently it was illegal to serve a single person a pitcher of beer but they thought I had friends coming) while Nebraska handed VT an arse-whipping.

[caption id="attachment_1570" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Walking to the dome"][/caption]

But I digress. I can't explain the feeling of a bowl game. In the scheme of college football this game meant nothing.  But to the fans in the packed CNN Center and later the packed Dome, there was indeed a lot more on the line.  

The Tennessee fans were there in droves.  The Hokies travel well, but as one drunken fan expressed about the Vols, 'They brought their whole state...they brought their whole state!' 

Per request of Vols friend, I purchased our tickets on the Vols side of the field.  As it turned out, looking at the crowd, everywhere was the Vols side of the field except for the Hokie Band.  It seems the band was the only place that Chicago maroon held a solid foothold.  

Well, there and on the field of course! 

The fans around me were good natured -- the sober ones anyway.  The drunk ones were victimized by my wit, including Lance the Tennessee fan with absolutely no Tennessee paraphernalia on but rocking his Wal-Mart nametag.  It's a lot easier to silence your foes when the footsoldiers on the field are doing it big.  Unfortunately, many of the drunkest fans whom I would have proudly gloated and toted my VT love for escaped at some point during the third quarter. 

Highlights of the day include: 

• Realizing 24 oz pints at the CNN Center were only six bucks


• Realizing the dome would be serving at the college game


• Starting a 'Lets Go...Hokies' cheer in the men's room at the CNN Center


• Having a Vols fan try to gobble at the end of the game


• Having a guy wearing a Vols t-shirt admit he was going for the Hokies but his girlfriend made him wear the t-shirt


• Having the VT band completely embarass the Vols band - they played after every play, during every commercial, after every score - hell they may have even gone to the restroom with their instruments at one point.  I can honestly say I did not hear the Vols band until midway into the Third quarter.  The Hokies band played even when Tenn scored.  Rocky Top did not make it to our section once!

This experience was awesome and I have to thank my boy Gary for being such a good sport though his team was embarassed on national TV.  In his words before the game 'Yall are ranked 11?  Why the hell are we playing yall?'  Exactly, my friend, exactly. 

[caption id="attachment_1572" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="MVP - Hokies Band!"][/caption]

Full Circle

The Hokies started the season in the Chick Fil A Classic at the Georgia Dome for the 2009 season and will end in the Chick Fil A Bowl at the Georgia Dome on the last evening of 2009.

In a season filled with resounding disappointment (Alabama, North Carolina) and stunning performances (Nebraska – even if a little late, Miami), the Virginia Tech Hokies hope to cap their season off in the Dome much differently than they started it. 

The Tennessee Volunteers will be the Hokies opponents under 1st year coach Lane Kiffin.  To be honest, I’ve no clue what to expect as I didn’t watch any of Tennessee’s games.  From what I’ve heard or at least determined from the scant words throughout the season was that this was more of a rebuilding year.  There had been some fiery words from Lane Kiffin but even those seemed almost like more ploy than anything. 

The Hokies in my oft-noted jaded opinion are still the best team the ACC has to offer.  Georgia Tech won the conference title this year and my hats go off to them.  I will leave it at that as I don’t want to add ‘buts’, ‘howevers’, and ‘what ifs’.  The Hokies have one statistic that has been the mantra since a conference championship became unattainable – 10wins.  The Hokies are one of three teams (Texas, USC) to win at least 10 games the past 5 seasons.  Impressive company and an impressive streak. 

Even better….I’m going to the game!  Yeah, the Hokies have been in town 3 times this year and this is my first game…I suck…I’m lazy..and we lost both games in our previous trips which is probably my fault….nonetheles…I’m going to this one and doing it with a Tennessee fan no less.  The last time I watched a game with an opposing fan, we lost to UNC…..suddenly I feel like I’m going about this bowl all the wrong way…..

Robbery

"UNC, we the referees of the ACC have decided that in lieu of playing games, we will hand you the ACC Tournament title. With our favorite player, Tyler "Will be shit in the NBA" Hansborough, on the floor any and every call will be given to the baby blue."

Absolutely disgusting. There is no reason UNC should have won that game. VT outplayed, despite Raycom broadcasting's horrible (and noticeably biased) commentary, UNC from beginning to end. It's hard to beat the number 1 seed and the refs. How can one team have only had three fouls called against them with less than a minute left in the second half -- a team that has been playing from behind which usually results in a team being a bit aggressive? How can a VT lose by only three with ten less free throw attempts? Because VT outplayed UNC. Imagine what may have been had the game been called evenly? Tyler Hansborough shot one less free throw than the entire Hokies team.
As of 2:30 pm March 13, 2009, the officials for this game have been deleted from the box scores on Foxsports.com, sportsline.com, and espn.com. I wanted to look up some stats on their officiating tendencies but their names are simply not available. Odd.

After 15 minutes of searching, I found the trio responsible for this travesty of officiating:

Karl Hess, who has officiated 10 UNC games this year (the most for any team he's officiated this season)

Ray Natili, who has a more even keeled officiating resume across ACC teams.

Brian Dorsey, who also has an even keeled officiating resume across the ACC.

Interestingly enough, all three officials have worked more UNC games than VT games. Referee info provided by statsheet.com

Not just a football school?

Virginia Tech, known primarily for it's football team, is now making some noise as a basketball school. Granted, with two straight losses in conference play, I may be a bit premature. However, the Hokies have seven losses this year but a total of 38 points. That averages out to just under 5.5 point differential per game. It gets better. Exclude the 25 point pasting Duke put on the Hokies and you have six losses by a total of 13 points; just over 2 point differential per game. In reality, that's six losses that basically came down to a missed free throw here and there or an offensive put back given up.

This is to say that I've been watching the Hokies roundball crew from a distance the few years. This year, I've been paying more attention. We're a young team doing some nice things in one of the tougher bball conferences. Keep an eye on these youngsters!

Oh and the Hokies wrestling team is 17 - 1 and in the top 15 in the country!

BCS Success

With a 20 - 7 victory over the Cincinnatti Bearcats, the Virginia Tech Hokies ended their bowl futility of recent years winning the Orange Bowl.  The win caps a roller coaster season which saw the Hokies finish with their fifth consecutive 10 win season.  Congrats to this young team.  Next year looks increasingly promising as 18 of 22 starters return to a team that started this season with only 60% of the squad having had played a college game ever in their life!

GO HOKIES...GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!

Bud Staying?

Clemson has hired, to my surprise, the interim coach.  So what says you?  That means the pride and joy of Virginia Tech football may be around another season!  Bud Foster interviewed for the job but did not get it.  Though Bud deserves a head coaching shot more than anyone else I can think of, my selfish side is straight giddy thinking that he'll be around to coach his defense in the fine art of covering the offense's ass -- both the our offense and the opponent's!

Xpinionated Sports Recap

As some of you may have noticed if you've looked at the tags, my Redskins, Hokies, and Lakers blogs are now residing here.  My time and effort to those blogs had become minimal, not to say I've been a workhorse on this blog either but whatever.

Up first, we'll go with the Lakers.  The Lakers had three games this weekend with double digit wins over Phoenix (thurs), Denver..again (fri), and Sacramento (Sun).  At 11 - 1, there's a feeling that something special is a-brewin'.   Everyone knows their role, and does it well.  A coming out party for Trevor Ariza this season has been an unexpected surprise.  I am still looking for a bit more from Sasha Vujachic but Farmar is showing signs as being the successor to Derek Fisher.  Luke Walton has spiralled to a position on the end of the bench.  I'm not even sure he has trade value at this point.

The Hokies squeaked by the Blue Devils of formidable Duke.  As this game wasn't televised, there's not a whole lot I can say about the actual game.  Turnovers seemed to be what made it a tighter affair than what was expected with four turnovers from T-squared in the first half.  That still doesn't explain the inability to score against Duke in the second half save for a pick six.  A win next week and the Hokies have managed to limp into the ACC game.  Still not so sure that's a good thing.  I never want to wish bad luck on the Hokies, but part of me needs Bryan Stinespring fired.  And success does not act as a catalyst for severance.

The Redskins finally won a game in Seattle.  I believe Seattle has put the 'Skins out of the playoffs in 2 of their last 3 meetings and beat them in a regular season matchup as well.  The 'Skins were able to move the ball well 30 - 30 but had trouble translating that success into touchdowns.

Tapered Disappointment

I shoulder the blame. A few weeks ago, I updated my facebook status to reflect the Hokies and Redskins combined 9-0 record after the opening week of the football season. Since then, they have combined for a dismal 1 - 3.

The Hokies have had two disappointing, and potentially season ending, losses as they no longer control their own destiny completely in the ACC race. The loss to Boston College as well as the loss to Florida State can be attributed first to penalties and secondly to Stinespring's lack of offensive genius.

Roughing the punter in the third quarter completely changed the momentum today with the Seminoles completing a long pass for a first and 10 on the very next play. The first 30 yards in Boston College's initial scoring drive came on penalties, including pass interference on third and long.

Stinespring's inability to come up with an effective offensive gameplan (save for the Nebraska game, and Cory Holt's touchdown drive today) is the main issue for the Hokies. Even further, I believe Frank's reputation is starting to be affected, at least with some fans. We know Frank's loyalty is a given. But at some point, the numbers have to be telling you something. Think of this, when was the last time you saw a VT player running free on the way to a touchdown (that wasn't on defense)? When was the last time you could, as a fan, turn the game off (not that you would want to) because VT was dominating on both sides of the ball? Hell, I can't remember the last time I looked forward to seeing what our offense would do. And I don't think it's a talent thing!

Our Thursday night schedule ramps up in a little under two weeks. Maryland and Miami, home and away respectively, meet the Hokies on Thursday night. Must wins if we have any hope of getting in the ACC championship game. I may have misspoken earlier. The Hokies do completely control their fate. Win out, play for the conference championship...simple as that!

Weekend Recap

Technorati tags: Washington Redskins, Virginia Tech Hokies, University of Alabama, University of Georgia

By far this was one of the better football weekends than I have had in a long long time.  Two games (and a side interest, propelled by hate, in a third game).  Virginia Tech at Nebraska.  Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys.  And the University of Alabama at University of Georgia.

Let's take it in chronological order.  Alabama whipped Georgia in the first half jumping out to a 31 - 0 lead and then lost interest.  The final score was 41 - 30.  My hatred of UGA fans has led me to actively cheer against the Bulldogs.  Today's most common question from the less than knowledgeable base of UGA fans -- why didn't they play the first half like they did in the second half?   Uh, because Alabama still cared in the first half.  The second half for the Crimson Tide was all about running clock.  They weren't making the timely offensive calls of the first half.  They were simply chewing up the ticker.  Any time Georgia came within two scores, Alabama marched down the field and put some points on the board.   Thud...the sound of the overrated coming back to earth!

The Hokies traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska to face the undefeated Cornhuskers.  The last time these two teams met, Nebraska showed Virginia Tech what it was going to take to be a big time team with a 41 - 24 dismantling in the 1996/97 Orange Bowl.  Virginia Tech set the tone early with a blocked punt midway through the first quarter.  They followed that with an interception deep in Nebraska territory, eventually getting the touchdown and taking a 9 - 0 lead.  Though a competitive game throughout, the Hokies biggest lead was 28 - 10 before a furious comeback attempt fell short and the Hokies left the sea of Red 35 - 30 victors.  The offense was actually very productive with over three hundred yards of output.  The defense was stout making the Cornhuskers rushing game a moot point.  Ahhhh...the sound of a HOkies fan base seeing an offense work despite it's coordinator!

Lastly, the Redskins traveled to Dallas for their last game in Texas Stadium.  Underdogs coming in, the 'Skins had a lot to prove in this game.  Already being considered an also ran in the ultra competitive NFC East, going into Dallas and winning would go a long way in proving to the world what we had.  Jason Campbell showed more improvement as he dinked, dunked, and evaded the Dallas defense on his way to a 26-24 win.  Heehee....the sound of smug laughter as the wheels fall off the Cowboys bandwagon. . . .

Long Season Ahead

At halftime, the mighty Hokies lead the Furman Paladins 3 - 0. No shit. 3 - 0. And that was a late second quarter field goal. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) this game isn't televised so I can't give you details on our ineptitude but judging from the stat line. Glennon is 2-5 for a few yards with an interception of course. Taylor hasn't made much of an impact. It looks like Evans is our only ray of hope.....

I'm scared...

Unranked and Tyrod changes shirt color

New polls are out and Virginia Tech is not included. No surprise here. And quite frankly, we are deservedly unranked. It's times like this that remind me of that magical 2004 season. Dropped an early game, joined the bleakness of irrelevancy only to bounce back and win the conference. Granted, it will be considerably harder if we are to do that again.

On the heels of the loss, the (at least in my mind) expected un-redshirting of Tyrod Taylor was announced today. Though it provides another look for our struggling offense, the real problem I saw Saturday was defensive. Our tackling was atrocious. Not just running backs, but anybody. It seemed like it took two defenders to tackle anybody. After the first series, our defense became awful. I know we lost the game on the backs of a blocked punt but quite frankly, we shouldn't have even been in a position where a blocked punt would have mattered.

Offensively, I await the day when going deep is something you have to account for against the Hokies. But for that to happen, our supposedly improved offensive line has to make some strides. Furman should be a cakewalk but I'm not sure a cake walk is what we need. Georgia Tech the following week should provide a better barometer of where we are as a team -- a couple of games under our belt and with that some experience.

I do feel bad for Sean Glennon. Though his play wasn't horrible -- outside of the two picks -- his pocket presence seems to be lacking a little bit --particularly for a senior. I also have to wonder about our playbook as we didn't seem to be able to get anybody open either on a consistent basis. Frank Beamer said he hopes to Sean get a job in the NFL but I just don't think he has had the college career to get that far. At best, he'll have to 'walk-on' somewhere and prove himself as a backup.

Not an upset

Sitting at the bar as the final seconds ticked off the ECU victory over the Hokies, the jackass fans that are UGA fans started chanting E-C-U. For reasons unknown to me, UGA fans are happiest when kicking other teams' fans when they're down. No worries, a simple 'When did you go to UGA?' will usually shut the majority of those fans up. In any case, another UGA fanboy comes behind me and says 'This year's App state!' Another stinging quality of UGA fans is their lack of football knowledge in general. But being used to this kind of harassment from them, I know the easiest to do is ignore them. But in my mind, I thought, 'You can't be serious.'

This was not an upset of App State-Michigan stature. We're talking about a team coming off of a bowl victory last year over Boise State (I believe). Slouches hardly.

We were completely dominated today. Defensively, we couldn't stop them when we needed it most. Third downs became a lesson in smash mouth football. Without Macho Harris, the corner routes were a given. And our normally attacking defense was passive at best, often stopping and waiting for the offensive player to make a move instead of laying the lumber. The result, missed tackles left and right. Offensively, we didn't look sharp. There seemed to be hesitations on running plays and interceptions that just took points off the board. I personally didn't agree with Beamer's decision to go for it on 4th and 1 early. Two reasons -- 1) Our FG kicker really could have used an easy FG to get him going in this season; 2) We struggled with this team last year. There is no reason to take sure points off the board.

I think this is going to be a long tough season. 41% of our players saw their first collegiate action today. Let's hope we can find ourselves against Furman. Congrats to East Carolina although unlike a lot of fans, this game scared me and apparently for good reason.

Shout out to VT Softball

Virginia Tech's softball stepped up to the plate Wednesday night and defeated the US Olympic softball team 1 - 0.  Rock star Angela Tincher doled a no hitter to the U.S. in ending the national team's 185 game winning romp through pre-Olympic exhibitions.

Retrospect

What better day than Super Bowl Sunday to consider what could have been in the world of Pigskin Glory?

The Hokies season ended in yet another bowl loss as the Kansas Jayhawks outcoached and out-gameplanned Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Though I still believe the Hokies are the better team per se, the Jayhawks came prepared to do what they needed to do. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, got too cute with their offense, abandoned the run which was the only consistent success they had, and gave up entirely too many third or fourth and short plays.

The Redskins season ended in a playoff loss to Seattle....again. If you recall, the last time the 'Skins made the playoffs, the season went terminal with a loss to the Seahawks. In this game, the 'Skins struggled for the entire first half, made a run to take the lead in the third quarter and early fourth, and let a missed field goal propel Mr. Momentum to the Seahawks bench as they scored 22 straight points to win 35 -14.

With all that said, two very good seasons. An ACC championship and a playoff berth. And with the way Daniel Snyder is handling this head coach search, a playoff berth may not be in the 'Skins new future. The Hokies, meanwhile, will probably be in a slight rebuilding mode as the defense will be losing a few folks. With that said, another ACC championship is not out of the question given the recent mediocrity of the conference as a whole....

BCS Respect Waning, Waning, Woeful

LSU will be taking on Ohio State in the National Championship game this year.  This is what the BCS system has come up.  These teams are considered the best that this country has to offer. 

Of course, if any of you reading this have perused before, you know that I'm partial to Virginia Tech, being an alum and all.  I spent a good part of yesterday watching my Redskins give up a heartbreaker (17-16) to the Bills; but in the back of my mind, I was slowly trying to build a case for why the Hokies have earned (a key word here) a chance to play for the big pretty sparkly football.  By the time, the BCS Selection had started, I had actually convinced myself, or maybe just got my hopes up really really high, that the 'experts' would see that Va Tech is as deserving of a National Championship if not more so. 

Needless to say, I was disappointed.  At first, it was just disappointment born of my own blown-out-of-proportion hopes.  Then the internet trolling began....what's that you say?   The computers have ranked Virginia Tech first in 4 out of 6 computer tallies?  But the humans showed no love, no respect?  Disappointment has slowly marinated into anger at this point. 

So let's go through some things in regards to Va Tech's argument to be in the National Championship game -- and what better place to start with than our two losses.

@ #2 LSU - Week 2 - LSU soundly beat the Hokies 48-7.  There is no denying that.  The Hokies came in with an inexperienced and injury riddled offensive line, a qb with growing confidence but easily rattled, and an atmosphere rarely replicated anywhere else.  The perfect storm for just such a blowout.  Given that, the Tigers may have played their best game this year that night.  That, for all the talk of SEC superiority, has been their statement game this season.  They have simply looked like a good to very good team since that game.   Virginia Tech has improved week in and week out.   An early season loss is rarely used as the validation for keeping a team out of the national title hunt...but this year, as I will soon prove, is all the human voters have.

@ #2 BC - Week 8 - The Boston College Eagles strode into Lane Stadium as one of the hottest teams in the country.  For 53 minutes and 59 seconds, the Virginia Tech Hokies put them in their place.  A breakdown physically, mentally, and strategically led to a 14 - 10 loss to BC at Lane Stadium.  Though an interesting game, what is more interesting is the number of stories last week -- before the ACC Championship game, a rematch of BC-VT -- that made note of the implications of that game.  Essentially, had VT won that rainy Thursday night, the ACC Championship game would have been VT playing to get in the National Championship game.  With that being said, the Hokies showed that they were indeed better than Boston College with a win in the ACC Championship game. 

So that begs the question:  If Va Tech would have been in the Championship  game if they had won in October and they avenged that loss in the Conference title game, why exactly are they not going to the National Championship game?  Ah, the answer lies in hypocrisy my dear fellow.  Apparently, simple logic is not at play.  If you say a win at BC in mid-season is enough to make you forgot a week 2 loss, then it would be fair to say that a win against BC in a title game should make the pollsters forget about a week 2 loss, correct?  Chew on that, I'ma move on.

OSU vs LSU -  I firmly believe neither of these teams deserve this shot.  LSU has been ranked number one twice this season and managed to lose that standing twice -- including once to an unranked team.  Do you think pollsters would be as sympathetic to a team they hadn't picked as their preseason favorite?  LSU is a remarkably talented team.  But let's face it, they haven't gotten any better since that week in September.  And quite frankly, they've been pretty lucky a few times as well.  OSU, well, I hate to join the cacophony of Buckeyes haters, but their strength of schedule is ridiculously unimpressive.  I know I know, they should be penalized because other members of their conference can't keep up.  But what about their non-conference slate:  Youngstown St, Akron, Wash, and Kent State.  I hear you Bucks fans with the 'they schedule years in advance'.  But be real with yourselves, years ago your athletic director knew that Youngstown (Div I AA), Akron, and Kent State were not going to be powerhouses!  And quite frankly, with a loss to an unranked Illini team, I'm not sure you earned a trip to the big one.  Who is your keynote win?  Where was your statement game?

And LSU fans, for all the talk of SEC superiority, LSU's opponents' win - loss record (91 wins to 67 losses) is exactly one game better than VT's (90 wins to 68 losses).  And the Ohio State university can't even be included in this analysis as their opponents win-loss tally is 73 - 71 -- and that includes Div I AA Youngstown State's 7-4 mark which means your DIV I win-loss ratio would 66 wins to 67 losses.

So with all that said, who do I think should be in the National Championship game?  I believe it should be Virginia Tech vs Oklahoma.  I am a fan of winning your conference championship in order to play for a National championship. It's as simple as that.  There's the ACC, SEC, Big 12, and some smaller conferences with the courage to have their conference champion be declared on a neutral field.  LSU reppin' the SEC is out for reasons stated above.  That leaves Va Tech and the Sooners to battle it out.

Outside looking in?

Congratulations to the 2007 ACC Champion Virginia Tech Hokies.  The Hokies, playing for the ACC crown for the third time in their four year membership of the ACC, defeated the Boston College Eagles 30 - 16 in what many of us in the Hokie family considered a revenge game.  Earlier in the season, BC completed in improbable Thursday night comeback to beat Tech in the 'burg 14 - 10.  As the Tech mantra was for the entire week -- 'A minor setback for a major comeback' -- the Hokies showed heart and determination after being manhandled for much of the first half.

From a broader perspective, VT had a slim, very very slim, chance at possibly playing in the National Championship.  All they needed was for #1 Missouri to lose to favorite #9 Oklahoma, #2 West Virginia to lose to unranked and lowly Pitt, and, to a smaller extent, Tennessee to upset #7 LSU......we got two out of three.  Missouri was no match for Oklahoma for the second time this season.  West Virginia scored it's lowest total of the season in an embarrasing 13 - 9 loss to the 4 or 5 win Panthers in the Backyard Brawl.  LSU did beat Tennessee, but not nearly as convincingly as some would have thought. 

So now we have a conundrum in the BCS.  Most do not dispute Ohio State getting in.  They are #3 with a fairly weak schedule and one loss as the only real chink in their armor.  After that, the picture gets pretty muddy.  Georgia as the number 4 team is hoping the BCS operates as it has promoting in a direct line which would make them number 2.  I oppose that not only because I'm not a Georgia fan, but also because they didn't win their division much less their conference.  Of course, the more bullheaded Dawgs fans claim they were 'co-champions' of their division, a joke to all but UGA fans.  So after number 4, you have Kansas.  Kansas was a surprise one loss team this year, although once they played a reputable team they were not nearly as successful. Also, no conference or even division championship for Kansas.  Though there is no specific rule that says a team must win it's conference in order to play for a National Championship, I personally feel that a National champion that doesn't win their conference cheapens the whole process.  Many folks argue that there have been Super bowl champions that didn't win their conference -- but they have a playoff!  After Kansas, we have the Hokies.  Conference champions.  Two losses both to teams ranked number two in the country at the time the game was played.  The real chink in our armor is the 48-7 loss to LSU early in the second week of the season.  It was a horrible loss, but we are nothing like that team in September.  In fact, I would love the chance to play LSU again, especially in a neutral site.  Speaking of LSU, their are the layman's pick to jump to number two.  Given that they won their conference, and have only lost games in multi-OT games many believe they should catapult to the number two spot. 

I believe it should be either LSU or VT.  Trying to be objective, I understand that LSU has had the tougher schedule and they did beat Va Tech -- in Death Valley on a Saturday Night; one of the toughest venues in the country.  However, LSU also lost to unranked Arkansas (last week!) and a Kentucky team that didn't pan out as being as good as originally thought.  Virginia Tech, on the other hand, has lost to BC in a nail biter that they easily should have won.  In fact, if not for a complete meltdown in the last 6 minutes of that game, Virginia Tech could likely be looking at a number one or two ranking...no controversy.    If shoulda coulda woulda......In any case, Kansas and Georgia with no conference championship to their names, should not be playing in the National Championship.

The Revenge Factor

How much will revenge play in Saturday's upcoming ACC Championship game?  If a single onside kick is recovered, Virginia Tech would very likely be playing for a right to go to the National Championship right now.  How's that for motivation?

Ball is in our Hands

After a furious fourth quarter 'rally' -- is it really a rally if you're down by 1 -- the Hokies earned their first victory over the Seminoles in 32 years, 40 -21.  The fourth quarter was marked by Beamer Ball -- a beautiful thing indeed.

Most are saying this weekend's game against rival Miami is meaningless and consequentially speaking that's true.  However, I have never been a fan of losing whether it's an NFL or NBA preseason game or a 'meaningless' non-conference game.  Losing screws with a player and a team's mind. 

With that said, the only true worries I have going into the game with the 'U' is letdown.   With a trip to the ACC Championship on the line next week against our original rivals UVA, it would be easy for the Hokies to overlook this game.   With the ass whipping that Miami took in their Orange Bowl farewell game last week (UVA dropping 48. . . .on anybody???!?!), the 'Canes would love nothing more than to get a little revenge on somebody else.  Not to mention, Randy Shannon's team is still not yet bowl eligible so the game is far from meaningless for the Hurrricanes. 

Let's hope Beamer and the Boys can come in and quell in upstartiness from the 'U' early, sit some starters and stay injury-free.  On a side note the Hall Monitor -- Vince Hall -- will be back in action after what seems like forever.  So hopefully he can 'get the rust out of his cleats' before the big game next week against the 'hoos.

A Formal Apology to Sean Glennon

Well Mr. Glennon, it appears I owe you an apology.  Last night, you looked like the quarterback that I see in NCAA 2008.  You were efficient, accurate, and smart.  I apologize for previous commentary in this blog with reservations.  I know that sounds like a cheap apology however......

Since coming off the bench, you have been a different player.  Where before indecision led to you getting sacked, now you take off (still a little late sometimes but you do).  Where before a pass to the flats would make it to the flats only 60% of the time, now passes are getting to the wideouts.  It looks like it took a little adversity to get your confidence shaken and then strengthened. 

I'll admit, when T-squared went down, I was less than optimistic.  But then you had a pretty decent game and I said to myself, quality backup is good to have.  After all, you were lighting up Duke so that's not exactly a proving ground.  Then came the BC game, and you strode onto the field, and again my optimism was shaken but nearly as much as it was when you strode onto the field against LSU.  Faith was building.  Then you played a solid game, no huge numbers but what was good was that there weren't any huge mistakes.  I think that's where my faith was weakest in you, your inability to get sacked without fumbling bothered me (particularly blindsided sacks -- which is somewhat understandable -- but still). 

Alas, you rolled into Bobby Dodd stadium.  No jersey, sharpie all over the opponent's loaned threads like you were an underprivileged quarterback playing for Goldie Hawn in Wildcats.  I didn't shutter when I saw you take the field.  In fact, I didn't think about you at all, which is a good sign that you are not my concerns for the game.

Then work calls, I have to leave the watering hole to go make the bread.  I work furiously, checking Foxsports.com and I see you're 13 of 15.  Whoa....where'd that come from?!?!  I finish work and head back to the watering hole.  And your performance inspired me, brought confidence back that had been shattered by LSU. 

At this point, even if T-squared is healthy, I think it may be your job to lose.  And remember that feeling of being replaced against LSU, remember that plane ride home.  And you let that be the spur in your ass. 

Sean Glennon, I apologize.