Talk amongst yourselves.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Things that get me to football: Spring Football
This is a quasi-regular feature on things that help me make it from the BCSCG to Labor Day weekend and the start of callllllllage footbawl season.
Spring football practice is kind of a mystery to me. I don't know when college football teams started having spring practice sessions or when people started caring so much about them. But I do know that the whole thing has gotten so out of control that ESPN has started televising practices and intrasquad scrimmages.
King Football has become so big that the spring game has started to become a hot ticket. Alabama sold out its spring game two years ago. Tickets to Nebraska's spring game started popping up on eBay last year.
And yet, it's another one of those things that college football fans look forward to as much as the regular season, along with signing day and the first day of fall practice. I know a lot of Hokie fans who will tailgate for the spring game as if the Hokies were playing Miami instead of themselves.
What amazes me about the popularity of spring football is it isn't like baseball's spring training, which runs right up to the start of the season. After spring practice, we still have five months of dissecting before college football kicks off. It's a unique phenomenon.
However, it does allow us a taste of what's to come. Hokie fans were excited about Brandon Dillard after last year's spring game until he torn his Achilles' tendon in July. They'll be just as excited to see how Ryan Williams does in this year's game. OK, fine, I'm looking forward to seeing Williams in action, too.
Spring football gives us a taste of what we've been missing and what we can look forward to. In college football, hope springs eternal.
Spring football practice is kind of a mystery to me. I don't know when college football teams started having spring practice sessions or when people started caring so much about them. But I do know that the whole thing has gotten so out of control that ESPN has started televising practices and intrasquad scrimmages.
King Football has become so big that the spring game has started to become a hot ticket. Alabama sold out its spring game two years ago. Tickets to Nebraska's spring game started popping up on eBay last year.
And yet, it's another one of those things that college football fans look forward to as much as the regular season, along with signing day and the first day of fall practice. I know a lot of Hokie fans who will tailgate for the spring game as if the Hokies were playing Miami instead of themselves.
What amazes me about the popularity of spring football is it isn't like baseball's spring training, which runs right up to the start of the season. After spring practice, we still have five months of dissecting before college football kicks off. It's a unique phenomenon.
However, it does allow us a taste of what's to come. Hokie fans were excited about Brandon Dillard after last year's spring game until he torn his Achilles' tendon in July. They'll be just as excited to see how Ryan Williams does in this year's game. OK, fine, I'm looking forward to seeing Williams in action, too.
Spring football gives us a taste of what we've been missing and what we can look forward to. In college football, hope springs eternal.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Annette Talks to Stiney
Annette has a two-part Q&A with Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring over at her blog. Part one is here and part two here. While its an interesting read, Annette never asks the obvious question: Whether or not Stiney feels the offense needs to make significant improvement in order for him to keep his job.
This is a make-or-break year for Stiney. He has the talent on offense capable of putting up bigger numbers than the last three seasons. Another sub-par year and Stiney's hot seat may reach its boiling point.
In the interview, Stiney points out that 2009 will be the first time since in three seasons the Hokies don't have a quarterback controversy going into the season. He said he's excited about the way the players are progressing going into spring practice and hopes the offense can become more consistent now that they are more experienced.
He didn't tip his hand when asked about Ryan Williams, only telling Annette that the staff is looking forward to finally seeing him on the field. He also said the staff might have played Williams last year had they known Kenny Lewis was going to get injured.
Also, the Hokies are already preparing for the Crimson Tide:
That's good to hear. Alabama came into last year's Chick-fil-a Kickoff prepared for everything Clemson was going to do on both sides of the ball. Hopefully the Hokies will be ready for everything the Tide will do.
While he wasn't asked directly about the criticism he faced last season, Stiney did allude to the roller coaster that was the 2008 campaign:
I hope Stinespring's ready for another grinder. I know there are a lot of people that refuse to give the guy any credit for anything this team does. Hopefully the offense improves enough to quiet his detractors because that probably means were winning most of our football games.
Linkage:
- Tech Hoops previews the ACC tournament and writes that Jeff Allen needs to have a better game against Miami.
- Beer Control Offense offers his own ACC awards. There's a surprise on the "All Douche Bag" Team.
- VT Fan is done with basketball.
- Kyle Tucker is back with a report on the Hokies off-season weight program. Hey Kyle, be sure to eat at Charlie Gitto's while you're in The Lou next week.
- Joe Ovies is skeptical about ACC realignment. He expects the conference to hold out hope for FSU and Miami playing in the ACCCG every year and keep the status quo.
- NC State fans aren't big fans of the rumored realignment.
- Finally some optimism.
This is a make-or-break year for Stiney. He has the talent on offense capable of putting up bigger numbers than the last three seasons. Another sub-par year and Stiney's hot seat may reach its boiling point.
In the interview, Stiney points out that 2009 will be the first time since in three seasons the Hokies don't have a quarterback controversy going into the season. He said he's excited about the way the players are progressing going into spring practice and hopes the offense can become more consistent now that they are more experienced.
He didn't tip his hand when asked about Ryan Williams, only telling Annette that the staff is looking forward to finally seeing him on the field. He also said the staff might have played Williams last year had they known Kenny Lewis was going to get injured.
Also, the Hokies are already preparing for the Crimson Tide:
I'm not going to kid you. We've already taken a look. There's been some breakdowns already. I'm sure on their part, too. Once the game was signed, both schools exchanged film the day after, I think. Most of us understand the significance of this ball game. We certainly understand Alabama and how good they are and what this means for an early game. You want to be as prepared as you possibly can, but again, you're calling at a time of the season where you just come off recruiting, and you're gearing up to start recruiting the next class, and also still going back and still scouting yourself.
That's good to hear. Alabama came into last year's Chick-fil-a Kickoff prepared for everything Clemson was going to do on both sides of the ball. Hopefully the Hokies will be ready for everything the Tide will do.
While he wasn't asked directly about the criticism he faced last season, Stiney did allude to the roller coaster that was the 2008 campaign:
Speaking of the Orange Bowl, you guys win ACC titles like it's nothing ...
BS: Oh this one right here wasn't like it was nothing, (he laughed) this one was a grinder.
I hope Stinespring's ready for another grinder. I know there are a lot of people that refuse to give the guy any credit for anything this team does. Hopefully the offense improves enough to quiet his detractors because that probably means were winning most of our football games.
Linkage:
- Tech Hoops previews the ACC tournament and writes that Jeff Allen needs to have a better game against Miami.
- Beer Control Offense offers his own ACC awards. There's a surprise on the "All Douche Bag" Team.
- VT Fan is done with basketball.
- Kyle Tucker is back with a report on the Hokies off-season weight program. Hey Kyle, be sure to eat at Charlie Gitto's while you're in The Lou next week.
- Joe Ovies is skeptical about ACC realignment. He expects the conference to hold out hope for FSU and Miami playing in the ACCCG every year and keep the status quo.
- NC State fans aren't big fans of the rumored realignment.
- Finally some optimism.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
ACC Realignment Rumors
A modest proposal
College Game Balls pointed out yesterday that rumors abound about possible realignment of the ACC's football divisions. What he found was talk of Boston College and Maryland moving from the Atlantic to the Coastal with Miami and Georgia Tech moving from the Coastal to the Atlantic. This would create more of a true North-South division alignment.
I'm all for it as long as it means the Hokies don't have to play at Miami and at BC in the same season every two years. The new divisions CGB found would help a lot with travel and look like this:
Atlantic
Clemson
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Miami
NC State
Wake Forest
Coastal
Boston College
Duke
Maryland
North Carolina
Virginia
Virginia Tech
And my best guess for Interdivision Rivals:
BC -----> CU
DU -----> WF
MD -----> GT
NC -----> NCST
VA -----> FSU
VT -----> UM
If the Hokies continued to play Miami every year, the only real change to the schedule would be playing Maryland every year and playing Georgia Tech two out of every five years. The problem that arises is how to keep Tech from going to Boston and Miami every other year. The answer is simple. The Hokies will just need to do what Georgia Tech did when it played at Virginia Tech in consecutive years. I'm willing to have the Hokies travel to Boston back-to-back seasons in order for that to happen.
As Brian and Jeff at BC Interruption mention, none of this would happen until after the 2015 football season. But until then, it's fun to speculate.
BCI takes it one step too far
Brian's proposed division realignment looks similar to the one above, but he swaps UNC for Wake as well, which in my opinion would never fly because it makes too much sense. Brian backs up his proposal with all these "facts" and "numbers". But on paper, just looking at the names, the ACC South looks MUCH more difficult than the ACC North. Therefore, it would never pass inspection if it were ever voted on.
Brian's ACC Divisions:
Those numbers to the right of each school are winning percentages since BC joined in 2005. But if you factor in tradition and the average North Carolinian's perception of ACC football, Brian's divisions suddenly look like this:
That doesn't seem like a balanced ACC now, does it? It'll never happen. So, while Brian's divisions would be nice, let's just hope for the first ACC South-North alignment that was discovered by CGB. At least then the conference doesn't have to worry about trying to explain why teams are in their current confusing divisions.
Why wait?
What I would prefer is for the conference to expedite the realignment. Just because it announced the football schedule through 2015 doesn't mean it has to let it run its course. Hell, the schedule's enough to figure out it could announce the schedule through 2050 it wanted to. The schedule repeats itself every five years. It's not the square root of pi.
The ACC should just do what everyone else in the country is doing. Blame the economy. But placing the blame on "travel budgets need to be scaled back" the conference can implement new North-South divisions without any batting an eye. Hell, it would be applauded. Get it done.
Putting it off seven seasons would hurt realignment. By then, Obama could have the economy fixed and ACC fans would forget why we were going to realign in the first place and put the kibosh on the whole thing. The ACC needs to act now in case a perfectly good excuse to fix the mess it put us in in the first place goes away (hopefully).
College Game Balls pointed out yesterday that rumors abound about possible realignment of the ACC's football divisions. What he found was talk of Boston College and Maryland moving from the Atlantic to the Coastal with Miami and Georgia Tech moving from the Coastal to the Atlantic. This would create more of a true North-South division alignment.
I'm all for it as long as it means the Hokies don't have to play at Miami and at BC in the same season every two years. The new divisions CGB found would help a lot with travel and look like this:
Atlantic
Clemson
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Miami
NC State
Wake Forest
Coastal
Boston College
Duke
Maryland
North Carolina
Virginia
Virginia Tech
And my best guess for Interdivision Rivals:
BC -----> CU
DU -----> WF
MD -----> GT
NC -----> NCST
VA -----> FSU
VT -----> UM
If the Hokies continued to play Miami every year, the only real change to the schedule would be playing Maryland every year and playing Georgia Tech two out of every five years. The problem that arises is how to keep Tech from going to Boston and Miami every other year. The answer is simple. The Hokies will just need to do what Georgia Tech did when it played at Virginia Tech in consecutive years. I'm willing to have the Hokies travel to Boston back-to-back seasons in order for that to happen.
As Brian and Jeff at BC Interruption mention, none of this would happen until after the 2015 football season. But until then, it's fun to speculate.
BCI takes it one step too far
Brian's proposed division realignment looks similar to the one above, but he swaps UNC for Wake as well, which in my opinion would never fly because it makes too much sense. Brian backs up his proposal with all these "facts" and "numbers". But on paper, just looking at the names, the ACC South looks MUCH more difficult than the ACC North. Therefore, it would never pass inspection if it were ever voted on.
Brian's ACC Divisions:
ACC North
Virginia Tech (.781)
Boston College (.656)
Wake Forest (.563)
Virginia (.500)
Maryland (.469)
Duke (.031)
ACC South
Georgia Tech (.656)
Clemson (.563)
Florida State (.531)
Miami (FL) (.469)
North Carolina (.406)
NC State (.375)
Those numbers to the right of each school are winning percentages since BC joined in 2005. But if you factor in tradition and the average North Carolinian's perception of ACC football, Brian's divisions suddenly look like this:
ACC North
VIRGINIA TECH
yankee invaders
wake forest
virginia
maryland
worst team evar
ACC South
GEORGIA TECH
CLEMPSON
F$U
DA U!!!
NORTH CAROLINA
NC STATE
That doesn't seem like a balanced ACC now, does it? It'll never happen. So, while Brian's divisions would be nice, let's just hope for the first ACC South-North alignment that was discovered by CGB. At least then the conference doesn't have to worry about trying to explain why teams are in their current confusing divisions.
Why wait?
What I would prefer is for the conference to expedite the realignment. Just because it announced the football schedule through 2015 doesn't mean it has to let it run its course. Hell, the schedule's enough to figure out it could announce the schedule through 2050 it wanted to. The schedule repeats itself every five years. It's not the square root of pi.
The ACC should just do what everyone else in the country is doing. Blame the economy. But placing the blame on "travel budgets need to be scaled back" the conference can implement new North-South divisions without any batting an eye. Hell, it would be applauded. Get it done.
Putting it off seven seasons would hurt realignment. By then, Obama could have the economy fixed and ACC fans would forget why we were going to realign in the first place and put the kibosh on the whole thing. The ACC needs to act now in case a perfectly good excuse to fix the mess it put us in in the first place goes away (hopefully).
Monday, March 9, 2009
Pop goes the bubble 'cause the bubble goes pop
Thanks to atrocious shooting and 63-53 loss to Florida State Sunday, the Hokies are officially off the bubble. Anyone who thinks this team is one of the 65 best teams in the country is certifiably insane.
Tech has lost six of its last seven and eight of its last 11 games. The Hokies, to continue our 3rd Bass theme, have been playing like derelicts of Diakite.
The good news is Tech will likely get a couple of home games in the NIT considering how well attended last year's NIT games at Das Casseell were. The bad news is unlike last year this year's trip to the NIT won't be considered a triumph.
Technically, the Hokies aren't completely out of the NCAA Tournament picture. If they win ACC tournament this week, they receive the league's automatic bid. Of course, no team has ever won four games in four days to capture the ACC tourney title.
Tech's first round opponent will be Miami, which is also on the bubble and also finished 7-9 in ACC play. Tech beat the Hurricanes earlier this year in Coral Gables and has a history of success against them. The Hokies also beat Miami in the quarterfinals of last year's ACC tournament and are 6-2 against the 'Canes since joining the ACC.
Linkage
- BCO is just happy Dave Odom was wrong.
- A-Line thinks Coach Greenberg will again try to talk his way into The Tournament.
- Tech Hoops is getting annoyed by the slow starts.
- Brian at MGoBlog breaks down the bubble, including VT and Miami.
- The North End Zone's TV Theme Madness gets underway. Vote for The Elephant Show.
- Brad now has as many NCAA Tournament appearances as Seth.
- Who wants to fight Brian Burke?
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Yet Another Must Win for Hokies
Virginia Tech Hokies (17-12, 7-8)
at
Florida State Seminoles (22-8, 9-6)
Tallahasse, Fla., 2 p.m., Raycom
Enough bubble teams, especially in the ACC, have lost in the last week that Tech's Tournament hopes are no longer a lost cause. If the Hokies beat FSU Sunday, get two wins in the ACC tournament and enough bubble teams blow it in the next week, they could make the field of 65.
But first, the Hokies have to go on the road and beat the Seminoles. Quite frankly, I have no faith in this team coming through in a must-win situation. They blew it enough times last year that they went to the NIT and have proven time and again down the stretch of this season they have no business being in The Tournament.
A loss Sunday in Tally would honestly do us all a favor by taking the drama out of the next seven days.
Linkage
- Tech Hoops says the 'Noles are a one-man show.
- The North End Zone's girlfriend has a thing for dolphins.
- Bourbonstreet over at the newly-named Blogsburg notes that FSU actually wins its close games.
- Tech Sideline actually likes that this game is on the road.
- TrueCubbie at Tomahawk Nation is the best basketball blogger in the ACC. He breaks down the game here.
at
Florida State Seminoles (22-8, 9-6)
Tallahasse, Fla., 2 p.m., Raycom
Enough bubble teams, especially in the ACC, have lost in the last week that Tech's Tournament hopes are no longer a lost cause. If the Hokies beat FSU Sunday, get two wins in the ACC tournament and enough bubble teams blow it in the next week, they could make the field of 65.
But first, the Hokies have to go on the road and beat the Seminoles. Quite frankly, I have no faith in this team coming through in a must-win situation. They blew it enough times last year that they went to the NIT and have proven time and again down the stretch of this season they have no business being in The Tournament.
A loss Sunday in Tally would honestly do us all a favor by taking the drama out of the next seven days.
Linkage
- Tech Hoops says the 'Noles are a one-man show.
- The North End Zone's girlfriend has a thing for dolphins.
- Bourbonstreet over at the newly-named Blogsburg notes that FSU actually wins its close games.
- Tech Sideline actually likes that this game is on the road.
- TrueCubbie at Tomahawk Nation is the best basketball blogger in the ACC. He breaks down the game here.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Happy Birthday!
On this day one year ago, I realized I needed some sort of catharsis when it came to writing about sports and the Hokies. I combined the two into this blog. The first few posts were really horrible (OK, they've all been really horrible) but thanks for sticking with me and making it worth doing this. Without all you commenters out there (all three of you) I wouldn't want to churn out posts on Tech and the ACC from a thousand miles away.
Thanks again for indulging me. Without this blog, Tech would cost me at least $100 an hour in therapy. Here's to another great year of blogging on the Hokies, the ACC and all the cobwebs I have in my brain.
Thanks again for indulging me. Without this blog, Tech would cost me at least $100 an hour in therapy. Here's to another great year of blogging on the Hokies, the ACC and all the cobwebs I have in my brain.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Things that get me to football: The NHL
This may or may not become a regular feature on things that help me make it from the BCSCG to Labor Day weekend and the start of callllllllage footbawl season.
Today we are 184 days and exactly six months from the start of Hokie football.
Wednesday night was one of those nights I'm glad I have three TVs with three separate DirecTV feeds in my living room. It was the day of the NHL trade deadline, the Hokies were about to play the Tar Heels and the slumping Sabres were about to face the hated Habitants Canadiens.
My attention and my loyalties were divided. As much as I love Hokie football, Sabres hockey ranks way above Virginia Tech basketball in my sports pecking order. The Sabres and Red Sox play the Twice A Prince and My Gallant to Hokie football's Secretariat. Why do I love the Sabres? Well, a lot of it has to do with this guy:
I don't know why I became so interested in hockey to the point I'm willing to drop the huge price tag DirecTV puts on NHL Center Ice. However, I can understand why most college football fans don't like hockey. It's pretty simple, most college football fans are in the South.
Hockey isn't covered by the media in the South and is seen as a niche sport, most of the southern teams are terrible, not growing up watching the sport means southern fans aren't familiar with the rules and most of them probably don't know how to pronounce Antero Niittymaki or know he's from Finland.
But I love the sport. I love watching guys like Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane make magic for Washington and Chicago. I love watching Marc Savard quarterback Boston's top line and Miikka Kiprusoff make sprawling saves for Calgary. I love watching Brian Campbell K.T.F.O. people with their head down in open ice. Even if he's doing it in Chicago now instead of Buffalo.
I love Hockey Night in Canada wondering what the hell Don Cherry's going to wear and who he's going to piss off this week.
The playoffs in the NHL are the best of the four major sports in my opinion. They're grueling and they have the incredible tradition of the Stanley Cup and getting your name engraved on it. And the only reason games on the East Coast go into the wee hours of the AM are because they last four overtimes. Not because they started at 9 pm EDT.
And oh yeah, there's fighting. A lot of fighting.
Today we are 184 days and exactly six months from the start of Hokie football.
Wednesday night was one of those nights I'm glad I have three TVs with three separate DirecTV feeds in my living room. It was the day of the NHL trade deadline, the Hokies were about to play the Tar Heels and the slumping Sabres were about to face the hated Habitants Canadiens.
My attention and my loyalties were divided. As much as I love Hokie football, Sabres hockey ranks way above Virginia Tech basketball in my sports pecking order. The Sabres and Red Sox play the Twice A Prince and My Gallant to Hokie football's Secretariat. Why do I love the Sabres? Well, a lot of it has to do with this guy:
I don't know why I became so interested in hockey to the point I'm willing to drop the huge price tag DirecTV puts on NHL Center Ice. However, I can understand why most college football fans don't like hockey. It's pretty simple, most college football fans are in the South.
Hockey isn't covered by the media in the South and is seen as a niche sport, most of the southern teams are terrible, not growing up watching the sport means southern fans aren't familiar with the rules and most of them probably don't know how to pronounce Antero Niittymaki or know he's from Finland.
But I love the sport. I love watching guys like Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane make magic for Washington and Chicago. I love watching Marc Savard quarterback Boston's top line and Miikka Kiprusoff make sprawling saves for Calgary. I love watching Brian Campbell K.T.F.O. people with their head down in open ice. Even if he's doing it in Chicago now instead of Buffalo.
I love Hockey Night in Canada wondering what the hell Don Cherry's going to wear and who he's going to piss off this week.
The playoffs in the NHL are the best of the four major sports in my opinion. They're grueling and they have the incredible tradition of the Stanley Cup and getting your name engraved on it. And the only reason games on the East Coast go into the wee hours of the AM are because they last four overtimes. Not because they started at 9 pm EDT.
And oh yeah, there's fighting. A lot of fighting.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Hokies vs. Tar Heels Links
VT vs. UNC at 7 p.m. on ESPN
- Tar Heel Fan has a live blog.
- Tech Hoops emphasizes starting strong.
- Tech Sideline likes that UNC is last in the league in three-point defense.
- VT Fan hopes luck is on our side.
- The North End Zone is just enjoying the ride at this point.
- THF predicts a big win for UNC.
- Tar Heel Fan has a live blog.
- Tech Hoops emphasizes starting strong.
- Tech Sideline likes that UNC is last in the league in three-point defense.
- VT Fan hopes luck is on our side.
- The North End Zone is just enjoying the ride at this point.
- THF predicts a big win for UNC.
Hokies need redemption against The Hansbrough Child
Virginia Tech Hokies (17-11, 7-7) vs.
No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels (25-3, 11-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Place: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Va.
TV: ESPN
Last Meeting: Tyler Hansbrough's baseline jumper with a second to play was the difference in a 68-66 win for North Carolina in the semifinals of the 2008 ACC tournament in Charlotte...the Hokies played tough defense throughout the game, but were unable to hold on to a seven-point lead with six minutes to play.
Trends: The Hokies have lost four of their last five and five of their last eight games...UNC has won 11 of its last 12 games...Tech is 9-25 against AP ranked teams under Seth Greenberg.
What to Expect: The Hokies have not been good at starting games this entire season. In order to have a chance against the Tar Heels, they will need to start well, like they did against No. 1 Wake Forest earlier this year.
The Tar Heels face Duke this weekend and I expect UNC to at least have Duke in the back of their minds to start off the game. The Hokies better take advantage of this or it could get real ugly, real quick.
UNC has been without its best shut-down defender in Marcus Ginyard and several of the ACC's top guards have been able to have big games against the Tar Heels. If Tech wants to pull off the upset, Malcolm Delaney needs to have a huge game. However, Delaney is not at 100 percent, according to Coach Greenberg during Monday's Labatt Hokie Hotline.
I expect the Tar Heels to be at their best when in transition with Ty Lawson. Therefore, the Hokies need to have the same type of game they had against the Deacs. Tech was able to minimalize Wake's transition offense and Jeff Teague by taking quality shots and not letting Teague run the fast break.
Tech is not going to win the battle on the boards against college basketball's Tim Tebow and company. The key will be taking advantage of whatever second chances it gets with offensive rebounds because they will be few and far between.
As much as I want Tech to keep this game close and win it, I just don't see it happening. UNC is just too good. I expect the same type of game we saw over the weekend against Duke. UNC will keep Tech at arms length most of the game (eight to 10 points) and Tech may make a run late to make the final score close.
If Tech loses this game and beats FSU this weekend, it will have the same resume it had going into last year's NCAA Tournament. A loss on Wednesday means the Hokies will need another marquee win in the ACC tournament in order to be safe on selection Sunday. The Hokies would also have to hope teams that are out of The Tournament don't win automatic bids.
Hokies win if: UNC completely over-looks them and they are able to contain UNC's fast break.
Heels win if: It takes care of business and dominates the boards as expected.
Final Score: North Carolina 80, Virginia Tech 72
No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels (25-3, 11-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Place: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Va.
TV: ESPN
Last Meeting: Tyler Hansbrough's baseline jumper with a second to play was the difference in a 68-66 win for North Carolina in the semifinals of the 2008 ACC tournament in Charlotte...the Hokies played tough defense throughout the game, but were unable to hold on to a seven-point lead with six minutes to play.
Trends: The Hokies have lost four of their last five and five of their last eight games...UNC has won 11 of its last 12 games...Tech is 9-25 against AP ranked teams under Seth Greenberg.
What to Expect: The Hokies have not been good at starting games this entire season. In order to have a chance against the Tar Heels, they will need to start well, like they did against No. 1 Wake Forest earlier this year.
The Tar Heels face Duke this weekend and I expect UNC to at least have Duke in the back of their minds to start off the game. The Hokies better take advantage of this or it could get real ugly, real quick.
UNC has been without its best shut-down defender in Marcus Ginyard and several of the ACC's top guards have been able to have big games against the Tar Heels. If Tech wants to pull off the upset, Malcolm Delaney needs to have a huge game. However, Delaney is not at 100 percent, according to Coach Greenberg during Monday's Labatt Hokie Hotline.
I expect the Tar Heels to be at their best when in transition with Ty Lawson. Therefore, the Hokies need to have the same type of game they had against the Deacs. Tech was able to minimalize Wake's transition offense and Jeff Teague by taking quality shots and not letting Teague run the fast break.
Tech is not going to win the battle on the boards against college basketball's Tim Tebow and company. The key will be taking advantage of whatever second chances it gets with offensive rebounds because they will be few and far between.
As much as I want Tech to keep this game close and win it, I just don't see it happening. UNC is just too good. I expect the same type of game we saw over the weekend against Duke. UNC will keep Tech at arms length most of the game (eight to 10 points) and Tech may make a run late to make the final score close.
If Tech loses this game and beats FSU this weekend, it will have the same resume it had going into last year's NCAA Tournament. A loss on Wednesday means the Hokies will need another marquee win in the ACC tournament in order to be safe on selection Sunday. The Hokies would also have to hope teams that are out of The Tournament don't win automatic bids.
Hokies win if: UNC completely over-looks them and they are able to contain UNC's fast break.
Heels win if: It takes care of business and dominates the boards as expected.
Final Score: North Carolina 80, Virginia Tech 72
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Calm before the storm
Tomorrow's a busy day for my remote. There are things we both care about, such as the Hokies' game against the Tar Heels and their NCAA Tournament fate. But there are also things only I care about, like the NHL trade deadline, the return of Thomas Vanek and the Sabres' game against Ah Oui, Les Canadiens de Montreal. It will be an interesting day, to say the least. I'll have a full preview of Tech-UNC manana.
The roller coaster ride that is Hokie Hoops 2008-09 really needs this win. Without a victory over Duke or UNC, the Hokies essentially have the same resume for this year's Tournament as last year's. There are just too many teams with better RPIs and resumes than Tech for the Hokies to get into the field without a eye-popping win in the next two weeks.
Linkage
- TSL has its weekly Labatt Hokie Hotline notes.
- The A-Line wonders aloud if Coach Greenberg is in a New York state of mind.
- BCO has his review of the Duke game and Bulls & Bones brew house.
- I don't think the VT game is on the minds of UNC fans.
- I'm not surprised.
The roller coaster ride that is Hokie Hoops 2008-09 really needs this win. Without a victory over Duke or UNC, the Hokies essentially have the same resume for this year's Tournament as last year's. There are just too many teams with better RPIs and resumes than Tech for the Hokies to get into the field without a eye-popping win in the next two weeks.
Linkage
- TSL has its weekly Labatt Hokie Hotline notes.
- The A-Line wonders aloud if Coach Greenberg is in a New York state of mind.
- BCO has his review of the Duke game and Bulls & Bones brew house.
- I don't think the VT game is on the minds of UNC fans.
- I'm not surprised.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Catching up on the Coastal
The Hokies are currently the favorite to win the ACC Coastal this fall, but they won't be without challengers. Miami has its perennial storyline of youth and potential. North Carolina has talent, but needs to replace its entire receiving corps (sound familiar?). Georgia Tech returns a high-powered offense, but lost a lot on defense.
Tech has the latest start (April 1) and is tied for the latest end (April 25 w/ BC) to spring drills in the ACC this year. So we'll have a good idea of the other teams in the league, particularly our division, are looking before we even hit the field.
Here's a look at our primary competition in the Coastal.
Miami Hurricanes
2008 Record: 7-6, 4-4
Spring Start: Feb. 24
Spring Game: March 28
The Hurricanes have two new coordinators for 2009. Mark Whipple becomes Miami's OC after spending last year on the Philadelphia Eagles' staff. The new DC is John Lovett, who previously was an assistant at North Carolina. Whipple's hire brings the most change to Coral Gables as he runs more of a pro-style offense. The Miami bloggerati is high on Whipple.
Rivals/Yahoo! has its take on the 'Canes as well. Miami appears to be reevaluating its talent and trying to figure out how to put it to its best use. What a novel concept!
In off-the-field news, Miami took a stand against kids who are too big for their britches by pulling a scholarship offer to highly touted Wichita recruit Bryce Brown. I applaud Miami's decision.
North Carolina Tar Heels
2008 Record: 8-5, 4-4
Spring Start: March 2
Spring Game: April 2
Because it's March, the only person who really cares about UNC football is Annette.
The Heels' receiver situation mirrors that of Virginia Tech's going into 2008. If the Heels follow the Hokies lead, they'll let their run game do everything early on and let the defense hold on for dear life. It'll give you gray hairs and a drinking problem, but it will also give you the best chance to win when you have no passing game.
Shaun Draughn emerged as the go-to running back at the end of last year, so Greg Little may see more action through the passing game, so sayeth Rivals/Yahoo!.
I expect UNC's defense to be fairly stout next year. I'm a big fan of Quan Sturdivant and Deunta Williams, who were both all over the field last year against the Hokies.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2008 Record: 9-4, 5-3
Spring Start: March 23
Spring Game: April 18
At the end of the regular season, the Jackets were playing better than just about any ACC team. However, their momentum was derailed in the Georgia Dome by an LSU team everyone expected to have no chance against Georgia Tech's option attack.
The Jackets were just learning their new offense at this time last year. Now they can work on adding new wrinkles over a year into the Paul Johnson era. It looks like they're going to show a lot of different looks out of the flexbone.
That all does sound scary. Johnson may have to employ all of those tricks next year because he's defense won't be nearly as potent as last year. Gone are Michael Johnson, Darryl Richard and Vance Walker from the defensive line and Jahi Word-Daniels from the secondary. Basically, their four best defensive players in my opinion. However, Sedric Griffin and Morgan Burnett are back, so all is not completely lost, just mostly.
Tech has the latest start (April 1) and is tied for the latest end (April 25 w/ BC) to spring drills in the ACC this year. So we'll have a good idea of the other teams in the league, particularly our division, are looking before we even hit the field.
Here's a look at our primary competition in the Coastal.
Miami Hurricanes
2008 Record: 7-6, 4-4
Spring Start: Feb. 24
Spring Game: March 28
The Hurricanes have two new coordinators for 2009. Mark Whipple becomes Miami's OC after spending last year on the Philadelphia Eagles' staff. The new DC is John Lovett, who previously was an assistant at North Carolina. Whipple's hire brings the most change to Coral Gables as he runs more of a pro-style offense. The Miami bloggerati is high on Whipple.
Whipple wants Harris making quicker reads. Release the ball quicker. Find #2 if #1 isn't open. Expose mismatches by lining running backs up against linebackers. For the first time in forever, running backs are learning more passing routes and will be more involved in the passing game. This is something that's been talked about at Miami for years (Who hasn't forgotten about Coker talking about Devin Hester or even Graig Cooper becoming "the next Reggie Bush"...)
Rivals/Yahoo! has its take on the 'Canes as well. Miami appears to be reevaluating its talent and trying to figure out how to put it to its best use. What a novel concept!
In off-the-field news, Miami took a stand against kids who are too big for their britches by pulling a scholarship offer to highly touted Wichita recruit Bryce Brown. I applaud Miami's decision.
North Carolina Tar Heels
2008 Record: 8-5, 4-4
Spring Start: March 2
Spring Game: April 2
Because it's March, the only person who really cares about UNC football is Annette.
The Heels' receiver situation mirrors that of Virginia Tech's going into 2008. If the Heels follow the Hokies lead, they'll let their run game do everything early on and let the defense hold on for dear life. It'll give you gray hairs and a drinking problem, but it will also give you the best chance to win when you have no passing game.
Shaun Draughn emerged as the go-to running back at the end of last year, so Greg Little may see more action through the passing game, so sayeth Rivals/Yahoo!.
I expect UNC's defense to be fairly stout next year. I'm a big fan of Quan Sturdivant and Deunta Williams, who were both all over the field last year against the Hokies.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2008 Record: 9-4, 5-3
Spring Start: March 23
Spring Game: April 18
At the end of the regular season, the Jackets were playing better than just about any ACC team. However, their momentum was derailed in the Georgia Dome by an LSU team everyone expected to have no chance against Georgia Tech's option attack.
The Jackets were just learning their new offense at this time last year. Now they can work on adding new wrinkles over a year into the Paul Johnson era. It looks like they're going to show a lot of different looks out of the flexbone.
...but what if Nesbitt spends a little time at A-Back, even if only at practice? Not only will his reads improve, but what on earth does a defense do when it sees Lucas Cox at B-Back with Dwyer and Nesbitt at A-Back? Having Nesbitt throw out of a sweep play to Dwyer, Hill, or our favorite Demaryius Thomas, and we are seeing some exciting things happen with a scheme that most people write off as a football system of yore.
That all does sound scary. Johnson may have to employ all of those tricks next year because he's defense won't be nearly as potent as last year. Gone are Michael Johnson, Darryl Richard and Vance Walker from the defensive line and Jahi Word-Daniels from the secondary. Basically, their four best defensive players in my opinion. However, Sedric Griffin and Morgan Burnett are back, so all is not completely lost, just mostly.
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