Virginia Tech Hokies (12-5, 2-1) at
No. 1 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (16-0, 3-0)
Time: 7 p.m.
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009
Place: Joel Coliseum, Winston-Salem, N.C.
TV: ESPN2
Last Meeting: Tech beat Wake, 80-58 on senior night for Deron Washington...Washington led the team in scoring and rebounding with 22 and 10...the Hokies held the Deacs to 34 percent from the field and out-rebounded them 30-20.
Trends: The Hokies have won four of their last five against Wake...the Hokies have won three consecutive games and seven of their last eight...Wake is the last remaining undefeated team in D1 basketball.
What to Expect: The Hokies will try to make this game ugly while the Deacs will try to push the pace. As guard Jeff Teague goes, so go the Deacs. The sophomore from Indy leads the team in points (21.4) and assists (4.1) per game. He's best in transition either driving to the rim or finding the open man down low.
The Hokies will miss the graduated Deron Washington in this game. He would have been perfect to guard Teague. Unfortunately, I don't think the Hokies have anyone on their roster capable of shutting him down.
The best way to slow the Deacs is to make shots and limit turnovers. That's the only way to keep Wake from making a mockery of the Hokies' transition defense. We'll know early on if the Hokies have a chance to hang with the Deacons.
My guess is they will. While Virginia Tech is incapable of blowing anyone out, the Hokies typically are able to keep games close until the late minutes (Duke game excluded).
Wake is a tough defensive team, especially on the perimeter. Quality shots will be at a premium for the Hokies. Tech also has a size disadvantage underneath against Wake's big men. While I think Jeff Allen, A.D. Vassallo, J.T. Thompson and Victor Davila are better offensive players than Wake's bigs are on defense, the height and size advantage Wake has more than evens it out.
Wake isn't a perfect team. In fact, they're far from it. But they play solid defense and have guys who can fill the net. Someone will beat them, it just won't be the Hokies.
Hokies win if: They're patient for quality shots on offense, particularly on penetration by Malcolm Delaney and limit turnovers.
Deacs win if: They're able to get out in transition against the Hokies and dominate the glass.
Score: Wake Forest 70, Virginia Tech 65
Showing posts with label i never pick tech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label i never pick tech. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Thursday, October 23, 2008
What to Watch vs. FSU
Most of the stats below are from cfbstats.com.
Offense
- It doesn't look good. It's been highly publicized that the Hokies are No. 110 in the country in total offense, No. 11 in the ACC ahead of NC State. They will face a Seminole defense that is loaded with talent, experience and, of course, speed.
- At some point, the Hokies are going to have to move the ball through the air. FSU already plays a lot of man in its secondary, and they probably won't have to do much else against Virginia Tech. The Seminole secondary has more speed than the Hokies do at wide receiver, this presents a lot of matchup problems for the Hokies because it allows FSU to load to box against Virginia Tech's rushing attack.
- The Hokies have the least amount of passing yards in the conference, even fewer than Georgia Tech, which runs an option attack. That's just embarrassing.
- The passing has to improve against FSU because it can't get much worse. The media has harped on Tyrod's ability to throw against man defenses. But I don't think it's going to matter much against FSU. The receivers can't get open and when they do, they are either overthrown or drop the ball.
- The Hokies need to focus on working the middle of the field against FSU by getting the ball to the tight ends and running backs. Greg Boone disappeared against BC. He and the rest of the tight ends need to reemerge this week for Tech to have a chance.
- FSU's defense is fast enough to keep up with Tyrod, so I think the running backs need to have a good game against Florida State. They didn't have much success against the Noles last year as Branden Ore averaged 2.5 YPC and Kenny Lewis 3.4. Somehow, the interior lineman need to find a way to win the battle against Budd Thacker and Co.
- Virginia Tech's rushing attack will be the best FSU has seen so far, but there is no overlooking how good the Noles have been against the run this year. They're giving up 79.5 YPG, best in the ACC.
- The problem is the Hokies never do anything unexpected. Our M.O. is well-documented and when that fails, that's pretty much the ballgame. The current offensive staff has shown no imagination when it comes to designing a game plan with built-in countermeasures for when the power run game fails. I realize the goal is to wear down the opposition and then dominate them on the ground in the fourth quarter. But some teams don't wear down. BC didn't and I doubt FSU will, especially at home.
- The Hokies face the No. 2 red zone defense in the country one week after facing the No. 1 red zone defense. FSU has allowed opponents into the red zone 18 times and have allowed opponents to score 11 times (61.1 percent). In fact, the Noles are even better at forcing red zone field goals than BC. Only five touchdowns have been scored on FSU in the 18 times the opponent has been in the red zone (27.8 percent). That's not good news for the Hokies, who are No. 11 in the ACC in red zone touchdown percentage at 44.8 percent (13 of 29). Last week against BC, the Hokies had only one trip into the red zone, which resulted in a field goal.
Defense
- The Hokies are +12 in the turnover department, best in the ACC. They are tied for the second-most forced turnovers in the conference with GT with 19, one behind WF. The Noles, meanwhile are -5 in turnovers, No. 11 in the ACC ahead of Clemson. The Noles have coughed the ball up 14 times, No. 8 in the ACC. The cause of the turnovers is fairly even for both teams. The Hokies have 10 fumble recoveries and nine picks. The Noles have lost six fumbles and had eight passes intercepted.
- Tech will need turnovers Saturday just like they had against BC. They need to keep the field short for the offense and have turnovers lead to points.
- Missed assignments, blown coverages and cornerbacks getting beat have all been an epidemic for the Hokies. BC had marginal success taking advantage of mistakes in the secondary last week, but couldn't break a big touchdown because its receivers didn't have the speed. FSU's receivers do have the speed. If they get behind the Tech secondary, it's six.
- FSU quarterback Christian Ponder is not the same QB the Hokies saw last year. He's matured, made the quarterback job his and led a Seminole comeback last week on the road. The Hokies can't afford to sit back and wait for mistakes from Ponder. They will have to put pressure on him.
- However, like Chris Crane, Ponder is just mobile enough to turn potential big losses into no gain or even pick up a couple yards.
- The Seminole ground game is better than it was last year and features Antone Smith, a home run-hitter on the ground for the Noles. He's broken a couple big touchdowns so far this year and is tough to bring down. It's one of the reasons he's the ACC's leading scorer with 66 points.
- Smith averages 4.8 yards per carry, 3.7 in three conference games. He, along with the entire FSU team, struggled against Wake Forest. However, the Seminoles have improved vastly in their last three games against Colorado, Miami and NC State. All three of those games were away from Doak Campbell Stadium.
Outcome
- For the first time ever, I am going to a Virginia Tech game fully expecting the Hokies to lose. Assuming I make it to the Florida Panhandle, it will be the 24th Hokie game I've seen in my life and for the first time, I'm making the trip with no hope. We're going to lose. Usually I'm delusional: I thought we would win the 2000 Sugar Bowl, I thought we would win the 2005 Sugar Bowl, I even swore we would upset LSU last year. But I can't see a way the Hokies escape Tallahassee with a win. Both teams are young and will make mistakes. However, FSU has a lot more talent on both sides of the ball than the Hokies. I know they haven't played very good teams. I know how bad they looked against Wake. But they've gotten a lot better, especially Ponder.
Check the Box Score for:
1. VT passing yards.
2. FSU rushing yards.
3. Turnovers.
4. FSU special teams YPR.
VT Players to Watch:
5 - Tyrod Taylor, So., QB
88 - Andre Smith, So., TE
45 - Purnell Sturdivant, SR., LB
1 - Macho Harris, Sr., CB
FSU Players to Watch:
7 - Christian Ponder, So., QB
5 - Preston Parker, Jr., WR
72 - Budd Thacker, Jr., DT
3 - Myron Rolle, Jr., ROV
Score: Florida State 31, Virginia Tech 10
Offense
- It doesn't look good. It's been highly publicized that the Hokies are No. 110 in the country in total offense, No. 11 in the ACC ahead of NC State. They will face a Seminole defense that is loaded with talent, experience and, of course, speed.
- At some point, the Hokies are going to have to move the ball through the air. FSU already plays a lot of man in its secondary, and they probably won't have to do much else against Virginia Tech. The Seminole secondary has more speed than the Hokies do at wide receiver, this presents a lot of matchup problems for the Hokies because it allows FSU to load to box against Virginia Tech's rushing attack.
- The Hokies have the least amount of passing yards in the conference, even fewer than Georgia Tech, which runs an option attack. That's just embarrassing.
- The passing has to improve against FSU because it can't get much worse. The media has harped on Tyrod's ability to throw against man defenses. But I don't think it's going to matter much against FSU. The receivers can't get open and when they do, they are either overthrown or drop the ball.
- The Hokies need to focus on working the middle of the field against FSU by getting the ball to the tight ends and running backs. Greg Boone disappeared against BC. He and the rest of the tight ends need to reemerge this week for Tech to have a chance.
- FSU's defense is fast enough to keep up with Tyrod, so I think the running backs need to have a good game against Florida State. They didn't have much success against the Noles last year as Branden Ore averaged 2.5 YPC and Kenny Lewis 3.4. Somehow, the interior lineman need to find a way to win the battle against Budd Thacker and Co.
- Virginia Tech's rushing attack will be the best FSU has seen so far, but there is no overlooking how good the Noles have been against the run this year. They're giving up 79.5 YPG, best in the ACC.
- The problem is the Hokies never do anything unexpected. Our M.O. is well-documented and when that fails, that's pretty much the ballgame. The current offensive staff has shown no imagination when it comes to designing a game plan with built-in countermeasures for when the power run game fails. I realize the goal is to wear down the opposition and then dominate them on the ground in the fourth quarter. But some teams don't wear down. BC didn't and I doubt FSU will, especially at home.
- The Hokies face the No. 2 red zone defense in the country one week after facing the No. 1 red zone defense. FSU has allowed opponents into the red zone 18 times and have allowed opponents to score 11 times (61.1 percent). In fact, the Noles are even better at forcing red zone field goals than BC. Only five touchdowns have been scored on FSU in the 18 times the opponent has been in the red zone (27.8 percent). That's not good news for the Hokies, who are No. 11 in the ACC in red zone touchdown percentage at 44.8 percent (13 of 29). Last week against BC, the Hokies had only one trip into the red zone, which resulted in a field goal.
Defense
- The Hokies are +12 in the turnover department, best in the ACC. They are tied for the second-most forced turnovers in the conference with GT with 19, one behind WF. The Noles, meanwhile are -5 in turnovers, No. 11 in the ACC ahead of Clemson. The Noles have coughed the ball up 14 times, No. 8 in the ACC. The cause of the turnovers is fairly even for both teams. The Hokies have 10 fumble recoveries and nine picks. The Noles have lost six fumbles and had eight passes intercepted.
- Tech will need turnovers Saturday just like they had against BC. They need to keep the field short for the offense and have turnovers lead to points.
- Missed assignments, blown coverages and cornerbacks getting beat have all been an epidemic for the Hokies. BC had marginal success taking advantage of mistakes in the secondary last week, but couldn't break a big touchdown because its receivers didn't have the speed. FSU's receivers do have the speed. If they get behind the Tech secondary, it's six.
- FSU quarterback Christian Ponder is not the same QB the Hokies saw last year. He's matured, made the quarterback job his and led a Seminole comeback last week on the road. The Hokies can't afford to sit back and wait for mistakes from Ponder. They will have to put pressure on him.
- However, like Chris Crane, Ponder is just mobile enough to turn potential big losses into no gain or even pick up a couple yards.
- The Seminole ground game is better than it was last year and features Antone Smith, a home run-hitter on the ground for the Noles. He's broken a couple big touchdowns so far this year and is tough to bring down. It's one of the reasons he's the ACC's leading scorer with 66 points.
- Smith averages 4.8 yards per carry, 3.7 in three conference games. He, along with the entire FSU team, struggled against Wake Forest. However, the Seminoles have improved vastly in their last three games against Colorado, Miami and NC State. All three of those games were away from Doak Campbell Stadium.
Outcome
- For the first time ever, I am going to a Virginia Tech game fully expecting the Hokies to lose. Assuming I make it to the Florida Panhandle, it will be the 24th Hokie game I've seen in my life and for the first time, I'm making the trip with no hope. We're going to lose. Usually I'm delusional: I thought we would win the 2000 Sugar Bowl, I thought we would win the 2005 Sugar Bowl, I even swore we would upset LSU last year. But I can't see a way the Hokies escape Tallahassee with a win. Both teams are young and will make mistakes. However, FSU has a lot more talent on both sides of the ball than the Hokies. I know they haven't played very good teams. I know how bad they looked against Wake. But they've gotten a lot better, especially Ponder.
Check the Box Score for:
1. VT passing yards.
2. FSU rushing yards.
3. Turnovers.
4. FSU special teams YPR.
VT Players to Watch:
5 - Tyrod Taylor, So., QB
88 - Andre Smith, So., TE
45 - Purnell Sturdivant, SR., LB
1 - Macho Harris, Sr., CB
FSU Players to Watch:
7 - Christian Ponder, So., QB
5 - Preston Parker, Jr., WR
72 - Budd Thacker, Jr., DT
3 - Myron Rolle, Jr., ROV
Score: Florida State 31, Virginia Tech 10
Friday, September 19, 2008
What to Watch vs. North Carolina
The Stands
Hokie fans are notorious for taking over Kenan Stadium. The amount of Tar Heel Blue was up in 2006 from 2004 and I have a feeling with Carolina's recent success, it might be more difficult for the Hokies to make this similar to the Cubs playing in Milwaukee. Still, I expect a lot of orange and maroon Saturday.
Offense
The running back situation will go like this: Kenny Lewis will start, the first series will go three-and-out and Darren Evans will get most of the carries in the first quarter and the first half of the second. After that, look for more Lewis and some Josh Oglesby (with maybe some Dustin Pickle sprinkled in) in the second quarter and most of the third. Then Evans will get all the carries in the fourth quarter.
While Evans is by far the most effect back the Hokies have used so far, I have no problem with this. Why? Because it means Evans is fresh for the fourth quarter. All the good teams do this. Oklahoma would even do it with Adrian Peterson. He would get spelled during most of the third quarter and then dominate in the fourth.
If the Hokies are going to win, they need to wear down the Tar Heels in the first three quarters by pounding the ball against the UNC front seven. The Hokies have to keep it close so Evans can be the difference maker in the fourth quarter.
Look at what happened against Georgia Tech. Evans had one carry until late in the third quarter. After that, he had three of the last four carries by running backs in the third and all six carries by running backs in the fourth quarter. Evans was a beast against the Yellow Jackets and I look for him to be the same against the Tar Heels.
However, I don't think it's going to be enough. At some point in this game, the Hokies will need a big play in the passing game. And it can't come from Tyrod Taylor dropping back, tucking and running. They will need to hit a home run through the air. Something they haven't done so far this year.
The Tar Heels will stack the box against Taylor to both try and stop the run and to try and contain him when he tries to scramble. Unless he makes plays with his arm, there won't be much room for the running backs to run.
The Tar Heel secondary played better than they have played in years against Rutgers. Only time will tell if this was because of how terrible Rutgers is or how good the Carolina secondary has become. Personally, I was impressed with the secondary. They played with confidence and swagger against the Scarlet Knights. They will have the same swagger in front of the home crowd Saturday.
Defense
It will come down to how much pressure the Hokies can get on TJ Yates. I think the Carolina passing game will be all or nothing on Saturday. It will have one or two big plays from Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate. However, the Tar Heel passing game will also have periods where it is disrupted and out of sync because of the Hokie front four.
I was very impressed with both Nekos Brown and Jason Worilds against Georgia Tech. They both raised their level of play with Cam Martin not nearly 100 percent. Martin will be back Saturday, but may not be at full speed. I think it will again be up to Brown and Worilds to make plays. But it does make me feel good to know the Hokies can rotate three defensive ends again.
The defensive tackles looked completely different against Georgia Tech than against ECU and Furman. They had the Jacket snap count down and were very disruptive when I had though the Jackets would be able to run up the middle all day on the Hokies.
John Graves and company will have to have the same type of game for the Hokies to win Saturday. Because of how they played against Georgia Tech, I think the Hokies will be able to stop the Tar Heels on the ground. However, if they revert to their form from the ECU and Furman games, the Hokies are in trouble. Stopping the ground game makes it easier to stop the passing game.
The Hokies have had miscommunication among the secondary early in the season. Davon Morgan and Dorian Porch have both struggled at rover and because of this, I think you'll see a couple of big plays through the air from the Tar Heels. It will be up to the leaders of this defense, Kam Chancellor and Macho Harris, to keep the youngsters in check and keep them from having a complete meltdown.
The Tar Heels will have big plays through the air, but we can't let this become like the situation at Boston College in 2006 where you have bickering over missed assignments that affects the team the rest of the game. Keep it together and stop them on the next play.
Outcome
This game will come down to big plays. The Tar Heels have more home run hitter than the Hokies right now, which is why I think they will win. Right now, I think the Tar Heels can score quickly while the Hokies have to be more methodical to get their points. A big play late will turn this game.
At times this game will be ugly and unwatchable like the Georgia Tech game last week or the North Carolina game last year. But in the end, it will be a big play from North Carolina that will turn the game. Kind of like the last time the Hokies played in the Tar Heel State.
You also have to take into account that this is the first true road game for most of the Hokie roster. How they handle the pressure will dictate how the Hokies do Saturday.
Check the box score for:
1. VT sacks and QB hurries.
2. NC yards per completion.
3. Tyrod Taylor completion percentage.
4. NC yards rushing.
Players to watch for VT
6 - Jason Worilds, DE, So.
5 - Tyrod Taylor, QB, So.
32 - Darren Evans, RB, So.
17 - Kam Chancellor, FS, Jr.
Players to watch for NC
87 - Brandon Tate, WR, Sr.
13 - TJ Yates, QB, So.
52 - Quan Sturdivant, LB, So.
16 - Kendric Burney, CB, So.
Score: North Carolina 25, Virginia Tech 21
Hokie fans are notorious for taking over Kenan Stadium. The amount of Tar Heel Blue was up in 2006 from 2004 and I have a feeling with Carolina's recent success, it might be more difficult for the Hokies to make this similar to the Cubs playing in Milwaukee. Still, I expect a lot of orange and maroon Saturday.
Offense
The running back situation will go like this: Kenny Lewis will start, the first series will go three-and-out and Darren Evans will get most of the carries in the first quarter and the first half of the second. After that, look for more Lewis and some Josh Oglesby (with maybe some Dustin Pickle sprinkled in) in the second quarter and most of the third. Then Evans will get all the carries in the fourth quarter.
While Evans is by far the most effect back the Hokies have used so far, I have no problem with this. Why? Because it means Evans is fresh for the fourth quarter. All the good teams do this. Oklahoma would even do it with Adrian Peterson. He would get spelled during most of the third quarter and then dominate in the fourth.
If the Hokies are going to win, they need to wear down the Tar Heels in the first three quarters by pounding the ball against the UNC front seven. The Hokies have to keep it close so Evans can be the difference maker in the fourth quarter.
Look at what happened against Georgia Tech. Evans had one carry until late in the third quarter. After that, he had three of the last four carries by running backs in the third and all six carries by running backs in the fourth quarter. Evans was a beast against the Yellow Jackets and I look for him to be the same against the Tar Heels.
However, I don't think it's going to be enough. At some point in this game, the Hokies will need a big play in the passing game. And it can't come from Tyrod Taylor dropping back, tucking and running. They will need to hit a home run through the air. Something they haven't done so far this year.
The Tar Heels will stack the box against Taylor to both try and stop the run and to try and contain him when he tries to scramble. Unless he makes plays with his arm, there won't be much room for the running backs to run.
The Tar Heel secondary played better than they have played in years against Rutgers. Only time will tell if this was because of how terrible Rutgers is or how good the Carolina secondary has become. Personally, I was impressed with the secondary. They played with confidence and swagger against the Scarlet Knights. They will have the same swagger in front of the home crowd Saturday.
Defense
It will come down to how much pressure the Hokies can get on TJ Yates. I think the Carolina passing game will be all or nothing on Saturday. It will have one or two big plays from Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate. However, the Tar Heel passing game will also have periods where it is disrupted and out of sync because of the Hokie front four.
I was very impressed with both Nekos Brown and Jason Worilds against Georgia Tech. They both raised their level of play with Cam Martin not nearly 100 percent. Martin will be back Saturday, but may not be at full speed. I think it will again be up to Brown and Worilds to make plays. But it does make me feel good to know the Hokies can rotate three defensive ends again.
The defensive tackles looked completely different against Georgia Tech than against ECU and Furman. They had the Jacket snap count down and were very disruptive when I had though the Jackets would be able to run up the middle all day on the Hokies.
John Graves and company will have to have the same type of game for the Hokies to win Saturday. Because of how they played against Georgia Tech, I think the Hokies will be able to stop the Tar Heels on the ground. However, if they revert to their form from the ECU and Furman games, the Hokies are in trouble. Stopping the ground game makes it easier to stop the passing game.
The Hokies have had miscommunication among the secondary early in the season. Davon Morgan and Dorian Porch have both struggled at rover and because of this, I think you'll see a couple of big plays through the air from the Tar Heels. It will be up to the leaders of this defense, Kam Chancellor and Macho Harris, to keep the youngsters in check and keep them from having a complete meltdown.
The Tar Heels will have big plays through the air, but we can't let this become like the situation at Boston College in 2006 where you have bickering over missed assignments that affects the team the rest of the game. Keep it together and stop them on the next play.
Outcome
This game will come down to big plays. The Tar Heels have more home run hitter than the Hokies right now, which is why I think they will win. Right now, I think the Tar Heels can score quickly while the Hokies have to be more methodical to get their points. A big play late will turn this game.
At times this game will be ugly and unwatchable like the Georgia Tech game last week or the North Carolina game last year. But in the end, it will be a big play from North Carolina that will turn the game. Kind of like the last time the Hokies played in the Tar Heel State.
You also have to take into account that this is the first true road game for most of the Hokie roster. How they handle the pressure will dictate how the Hokies do Saturday.
Check the box score for:
1. VT sacks and QB hurries.
2. NC yards per completion.
3. Tyrod Taylor completion percentage.
4. NC yards rushing.
Players to watch for VT
6 - Jason Worilds, DE, So.
5 - Tyrod Taylor, QB, So.
32 - Darren Evans, RB, So.
17 - Kam Chancellor, FS, Jr.
Players to watch for NC
87 - Brandon Tate, WR, Sr.
13 - TJ Yates, QB, So.
52 - Quan Sturdivant, LB, So.
16 - Kendric Burney, CB, So.
Score: North Carolina 25, Virginia Tech 21
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Lets Do Some Lines: Week 3
Here's a look at the ACC lines for Week 3 with my picks in bold. All lines are from Bodog, the official illegal online gambling site of furrer4heisman:
North Carolina +5 at Rutgers
- North Carolina is 0-20 in its last 20 road games outside of North Carolina.
Navy +1.5 at Duke
- Duke has played well so far and Navy didn't look too hot at Ball State.
NC State +18.5 at Clemson
- The key will be the NCSU offense (the stoppable force) against the Clemson defense (the movable object).
Cal -14 at Maryland
- When a good team plays a really, really bad team, bet on the good team.
Georgia Tech +7 at Virginia Tech
- To COVER. To COVER.
Virginia +11 at Connecticut
- But f4h, UConn needed OT to beat Temple! Who cares? Temple isn't THAT terrible anymore and the game was played in a tropical storm. If you have Donald Brown on your fantasy team, I have good news for you.
Other teams I like this week:
Texas Tech -36.5 vs. SMU
- Yeah, I know that's a lot of points.
Texas -24 vs. Arkansas
- Read my comment about the Cal game.
Mississippi State +10 vs. Auburn
- That's a lot of points to be getting at home.
Air Force +4.5 at Houston
- Don't know why, but I love the Falcons.
How I did last week against the spread:
ACC: 3-1
Correct: Ole Miss, Duke, Florida
Wrong: BC
Nation: 3-2
Correct: Temple, Air Force, Arizona State
Wrong: Notre Dame, Nevada
Year to Date:
ACC: 7-3
Nation: 8-2
Overall: 15-5
North Carolina +5 at Rutgers
- North Carolina is 0-20 in its last 20 road games outside of North Carolina.
Navy +1.5 at Duke
- Duke has played well so far and Navy didn't look too hot at Ball State.
NC State +18.5 at Clemson
- The key will be the NCSU offense (the stoppable force) against the Clemson defense (the movable object).
Cal -14 at Maryland
- When a good team plays a really, really bad team, bet on the good team.
Georgia Tech +7 at Virginia Tech
- To COVER. To COVER.
Virginia +11 at Connecticut
- But f4h, UConn needed OT to beat Temple! Who cares? Temple isn't THAT terrible anymore and the game was played in a tropical storm. If you have Donald Brown on your fantasy team, I have good news for you.
Other teams I like this week:
Texas Tech -36.5 vs. SMU
- Yeah, I know that's a lot of points.
Texas -24 vs. Arkansas
- Read my comment about the Cal game.
Mississippi State +10 vs. Auburn
- That's a lot of points to be getting at home.
Air Force +4.5 at Houston
- Don't know why, but I love the Falcons.
How I did last week against the spread:
ACC: 3-1
Correct: Ole Miss, Duke, Florida
Wrong: BC
Nation: 3-2
Correct: Temple, Air Force, Arizona State
Wrong: Notre Dame, Nevada
Year to Date:
ACC: 7-3
Nation: 8-2
Overall: 15-5
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
2008 ACC Football Predictions: Week 9
Week 9 in ACC Football
I don't think the Hokies will be able to win in Tallahassee, however, they'll get help when Wake wins at Miami. Maryland suffers a let-down after beating Wake and falls to NC State. In the Billionaire Bowl, Duke can't get a road win against Vandy.
Bye Weeks
Clemson
Game of the Week
Florida State over Virginia Tech
Oct. 25
North Carolina over Boston College
Maryland over NC State
Wake Forest wins at Miami
Virginia wins at Georgia Tech
Vanderbilt over Duke
ACC Standings after Week 9
Atlantic
CLEM 6-1, 3-1
WAKE 6-1, 3-1
FSU 6-1, 3-1
MARY 5-3, 2-2
BC 5-2, 2-2
NCST 2-6, 1-3
Coastal
VT 6-2, 3-1
UVA 5-3, 3-1
MIA 5-3, 2-2
UNC 3-5, 1-3
GT 3-5, 1-4
DUKE 3-4, 0-3
I don't think the Hokies will be able to win in Tallahassee, however, they'll get help when Wake wins at Miami. Maryland suffers a let-down after beating Wake and falls to NC State. In the Billionaire Bowl, Duke can't get a road win against Vandy.
Bye Weeks
Clemson
Game of the Week
Florida State over Virginia Tech
Oct. 25
North Carolina over Boston College
Maryland over NC State
Wake Forest wins at Miami
Virginia wins at Georgia Tech
Vanderbilt over Duke
ACC Standings after Week 9
Atlantic
CLEM 6-1, 3-1
WAKE 6-1, 3-1
FSU 6-1, 3-1
MARY 5-3, 2-2
BC 5-2, 2-2
NCST 2-6, 1-3
Coastal
VT 6-2, 3-1
UVA 5-3, 3-1
MIA 5-3, 2-2
UNC 3-5, 1-3
GT 3-5, 1-4
DUKE 3-4, 0-3
Thursday, August 7, 2008
2008 ACC Football Predictions: Week 5
Week 5 in the ACC
I don't think Virginia Tech will be able to win on the road at Nebraska. They're too young and too light in the defensive front seven to beat the Huskers. Meanwhile, I think Miami out-classes North Carolina in talent and beats them in Miami. Duke's magical run comes to an end against Virginia. The 'Hoos will be able to run all day on Duke.
Bye Weeks
Georgia Tech
Game of the Week
Nebraska over Virginia Tech
Sept. 27
Clemson over Maryland
Virginia wins at Duke
Miami over North Carolina
Florida State over Colorado (Jacksonville)
South Florida wins at NC State
Wake Forest over Navy
Boston College over Rhode Island
ACC Standings after Week 5
Atlantic
CLEM 5-0, 2-0
BC 4-0, 1-0
WAKE 4-0, 1-0
FSU 3-1, 0-1
MARY 3-2, 0-1
NCST 1-4, 0-1
Coastal
VT 4-1, 2-0
MIA 3-1, 1-0
UVA 2-2, 1-0
DUKE 3-1, 0-1
UNC 2-2, 0-2
GT 1-3, 0-2
I don't think Virginia Tech will be able to win on the road at Nebraska. They're too young and too light in the defensive front seven to beat the Huskers. Meanwhile, I think Miami out-classes North Carolina in talent and beats them in Miami. Duke's magical run comes to an end against Virginia. The 'Hoos will be able to run all day on Duke.
Bye Weeks
Georgia Tech
Game of the Week
Nebraska over Virginia Tech
Sept. 27
Clemson over Maryland
Virginia wins at Duke
Miami over North Carolina
Florida State over Colorado (Jacksonville)
South Florida wins at NC State
Wake Forest over Navy
Boston College over Rhode Island
ACC Standings after Week 5
Atlantic
CLEM 5-0, 2-0
BC 4-0, 1-0
WAKE 4-0, 1-0
FSU 3-1, 0-1
MARY 3-2, 0-1
NCST 1-4, 0-1
Coastal
VT 4-1, 2-0
MIA 3-1, 1-0
UVA 2-2, 1-0
DUKE 3-1, 0-1
UNC 2-2, 0-2
GT 1-3, 0-2
Friday, March 14, 2008
Must Win vs. Miami
The Hokies' game against Miami is essentially a play-in game for the NCAA Tournament thanks to BC's win over Maryland last night. I doubt the selection committee will only take three teams from the ACC. The Terps should be out of contention for the fourth ACC bid, meaning it will go to either Tech or Miami.
This all could have been avoided if the Hokies had beaten Clemson on Sunday. Now, because nearly every bubble team lost yesterday, Tech has been given a second chance. What they do with it is up to them.
Game Guide
Virginia Tech vs. Miami
Time: 2:30ish p.m.
(Game starts appx. 30 minutes after the UNC-FSU game at noon)
Place: Bobcats Arena, Charlotte, N.C.
TV: Raycom in the ACC viewing area, ESPN2 everywhere else
Regular Season: Tech and Miami met once in the regular season, Feb. 9 in Blacksburg. Miami won, 74-71 for its first win in Blacksburg since 2004. A.D. Vassallo made four threes and scored 24 points to lead all scorers. Tech shot 63 percent (17-27) in the second half, including five-for-nine from behind the arc, but couldn't overcome a 10 point deficit in the final 12 minutes. The difference came at the line, where Miami made 21 of 25 free throws. The Hokies made eight of their 12 foul shots.
Trends: Miami won its last game, 63-50 vs. NC State yesterday in the ACC Tournament. The Hurricanes have now won seven of their last nine games. They lost six of their previous seven. The Hokies lost their last game, 70-69 at Clemson on Sunday. The Hokies had won their previous four and seven of their previous 10 games.
What to expect: Should be close. The previous meeting was decided by three points and most of the games in the ACC this year have been tight.
Hokies win if: They make their free throws down the stretch, keep Miami from going to the line and they can get points in the paint from Vassallo and Jeff Allen.
Canes win if: Jack McClinton goes off and they're able to force turnovers from Tech's inexperienced ball handlers.
Dot-dot-dots: The Hokies are 6-10 and the Canes are 9-7 in road and neutral court games this season...Tech is 1-3 and Miami is 4-3 all-time in the ACC Tournament...the Hokies have received a first round bye in the ACC Tournament in three of four seasons since joining the conference in 2004-05.
Today's schedule/picks:
Noon - UNC over FSU
2:30ish p.m. - Miami over VT
7 p.m. - Duke over GT
9:30ish p.m. - Tyrese Rice over Clemson
This all could have been avoided if the Hokies had beaten Clemson on Sunday. Now, because nearly every bubble team lost yesterday, Tech has been given a second chance. What they do with it is up to them.
Game Guide
Virginia Tech vs. Miami
Time: 2:30ish p.m.
(Game starts appx. 30 minutes after the UNC-FSU game at noon)
Place: Bobcats Arena, Charlotte, N.C.
TV: Raycom in the ACC viewing area, ESPN2 everywhere else
Regular Season: Tech and Miami met once in the regular season, Feb. 9 in Blacksburg. Miami won, 74-71 for its first win in Blacksburg since 2004. A.D. Vassallo made four threes and scored 24 points to lead all scorers. Tech shot 63 percent (17-27) in the second half, including five-for-nine from behind the arc, but couldn't overcome a 10 point deficit in the final 12 minutes. The difference came at the line, where Miami made 21 of 25 free throws. The Hokies made eight of their 12 foul shots.
Trends: Miami won its last game, 63-50 vs. NC State yesterday in the ACC Tournament. The Hurricanes have now won seven of their last nine games. They lost six of their previous seven. The Hokies lost their last game, 70-69 at Clemson on Sunday. The Hokies had won their previous four and seven of their previous 10 games.
What to expect: Should be close. The previous meeting was decided by three points and most of the games in the ACC this year have been tight.
Hokies win if: They make their free throws down the stretch, keep Miami from going to the line and they can get points in the paint from Vassallo and Jeff Allen.
Canes win if: Jack McClinton goes off and they're able to force turnovers from Tech's inexperienced ball handlers.
Dot-dot-dots: The Hokies are 6-10 and the Canes are 9-7 in road and neutral court games this season...Tech is 1-3 and Miami is 4-3 all-time in the ACC Tournament...the Hokies have received a first round bye in the ACC Tournament in three of four seasons since joining the conference in 2004-05.
Today's schedule/picks:
Noon - UNC over FSU
2:30ish p.m. - Miami over VT
7 p.m. - Duke over GT
9:30ish p.m. - Tyrese Rice over Clemson
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