OT: Things I'm Not Giving Up Because of Lent

Because I'm not Catholic, I'm not observing Lent. But, I didn't celebrate Fat Tuesday either, so I'm not a hypocrite. After all, every day in my house is Fat Tuesday.

However, I've heard from a lot of friends, both Catholic and non-Catholic about all the things they're giving up for the next 40 days. Most of it is just complaining. Anyway, here are the things I won't be doing for Lent because I already don't do them. Add your own in the comments.

1. Non-breakfast items at McDonald's



I saw Super Size Me in January 2005 and haven't had a burger or nuggets or anything from McDonald's that isn't served before 10:30 AM. Why didn't I just give up on McDonald's period? Because McGriddles are just that delicious. Get off my back.

2. The NBA



From Bird's retirement until last year's Celtics-Lakers finals, I only watched one NBA game from start to finish. That game turned out to be the Pacers-Pistons brawl. I was in Waco, Texas, to cover an OU-Baylor football game and the only thing to do in Waco was sit with the other writer in our hotel room, drink beer and watch TV. The only thing on was that game. I took as a sign I was correct in not watching the NBA. I tried to watch last year's finals. It was meh.

3. Auto-erotic Asphyxiation

(I decided not to do a Google Image search for this)

Never really saw the upside to this.

4. Sugary Pop



I've drank solely diet soda for a few years now. It started when I kept getting sick from mixing bourbon and regular coke. Once I switched to diet it fixed everything. And drinking diet helped me drop a few lbs.

5. Climbing Everest



It's not because I'm not athletic (even though I'm not athletic). It's because I don't trust sherpas.

What I'll remember about 2008

Other than the ACC and Orange Bowl titles, there are a few things I'll remember most about the 2008 edition of Hokie Football. Please leave your own ideas in the comments.

Cory Holt vs. Florida State

Holt played well at quarterback against the Seminoles in a losing effort. Injuries to Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon gave Holt his first significant snaps under center for the Hokies and he did his best to rally Tech, but came up short.

James Evans Sleeping at the Maryland Game

C'mon, Tech fans. You couldn't make enough noise to wake a two year-old? While dad was tearing up the Terrapins, James was sound asleep at Lane Stadium. He was getting just as much camera time on ESPN as Darren as well.

The Grimm Reaper

Cody Grimm had an excellent last half of 2008. The under-sized linebacker made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks and made his Pro-Bowler dad proud.

Jarrett Boykin's Catch vs. Miami



The Comeback at UNC

Yes, we needed some luck, but for a very young team to come back from 14 points down on the road was impressive. You knew the team would continue to improve and that Darren Evans was a star in the making.

The Rollercoaster

The Hokies looked like a doomed team at three different points in the season. The losses to ECU, FSU and Miami seemed to end any hope of 2008 being a successful season. But somehow, this team and coaching staff rallied to have one of the best year's in team history.

ACC Best of the Blogs: Week 8

BOSTON COLLEGE

BC Interruption: Eagles Hang On; Beat Hokies 28-23
"Jeff: The game should've been sold out before it was determined that the Red Sox would be playing but that certainly might have had a lot to do with the atmosphere. But anyway, Saturday was Frank Beamer's birthday and Chris Crane decided to give him a present in the form of 14 points. Jeff Smith also threw in 3 points on a fumble on the next drive's kickoff return, but fortunately, the Eagles were not successful in beating themselves. What'd you like about what you saw?"

Eagle in Atlanta: Raycom, ESPN U, and ESPN: what's the story?
"As part of the ACC's deal with ESPN, ABC/ESPN get the first two selections of any ACC home games. One is for ESPN. One is for the 3:30 regional game on ABC. Raycom gets the third choice. After they select, the rights revert back to ESPN. They can put it on ESPN U, Classic, 360, whatever. Road games are subject to the home team's TV deal. For example, all Notre Dame home games are on NBC. The SEC has a deal similar to the ACC where CBS, ESPN and Raycom are all involved. The MAC has a deal with ESPN, so the Kent State game was their property."

CLEMSON

Block-C: Georgia Tech Wrap-up and News
"I’m tired of people saying we should have fired Vic Koenning as well. True, we blew a few crucial third downs that ultimately decided the game but his squad is only getting better. He’s a great defensive mind and as the old saying goes, it’s tough to do anything well on defense when they spend the entire game on the field. This being said, our defense has played great the past two weeks. I know he ran Wyoming into the ground worse than they could have been, but he’s kinda earned his keep around here as a coordinator in my opinion."

Sporting Gnomes: The Weather is Here, Not Seeing TB is Beautiful
"TB, enjoy yourself wasting away in Margaritaville, er Panama City, or a Beach House on the Moon, I don’t care where. I just hope you stay Incommunicado (that still goes for Cullen’s mouth as well). You went to your Bank of Bad Habits one to many times. Fins were to the left, fins were to the right, and you and Spence were the targets in town." (As a lover of all things Buffett, I couldn't resist.)

DUKE

Dudespin: Homecoming weekend welcomes back old Duke
"And while I don't think a poorly timed song can impact a football game, as things began to turn for the worse, Duke debuted the new football theme song, as voted on by the students: Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." But Duke did let me down, it did run around and desert me, it did make me cry, and while I'll never say goodbye, it did hurt me. And Duke, we have known each other so long, but it's not your heart that's been aching, it's mine, and I'm not too shy to say it. But one thing Rick Astley and I agree on, Duke Football, is I'm Never Gonna Give You Up!"

FLORIDA STATE

Chant Rant: How ugly was Thursday night's win?
"Antone's encore. In a TD romp similar to his instant classic at Miami, Smith made like a pinball, bouncing off defenders, breaking tackles and refusing to be denied."

Scalp 'Em: Vociferously Random and Vacuously Meaningless Thoughts
"7. And speaking of a lifetime on the hips, why is it that every time I see Ralph Friedgen and Mike Mangino the words “now there’s a guy who was played wide receiver in college” not come to mind?"

Tomahawk Nation: The Kool-Aid Debate: Do you drink?
"We're averaging 413 yards and over 35 points in our last 3 games, all away from Doak Campbell. We're #1 in Total offense and scoring offense in the ACC! As a unit, the offensive line has far exceeded expectations. Hudson has played out of his mind, while most other members of the line have faired well in run blocking. The Noles run game has improved by leaps and bounds over the past few seasons. I believe this is a combination of better offensive line coaching, a mobile quarterback, improved blocking by the wide receivers, and having Antone in good health."

GEORGIA TECH

GT Sports: Sting Stats -- GT passing game....
"VT throws the next fewest passes behind GT, 19.0 times per game. That's a big margin between the lowest and second lowest in the BCS leagues. However GT is clearly a better passing team than VT, since they throw 60% more often but we have more yards per game and more TD's."

The Legacy x4: A History Lesson in Tradition: The T-Book
"After researching the history and the legacy that the T-book created and left behind the Ramblin' Reck Club has brought the T-book back. Georgia Tech has been without the T-book for nearly 40 years and it is time to end the drought. Today, the T-book talks about the history of Georgia Tech and the traditions that make the Institute so unique. Personal letters to the owners are written by Football Coach Paul Johnson, Men's Basketball Coach Paul Hewitt, Athletic Director Dan Radakovich, Interim President Gary Schuster, and SGA President Nick Wellkamp."

MARYLAND

Turtle Soup: Five Football Games Left
"There can be no more letdowns. The Terps have homecoming this coming week against NC State. The Wolfpack have played horribly (except for the win East Carolina). Maryland should kill them and get to 6-2. Note, the most important word in the previous sentence is “should”. With this team, are you willing to say that they will win for sure?"

Turtle Waxing: Maryland blanks Deacons
"I don't mean to be a rain cloud but with this group I'm not sure this win is a spring board to anything because they have been unable to capitalize on their momentum all season. The three "ranked" teams Maryland has defeated this year: Clemson, California and Wake Forest will probably all be unranked after the new polls are released. This team will face a much more difficult road coming up with games against Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State and Boston College. I could see Maryland going winless against that group but truly can't see them going undefeated. There are still too many holes on defense and the running game, while better at least for one game, is not able to carry the load. It will have to get much better because four of the remaining five opponents are in the top half of the ACC against the run and all are among the top 50 in the nation."

MIAMI

All Canes: Miami 49, Duke 31
"Bigger than the win, the post-game story revolved around quarterback play. Robert Marve again got the start, but it was Jacory Harris who would 'finish'. Marve went 4-of-17 for 64 yards with 1 touchdown and an interception with his pick coming early in the second quarter during a 7-7 tie."

Hall of Canes: Great freshmen ... Veterans not so much
"WR Travis Benjamin, a freshman who had 170 yards in total offense and scored 1 TD. Benjamin averaged 15 yards on punt returns. He is the small, quick, electric playmaker who serves as the perfect complement to the powerful Johnson."

NORTH CAROLINA

Carolina March: Opportunity lost
"Here's a heartening thought, though. There's a good chance four of this weeks' ACC winners turn around and lose next week, and four of the losers come up on top. (Someone will win between Georgia Tech and Virginia, but look at that schedule and tell me everybody else won't end up on the wrong end of fortune come Saturday.)"

Tar Heel Fan: Can UNC Still Win the Coastal?
"Okay, make no mistake, losing to Virginia did serious damage to UNC’s hope of making it to Tampa. In many ways that was sort of a pipe dream anyway but having UVa on the ropes then allowing them up to hang a 2nd division loss on the Heels set up some bad mojo for trying to win the Coastal. Here is the breakdown:"

Tar Heel Mania: OMG We’re 5-2 the Season Is Ruined AHHHHHH
"But what’s so frustrating about this game is also one of the biggest positives that fans should take away from it: the Heels played, to put it kindly, average football yet were still in control of this game for 58 minutes. We now have a true running game with the combination of Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston. The goal for the defense coming into this game was to contain the running game, and they did just that. And on Saturday we were able to maintain control for most of the game, even though we never led by more that 7 points."

NC STATE

Section Six: FSU 26, NC State 17
"O'Brien's decision to go for a fourth-and-long at our own 30 late in the game was the right one under the circumstances; better to keep it in our hands rather than punt and hope that a tired defense can get its first three-and-out since the first quarter."

StateFans Nation: Scattered Post-Game Thoughts
"Still, this one hurts, especially knowing that Chuck the Clown got to laugh at us again. Based on his reality-free media blitz last week, it’s clear that he’s not only a delusional narcissist (knew that already), but also a pathological liar. I had a work thing last night and couldn’t attend live, but every time I saw his face on TV, I wanted to punch him in the nose."

Yet Another...: Nate "Full of Hate" Irving out for the Maryland Game
"It's unfortunate because we're coming up in Maryland's "lay an egg" portion of the schedule; we're not ranked and they should be huge favorites, giving us a good shot to win. And I only say that half-jokingly. Having Nate in the lineup would've made an upset in College Park even more likely."

VIRGINIA

The Good Ol' Blog: Georgia Tech week: A tough one
"For starters, the Maryland-ECU-Carolina triumvirate were all suffering from injuries or perhaps a suspension (well, in Maryland’s case, the only injury was the team’s missing heart and spine). Georgia Tech has had some dings also, which I’ll talk about later in the week, but this team is overall weathering its storms well. As in, the Wreck hasn’t lost any of its games yet due to attrition. Next man up, indeed."

From Old Virginia: We're going streaking
"Once again, proven wrong in the sort of way that I like. I said we'd need a running game in order to take down UNC and that UNC had proven they can beat a team without one. Now they've proven that they don't always. I'll further call myself out and retract the claim that a win here would make me feel confident about winning the rest of the games on the schedule. After the semi-explosion against Maryland, the running game has regressed back to where we started: 58 yards is not going to get it done consistently."

VIRGINIA TECH

College Game Balls: ACC is BCS minus the C
"The establishment here definitely does not agree with this particular assessment of the ACC. The conference may not have a national title contender this year, but it is the most competitive from top to bottom and is 10-8 versus the other BCS conferences. That 10-8 mark is the best among the other BCS schools and the 18 out of conference games are the most by any BCS conference. Translation, they play out of conference often and prove their worth. A better song would have been “Da Big East Iza Wanksta”"

Fire Bryan Stinespring: Hokies Ranked #110 in Total Offense? WTF?!?!?
"The Hokie Guru is trying to find some positives on our offense because he is a "glass is half full" type of guy. That's just the way the Hokie Guru is. We can't go through life massively negative all the time, right? Tyrod Taylor is the lone bright spot on this team; he rushed for 110 yards against Boston College last night. Dustin Keys also had three field goals last night and might well be the offensive player of the year on this team."

Tech Sideline: Three Former Hokies Say Thanks
"Here’s an interesting item that made its way into our Inbox. It’s a letter from three former Hokies (Xavier Adibi, Duane Brown and Brandon Flowers) that simply says thanks to the VT community. It’s in PDF format and is about 3 MB in size, so it will take a while to load, but check it out."

Virginia Tech Fan: Immediate Impressions: Boston College Game
"Last nights Boston College game held true to Virginia Tech’s 2008 football season form in that it was another close game between even teams that could have easily turned on the result of any one of a number of plays. It was just another nail-bitter in a season that’s been full of them, but unfortunately the Hokies were on the wrong end of this one. You could simplify this game down to the fact that some basic things that have gone Virginia Tech’s way for many of close wins this year, like penalties, clutch field goals, Tyrod’s protection of the football, etc, finally didn’t. But the reality is that this game was just weird."

Wild Turkey CFR: We're #110
"Every Hokie offensive player was outscored by Dustin Keys, Brett Warren, Macho Harris, the BC punt returner, the Red Sox, the Rays, the Devil Rays, and the New Jersey Devils. The botched short yardage plays are particularly frustrating. The Hokies failed twice on 3rd and 1 and again on 4th and 1 on plays that take entirely too long to develop. Why are we running to the edge with Darren Evans, a downhill runner? Stiney tends to outsmart himself. "Hmm, they will be expecting me to call the play that works... so let's run this other play!" I long for the days when we had an average offense."

WAKE FOREST

Old Gold and Blog: That still happened
"There aren't any excuses left. There aren't any rose colored glasses. There aren't any silver linings, either. The Deacs were dominated by Maryland in every aspect of the game, with no one to blame but themselves. Okay, sure, had Swank been available to play Wake scores at least 6 points in the first half and maybe things play out differently, but I don't think anyone can honestly say that Sam Swank would have been enough to turn this one around."

ACC Best of the Blogs: Week 2

We had our first conference game of the season in Week 2. A few more are coming this weekend.

Boston College

BC Interruption: Better Living Through Chemistry and the Big Finish
"Chemistry does help everything for sure but Crane only has at most 12 more games of his college career so if there is no chemistry there already, it might get a little better as the season progresses, but how much better can it really get?"

Eagle in Atlanta: Saturday's Loss Explained
"Do you guys remember Ghostbusters? Before the final showdown, the midday sky turned dark and gloomy. Foreboding clouds covered Manhattan. Then Gozer demands that the Ghostbuster choose its next form. Despite trying to keep their brains clear, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man appears set to destroy the heroes. So my question for BC fans is when the Ghostbuster-like clouds appeared, which one of you choose "terrible QB play" as Gozer's latest form of destruction?"

Clemson

Block-C: EKR: Large Hadron Collider Edition
"The science donut and WILLY KORN have a lot in common:
* worth 10 billion dollars
* can create tiny black holes
* smash atoms, records
* 17 miles around
* can throw lightening bolt TD passes
* can potentially destroy the earth
* this space intentionally left blank"

Georgia Tech

The Legacy x4: Virginia Tech Preview
"The stadium atmosphere could potentially be a factor. Lane Stadium is going to be the loudest and most intense experience we’ll face this year. Clemson is 2nd. The noise obviously factors in when teams have to run checks and audibles before the ball is snapped. The Triple Option does not need to worry about that as much since it mainly relies on making read while the play is in motion. As for the defense, I can only speculate how much changing of a package goes on for us."

GT Sports: What about the defense?
"Wow. Frank Beamer just completely summed up how most everyone feels about Jon Tenuta's attack. A bit of a one-trick pony, but one that succeeded more than it failed, almost solely because most college QB's make bad decisions when forced to make them quickly."

Maryland

Turtle Waxing: The gameplan that wasn't
"I expect mediocre game plans and ineffective schemes from Chris Cosh, but I have been surprised this season with the lack of imagination of the wunderkind offensive coordinator James Franklin. He is certainly young and dynamic, meaning he has a shaved head and he yells fairly often, but his offense has been well short of those adjectives this season. Perhaps Franklin will turn out to be a good OC but the early returns are not encouraging. Debbie Yow went on record to call him one of the best hires she has ever seen in college athletics which is another indicator of her judgement, or lack thereof, but then again Debbie had a role in his hire so it must be a brilliant move. So here we sit two games into the season with a grand total of 28 points produced by the offense. I shudder to think what this offense would look like if Da'Rel Scott had not exceeded all expectations. It is probably worth raising the issue of how much influence Ralph Friedgen still has on the offense. I find it hard to believe that he has been completely hands off the last two weeks, or that he would go into the Cal game confident that Franklin will draw up a winning formula on his own."

Miami

All Canes: Running it up, a Cane's take
"Try that stunt against an SEC foe or a coach with less class and Florida will watch Mr. Heisman leave the game on a stretcher. Some coaches are classless enough to consider it 'open season' for their defense, regarding a starting quarterback left in the game with under 120 seconds and hucking it towards the end zone while sitting on an almost-three touchdown lead."

Hall of Canes: Receivers need to Step Up
"That adds more fuel to my argument that the Canes need to play their talented freshmen WRs such as Aldarius Johnson, Travis Benjamin, Davon Johnson and others, and let them shine. Let's face it: The veteran WRs on the Canes have failed for awhile now. Might as well try the new guys."

North Carolina

Carolina March: UNC 44, Rutgers 12
"Admit it. You called somebody. Everybody's got that one other Carolina friend, the guy (or gal) you call during UNC games. You haven't had a reason to call during football season for quite some time, and the last time you did it was probably to complain that Bunting should be fired. And tonight, you made that call."

NC State

StateFans Nation: TOB Comments on the booing; Caulton Tudor gets it right
"The intention of this entry isn’t to promote discussion of Tom O’Brien’s comments, but rather to point out some very impressive statistics regarding the supporters of NC State athletics. We did this earlier in the year when NC State fans were one of the few highlights of Lee Fowler’s annual report, but with the recent criticism from at least one member of the local media this seemed like a good time to revisit some of this information. Considering the results of NC State’s athletic department under the leadership of Lee Fowler, some people might be quite surprised to find that NC State fans have been supporting their programs in record numbers by almost every measure."

Virginia

Good Ol' Blog: The Lalich Mystery
"I’d normally say in this sort of situation that we should wait to see how the facts shake out, but I’m not all that confident that we’ll ever see the facts shake out in this one."

From Old Virginia: Marc Verica to start against UConn
"So I dunno. I was gonna have an opinion, but every time I do when it comes to Peter Lalich and his off-field escapades, the exact opposite happens. And is that not the most cryptic punishment quote you ever heard? If in fact it's a punishment? I'm just gonna stop speculating. I don't even know."

Virginia Tech

College Game Balls: Sean Glennon Hearts Sean Glennon
"If Glennon wasn’t on the field last year we would have beat Boston College at home and been playing for the National Championship. Grant Noel was bad, but at least he did what was better for the team and stepped aside for Bryan Randall."

Tailgate Fever: Every Offense Looks Better at 3:30
"Gameday is finally here. Real gameday. Not neutral site gameday. Not I-AA opponent gameday. A real home game, against a real opponent, at a real kickoff time gameday. And not a moment too soon with Techtown on the brink of implosion due to a lack of proper tailgating. If Beamer would just realize that tailgating solves most football fans' woes, he would focus on better kickoffs, more fun, a less insane level of security that has slowly turned our stadium into a federal supermax prison, and no longer have to defend the Offensive Coordinator from the angry mob. This is college football. It is supposed to be fun. When did that stop? If you answered, "When we hired Jim Weaver," advance to Go (collect $200)."

Wild Turkey CFBR: I'm out of whack, you're out of whack, we're all out of whack
"Here's the quote that jumps out at me "what’s the best way for our offense to help our defense win". We know Beamerball is about defense and special teams first. It has brought us much rejoicing and bourbon fueled excitement through the years. But isn't winning a TEAM effort? What message does that send to the defense. "Alright guys, get out there and carry these schlubs to another win" It's not as if Tech hasn't had any talented athletes on offense in recent years. Kevin Jones. Ernest Wilford. Lee Suggs. Cedric Humes. Eddie Royal. Josh Morgan. Branden Ore."

Wake Forest

Old Gold and Blog: Grobe "runs the gauntlet" at ESPN
"This whole concept of spending a day at Bristol is an interesting one, and it speaks to the power of ESPN these days. Not only is this one of the best ways for Wake Forest to get exposure, but according to the article, it's incredibly beneficial for Grobe to "make friends" with the ESPN talent and personalities so that they'll be more likely to cover Grobe and Wake in the future."

ACC Best of the Blogs: Week 1

The weekend from hell took its toll on some ACC bloggers. Here's a look at the blog orgy during Week 1:

Boston College

BC Interuption: Over/Under: Georgia Tech, Power Rankings and Superfan Shirts
"It's not really BC's fault this game was poorly attended. Kent State didn't hold up their end of the bargain, and there would have been a lot more fans in the stadium had the game been played in Dix Stadium. Not to mention the game was hardly marketed at all. Plus, most of these BCS schools from the Big Ten, Big XII or SEC don't even know what it's like to go to an away football game against a (historically bad) MAC team."

Eagle in Atlanta: BC-Georgia Tech preview
"Johnson’s success is not just schematics. If it were, every school would use the offense. He’s been successful by teaching it well and by calling great games. While this is only their second game of live action we cannot assume that they will not execute or know what they are doing. Johnson will have them ready."

Clemson

Block-C: Short Musings on Bowden
"He can’t and/or won’t make adjustments during the game. This is his biggest pit fall. He also said in his Tuesday new conference that he will not change how he prepares for games. HEY TOMMY, YOU MIGHT WANNA RETHINK THAT, THAT WAS A PRETTY BAD GAME LAST WEEK. Then he announced he started calling other coaches for what to do (HT: Sean). You’ve been at it here for a decade and we’re paying you millions of dollars, shouldn’t you ALREADY KNOW WHAT TO DO? What a crock. Seriously though, that game was so bad that Dragoncon was in town and after the Bama loss I was the one who felt embarrassed for the clothing I was wearing."

Georgia Tech

The Legacy x4: It's not as bad as it looks. Yeah, I said it.
"Right now the ACC is the laughingstock of the college football world, and rightly so. The only team from the ACC that is ranked right now is Wake Forest. Now, I don’t mean any insult to the Deacs, but that would basically be like Vanderbilt becoming a top team in the SEC in 5 years from now. No one would give them their full credit, everyone in the SEC would still say “whatever, they are just Vandy,” and everyone outside of the SEC would make fun of the conference for having Vandy as their best team."

GT Sports: Negating Speed
"Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski keeps referring to our offense as the wishbone. I wonder why? He absolutely, positively knows it is not the wishbone. We can probably assume that he knows Paul Johnson does not like it called the "wishbone". So why does he do it? Is he trying to make Johnson think he doesn't truly understand the system? Is he trying to get under Johnson's skin? Is he just ignorant?"

Florida State

Scalp 'Em: Weatherford Out, Ponder In As FSU Starting QB
"To Drew Weatherford: Drew, I’m one of the few fans that thought you deserved one last shot. I still think you’re going to get in there and play, but if you don’t I know you have the character to handle this news. Throughout your career at FSU, you’ve been thrown in and out of starting QB, spent a lot of time on your backside and cheered on guys that didn’t give you the same effort they gave Xavier Lee. I hope you do well with the playing time you get this year, and I hope you continue to be the great teammate that everyone says you are. Regardless of stats, #11 will always be one of my favorite QBs."

Tomahawk Nation: Ponder Is Proof That Times Are Changing...
"Any speculation that Bobby Bowden would stand in the way was proven to be wrong and is the next step in the handover of this program to Fisher. Anyone who spoke to the head coach in waiting over the last three months knew that he was excited about seeing Ponder go after the starting job. They knew he was excited about the potential of bringing in a guy a little more mobile, a little more accurate and a little more of a playmaking."

Maryland

Turtle Waxing: Steffy out, Turner back in
"I knew that Turner would see the field again but I would not have guessed it would be after the first game. Friedgen's pride wouldn't allow him to admit that starting Steffy was the wrong call but the injury has forced his hand. For his part Fridge engaged in a spirited and slightly bizarre defense of Steffy to reporters the other day. Some of the things he said gave me even more reason for concern than his explanation for benching Turner in place of Steffy. It is clear from his comments he has a deep personal loyalty to Steffy."

Miami

Hall of Canes: Prove It
"I have high hopes for Marve and his backup, Jacory Harris. Both were studs in high school, winning Mr. Florida Football in 2006 and 2007 respectively. But this is another level. The Gators aren't just college football, they are elite college football with numerous guys on the path to NFL riches."

NC State

StateFans Nation: Coach O’Brien’s comments don’t fit NC State
"WOW! A ‘performance-based organization‘!? In West Raleigh? What in the world is that? TOB may want to take some time and explain such a thing to the folks who think accolades and employment are an extension of natural rights conveyed to people who do nothing more than breathe and sustain life."

Virginia

The Good Ol' Blog: Richmond week: London confident
"There’s some chatter on the Edge Board* that Mike London is very confident about his team’s chances on Saturday. Now, I don’t know if the particular comments attributed to London are true, but I wouldn’t blame him for thinking his currnet team can beat his former team. He certainly knows Virginia’s weaknesses on both its defense (since he coordinated it) and its offense (since he practiced against it). And now he has a nice video tape of Virginia’s weaknesses being exploited to the tune of a 40+ point beat down. Richmond is now Southern Cal, but it’s no patsy either. Virginia is in serious danger of starting 0-2."

From Old Virginia: Lalich update
"Some are saying it's time to just cut our losses here, boot Lalich, and start Deke all season. It's too soon for that - what Lalich's been up to still doesn't rise to the level of stealing shit, and guys have been kept on the team even with that on their records. But I hope the judge comes down on his ass. Frankly, Lalich should sit on Saturday, and he should sit the game after his court date, too. Like Pavlov's dog, he needs to get it through his thick skull: Court = Bad. Court = No Play Football. He needs the association. Because this notion that a drug is more important than a scholarship worth at least a hundred grand is retarded."

Virginia Tech

College Game Balls: How to be a College Football Fanatic in a Rebuilding Year
"7. Change the conversation early and make it personal. ”Hey Jerry, wow your boys got their asses kic…” “Isn’t your wife cheating on you with Chuck?”"

Wake Forest

Old Gold and Blog: Some perspective: Wake and ACC Football
"I do not think the two statements are eternally mutually exclusive, but right now they probably are. For one, Wake's rise to national prominence is new, and national perception is still that Wake is a "weak" team and program. Wake doesn't have any history of beating big names outside the ACC, and that presents a major hurdle. Even beating Louisville two years ago wouldn't have fixed that, and wins over Baylor, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt this season won't do a whole lot of good either."

Foster Among Top Assistants

Coaches Hot Seat has listed both Virginia Tech coordinators among its list of the Top 100 assistant coaches in college football.

Defensive coordinator Bud Foster came in at No. 8, right behind Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, who was the highest-ranked ACC assistant. Foster is the third defensive coordinator on the list, behind Texas' Will Muschamp at No. 3 and Ohio State's Jim Heacock at No. 4.

Offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring was No. 44 in the rankings.

Ranking the 2008 ACC Players

Here is a quick power rating of the top players in the conference:

1. Cullen Harper - Clemson - QB
- Had a ridiculous 27-6 TD to INT ratio in '07. Will need to duplicate that feat or defenses will be able to focus on Davis and Spiller.

2. Alphonso Smith - Wake Forest - CB
- I'm a huge fan of Wake's defense. Smith is the lead ballhawk for the Deacs. He had eight picks and four forced fumbles last season.

3. Michael Johnson - Georgia Tech - DE
- Is a freak at defensive end and will give opposing QB's fits all year.

4. James Davis - Clemson - RB
- The better overall back between he and Spiller. When he's on, he can't be stopped.

5. Sergio Render - Virginia Tech - OL
- Maybe the best guard to come through Tech. The Hokie line will be solid this year.

6. Brian Toal - Boston College - LB
- BC had one of the best defenses in the country last year. Without Toal. Scary.

7. Macho Harris - Virginia Tech - CB
- Will be able to impact games as a return man more in '08. Tied for the team lead in picks last year.

8. Aaron Kelly - Clemson - WR
- Led the ACC in TDs by a wide margin last year.

9. CJ Spiller - Clemson - RB
- Lots of speed. The Tigers have tons of talent at skill positions. But how will the O-line and D hold up?

10. Eugene Monroe - Virginia - OL
- Has a pair of good backs to open holes for this season.

11. Riley Skinner - Wake Forest - QB
- All he does is win.

12. Hakeem Nicks - North Carolina - WR
- Led the conference in YPC last year. Good deep threat.

13. Ron Brace - Boston College - DT
- Main reason BC was among the best against the run last year.

14. Clint Sintim - Virginia - LB
- Had nine sacks as a linebacker last year. Will he be able to repeat that number without Howie Long's son getting double-teamed this year?

15. Sean Glennon - Virginia Tech - QB
- Maybe the most accurate passer in the conference. Doesn't make dumb mistakes. Improved his TD to INT ratio immensely last season.

Ranking the 2008 ACC Games

The Oklahoman ran a similar feature Sunday ranking all the games involving Big 12 teams. I thought it was a good idea. But then I tried to rank every ACC game, but then decided to limit it to a Top 25. Here they are, with pithy comments.

1. Alabama vs. Clemson (Atl. - Aug. 30)
- We find out pretty quick how good Clemson is.
2. Virginia Tech at Nebraska (Sept. 27)
- Finally, we get a chance at revenge for the 1996 Orange Bowl! BWAHAHA!
3. Clemson at Wake Forest (Oct. 9)
- The CU-WF-FSU round robin will be fun to watch. This Thursday-nighter is the best of the bunch.
4. Virginia Tech at Florida State (Oct. 25)
- First trip to Tally since 1990 for Tech.
5. Notre Dame at North Carolina (Oct. 11)
- Two teams that are supposed to be among the most improved in 2008. A win here would be huge for the ACC.
6. Clemson at Florida State (Nov. 8)
- Why hasn't anyone mentioned that Clemson's three toughest games are away from Death Valley?
7. Miami at Florida (Sept. 6)
- Could get ugly in a hurry. Or could the 'Canes call upon the ghost of Brock Berlin to pull off the upset?
8. Wake Forest at Florida State (Sept. 20)
- Yup, the Deacs have won two in a row against FSU.
9. Southern California at Virginia (Aug. 30)
- I'll be taking USC and the points.
10. Miami at Texas A&M (Sept. 20)
- Another trip to Big 12 country for the ACC.
11. North Carolina at Rutgers (Sept. 11)
- No Ray Rice for Rutgers. Can UNC return the favor after Rutgers won in Chapel Hill?
12. Virginia Tech at North Carolina (Sept. 20)
- The VT-UM-UNC round robin will likely decide the Coastal. Tar Heels luck out and catch the Hokies early.
13. California at Maryland (Sept. 13)
- Another Pac 10 at ACC match up. Like the first one, likely won't be close. If Maryland had a quarterback, they would be scary.
14. Virginia Tech at Miami (Nov. 13)
- Hard to believe it won't be in the Orange Bowl.
15. Wake Forest at Miami (Oct. 25)
- Wake's last trip to Miami was 2004 when the Deacs lost, 52-7.
16. South Carolina at Clemson (Nov. 29)
- I think the Gamecocks will be the spoiler of the SEC. Could they also spoil Clemson's season?
17. North Carolina at Miami (Sept. 27)
- Miami's biggest inter-division games are at home.
18. Connecticut at North Carolina (Oct. 4)
- Another Big East contest for the Heels.
19. Mississippi at Wake Forest (Sept. 6)
- Should be a great Week 2 match-up.
20. Mississippi State at Georgia Tech (Sept. 20)
- We'll know by Week 4 how well GT's offense works. It gets a big test against the SEC.
21. Colorado vs. Florida State (Jax. - Sept. 27)
- Both teams are supposed to be vastly improved from last year.
22. Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina (Char. - Aug. 30)
- Upset alert?
23. South Florida at NC State (Sept. 27)
- USF is supposed to be a contender in the Big East.
24. NC State at South Carolina (Aug. 28)
- First game of the season.
25. Boston College at NC State (Oct. 4)
- TOB faces his old team a year after losing big to them.

By the Numbers

Conf Games: 9
OOC Games: 16

BC: 1
CU: 4
DU: 0
FSU: 4
GT: 1
MD: 1
UM: 5
UNC: 5
NCSU: 3
UVA: 1
VT: 5
WF: 4

Ranking the ACC Stadiums

I have been to half of the football stadiums in the ACC. For someone who lives West of the Mississippi, I consider this to be an accomplishment. Therefore, in fairness, I'll give two sets of rankings. The stadiums I've been to will be ranked on ambiance (10%), tailgating (30%) and game experience (60%). The ones I haven't been to will be ranked on team's home record (1%), perception (9%) and bias (90%). Oh, all grades are objective. Enjoy. Hopefully by the end of 2008 I can add North Carolina and Florida State to the list of stadiums I've been to.

ACC Stadiums I've Been To:


1. Virginia Tech - Lane Stadium
- In reality, this is probably a toss-up with Clemson, but I'm a Hokie, so guess which one's getting moved to the top of the list? The tailgating is better at Tech in my opinion, but the bar scene is better at Clemson. Lane's louder, but Memorial has more energy, if that makes any sense at all.


2. Clemson - Memorial Stadium
- I wish we played at Clemson every other year. I also wish I could get the chance to visit Memorial Stadium for a non-VT game and root for Clemson. This place is what college football is all about.

[/huge gap]


3. Boston College - Alumni Stadium
- Tailgating was fine, atmosphere was fine, Boston's a great town. Surprisingly involved student section.


4. Georgia Tech - Bobby Dodd Stadium
- It didn't help that their team got shellacked, but the crowd at Bobby Dodd Stadium was subdued for most of the night. Tailgating is fair.


5. Wake Forest - Groves Stadium
- It's small and those of us in the Tech section were packed in like sardines. The stadium looks like a smaller version of Lane before it was renovated.


6. Miami - Dolphin Stadium
- The 'Canes didn't exactly pack the Orange Bowl the last two seasons. I've been to two Orange Bowls and while the stadium itself is nice, I can't see this being a very good place to go watch a regular season game. They do sell beer there, so cheers!

ACC Stadiums I Haven't Been To:

1. Florida State - Doak Campbell Stadium

2. NC State - Carter-Finley Stadium

3. Maryland - Byrd Stadium

4. North Carolina - Keenan Stadium

5. Virginia - Scott Stadium

6. Duke - Wallace Wade Stadium

Ranking the ACC Mascots

The ACC helmets were ranked earlier this week. When they came out, someone E-mailed asking me to rank the mascots. So, here'tis. I've tried to rank them based solely on the physical mascot. I tried not to let the teams' nicknames factor in. If your team has a boring or over-done nickname, it's tough to have a good or creative mascot. So, for the most part, they're ranked strictly by the costume. However, personal biases did factor in heavily.


1. Virginia Tech - Hokie Bird
- Hokie Bird is the greatest mascot ever. Period.


2. Clemson - The Tiger
- Yes, "Tigers" is extremely overdone and no, it's not the best-looking mascot ever. But I've seen The Tiger in person a number of times and he's an excellent mascot. Very good at getting the crowd involved.


3. Georgia Tech - Buzz
- Buzz is a pretty cool-looking mascot, both in logo and foam.


4. Florida State - Chief Osceola and Renegade
- I hate human mascots. Willie the Wildcat at K-State is the worst mascot ever and for the most part, I think all human mascots are lame. But a Seminole warrior with a flaming spear riding a horse? That's something I can get behind. It's all about intimidation, people.


5. Boston College - Baldwin
- Would be better as an actual eagle, which BC used to have. But Baldwin is a solid alternative.


6. NC State - Mr. Wuf
- Not a very intimidating name, but Mr. Wuf is a good-looking mascot. And, he's currently the only ACC mascot that's getting some.


7. North Carolina - Rameses
- This mascot has come a long way. It used to be atrociously ugly. After this, it's all downhill. And yes, it was difficult to not make a dead mascot joke here (10 hell points).


8. Maryland - Testudo
- Lame.


9. Duke - The Blue Devil
- Little known fact: The Blue Devil and Cavman were the inspiration for The Ambiguously Gay Duo.


10. Miami - Sebastian the Ibis
- "But our shenanigans are cheeky and fun. And his shenanigans are cruel and tragic."


11. Wake Forest - The Demon Deacon
- Old men don't work too well as mascots.


12. Virginia - Cavman
- Even UVa fans hate Cavman. Terrible mascot.

Ranking the ACC Helmets

ESPN is doing a "Helmet Clash" and letting online visitors vote for the coolest helmet in CALLLAGE FOOTBAWL. The voting is done in bracket format and unfortunately the two coolest helmets around are paired in the first round: Ohio State and Florida State.

Miami and Clemson are also included in the bracket.

Here are my rankings of the ACC helmets. All images are from Helmet Project.


1. Florida State
- Fear the Spear. They don't even need to put the school's name or initials on it. You know it's the 'Noles.


2. Clemson
- Classic look. Again, you know it's Clemson just because of the orange with the tiger paw.


3. Georgia Tech
- Another helmet that has stood the test of time. Although I liked the throw-back white helmet they wore against UVa a couple years ago much better. I usually hate white helmets, but those looked sweet.


4. North Carolina
- I'm a big fan of Carolina blue and the Tar Heels' helmets.


5. Virginia Tech
- Simple and bold. Tech took off the helmet stripes in the late 90s to give the team a more "professional" look. Personally, I like helmet stripes. Mainly because this is college, not the pros.


6. Duke
- Here come the white helmets, starting with Duke. I like this one a lot more than when they had "Duke" in script across the side of the helmet.


7. North Carolina State
- Really, all the white helmets could be tied for sixth. I think NC State's would look better if it were red. This one looks too much like Stanford's. What if they just put "State" in script on a red helmet?


8. Maryland
- Again, it should be red, like when Frank Reich was there.


9. Miami
- DA U! Too much white. Yes, it's recognizable, but its boring and green-on-orange doesn't do it for me.


10. Virginia
- As much as I make fun of them for being Dopey Scissors University, UVa's logo is pretty cool. Get rid of the orange half-stripe and this is a Top 5 helmet in the ACC.


11. Boston College
- Notre Dame. Navy. Army. Boston College? One of these things is not like the other. Put your logo on your damn helmet. No one knows who you are.


12. Wake Forest
- Like UVa, one slight alteration would make this a Top 5 helmet. Make it to where I can read your logo. Make it gold with a white outline or white with a gold outline. As it is now, I can't read your logo when I'm sitting in the nose bleed seats at the stadium or watching on TV.

All-Beamer Team: Special Teams

The concept for the All-Beamer Team was blatantly stolen from MGoBlog.com. It is the best players at each position since Beamer took over in 1987. Three weeks ago, we announced the nominees for the All-Beamer Team on special teams. Now, here are our picks:

K: Shayne Graham
Other Nominees: Brandon Pace, Mickey Thomas, Chris Kinzer
- Would probably win because of the Miracle in Morgantown alone. However, that kick in 1999 was just the icing on top of a great career.

P: Nic Schmitt
Other Nominees: Vinnie Burns, Jimmy Kibble, Robbie Colley
- Just once I wish Schmitt had the chance to deck a punt returner. He was a big dude. The Hokies have had a history of good punters and the current one, Brent Bowden, may end up being the best.

PR: Andre Davis
Other Nominees: Eddie Royal, DeAngelo Hall, Antonio Freeman
- Hall was probably better, but I like Davis more and felt he was more reliable. Hall scored more touchdowns, but your were more likely to get good field position from Davis.

KR: Eddie Royal
KR: Jon Jeffries
Other Nominees: Mike Imoh, Bryan Still
- Royal and Jeffries both led the Hokies in kick return yards in three separate seasons. Both were naturals at returning kickoffs.

2008 No. 8 - Football Beats FSU

We're counting down the Top 10 moments in Virginia Tech sports from the 2007-08 season. The moments are judged on level of pride it brought to Hokie Nation, how great the accomplishment was and how much attention did it bring the Hokies.

No. 8



40-21.

2008 No. 9 - Women's Track Wins ACC and Regional

We're counting down the Top 10 moments in Virginia Tech sports from the 2007-08 season. The moments are judged on level of pride it brought to Hokie Nation, how great the accomplishment was and how much attention did it bring the Hokies.

No. 9

The Virginia Tech Women's Track and Field team coasted to its second consecutive ACC Championship in mid-April and in late May captured its second consecutive East Regional championship.

Injuries kept the Hokies from making noise at the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, but did not take away from their great season. Record-setting sophomore Queen Harrison (pictured) won both the 100 and 400m hurdles at the regional in Tallahassee.

She suffered a left hamstring injury at the NCAA meet and may have to miss Olympic qualifying beginning June 27 in Eugene, Ore. However, she was named Southeast Region track performer of the year and director of track and field Dave Cianelli was named region and ACC coach of the year.

2008 No. 10 - 8 Hokies Go in NFL Draft

We're counting down the Top 10 moments in Virginia Tech sports from the 2007-08 season. The moments are judged on level of pride it brought to Hokie Nation, how great the accomplishment was and how much attention did it bring the Hokies.

No. 10

Virginia Tech had eight players selected in the 2008 NFL Draft, the second-most for any school behind USC. It spoke to the level of athlete Virginia Tech has and how well the coaching staff prepares its players for the NFL.



The Hokies had one first-round selection in 2008. Offensive tackle Duane Brown was the 26th overall pick by the Houston Texans. In the second round, cornerback Brandon Flowers was taken by Kansas City and wide receiver Eddie Royal was taken by Denver.

Brown was the seventh player in Virginia Tech history to go in the first round of the draft, the sixth under Coach Beamer.

5 Youngsters to Watch in 2008

Here are five freshmen and sophomores (other than Tyrod) who could make an impact by the end of the season:

1. The Running Backs
(RFr., Darren Evans, RFr., Josh Oglesby, Fr., Ryan Williams)

One of them is bound to take control as the No. 1 running back by the time the Hokies finish their non-conference schedule. Evans is the closest right now. Oglesby could be there if he improves his pass blocking. Williams is the X-factor.

Williams most likely will not redshirt. He'll get on the field somehow, even if the coaches have to put him in as a receiver to do it. How quickly he starts getting carries depends on how he is able to adjust to the Hokies' blocking scheme and his ability to pass block.

2. RSo., John Graves, DT

A sophomore is currently No. 1 on the depth chart at defensive tackle. That isn't good news to me. Graves was unimpressive during his freshman season and needs to have a better 2008 now that he has a year of experience under his belt.

He's a tall, agile DT, which worked for Barry Booker the last two seasons. I'd prefer at least one of our defensive tackles be of the large, stocky, gap-filler variety, but now that Taco Thompson has lost 30 pounds, that won't be the case.

Hopefully Graves and Thompson can use their agility to slip blocks and make tackles in the backfield.

3. RSo., Jason Worilds, DE

He's quick and he's agile and he has a sixth sense for getting to the quarterback. Worilds has shown all this in practice the last two years, but now will get his chance to show it as a starter.

I think Worilds is the prefect replacement for the departed Chris Ellis and its his time to shine. He's the next in the long line of great Tech defensive ends.

4. Fr., Vinston Painter, OT

The Hokies plan to start redshirt freshman Blake DeChristopher at right tackle next year. I wouldn't be surprised if the much-ballyhooed Painter gets his shot at right tackle as well. The Hokies need help and depth on the offensive line.

If Painter is as good as he's been touted, he could start seeing significant playing time late in the season.

5. Fr., Allen Stephens, LB

Ok, on this one I'm a little bias. He's from the same part of Virginia as my family (Halifax County Rep-ra-zent!) and I've been reading and hearing about him for the last two years.

The kid is a fierce competitor and a freak of nature by all accounts. If he can adjust to the speed of college football, he should be a beast at linebacker for the Hokies. Probably not this season, but one can hope.

5 Guys Who Need to Excel in 2008

Here are five players the Hokies need to have great years in 2008:

1. Jr., Ed Wang, OT

Wang will move from right to left tackle in 2008, replacing the departed Duane Brown. Why is Wang important? Because at left tackle he'll be protecting the quarterback's blind side. Wang missed most of fall practice and the first six games of the season in 2007 due to a broken left ankle. This year, the Hokies need Wang healthy from the start as he adjusts to the most important position on the offensive line.

If Wang is able to fill Brown's shoes at left tackle, Glennon will be kept upright more often and the Hokies pass game will be improved. However, if he can't adjust to his new role, the passing attack and the offense overall will be in big trouble.

2. Jr., Kam Chancellor, S

Hall, Adibi, Flowers and Ellis are all gone from last year's defense. New leaders need to be found and quickly or we might see a repeat of the matador defense the Hokies used in 2003 (Ole!). Chancellor needs to be the guy that steps up and guides the defense. He's also switching positions from rover to free safety and will need to make adjustments before the season. Chancellor broke out as a sophomore last year at rover and was one of the Hokies' hardest hitters.

Now at free safety, Chancellor will be quarterbacking the defense and I believe will lead the Hokies to another outstanding year on defense. He's bigger and faster than free safeties Tech has had in the past. However, he needs to take over this defense. His leadership skills will be vital to preventing a repeat of 2003's disaster.

3. Sr., Dustin Keys, K

Assuming Keys wins the position, the Hokies will need him to be clutch in 2008. This is the second consecutive season Tech has a new kicker. Last season, Jud Dunlevy beat out Keys and a host of others to win the job and performed admirably during the season.

We'll know Keys is doing a good job if we don't notice him. If we do notice him, that means he's missing kicks. That's not good for a team that I think will have a lot of close calls this year. With so many new players playing new positions this season, Tech will need as many points as they can get.

Is this the part where I'm supposed to make a pun about Keys being a key player in 2008? OK. Good.

4. So., Tyrod Taylor, QB

Here's all Tyrod needs to do in 2008:

1. Show up healthy in the fall and prove to Hokie fans and media he doesn't need to be redshirted.
2. Give Glennon a breather when he needs it or if he gets hurt (like in the FSU game last year).
3. When in the game, give opposing defenses a different look in strategic situations to keep them on their toes.

Nothing more. Nothing less. The kid doesn't need to be a world-beater yet. Next year, however...

5. Jr., Cordarrow Thompson, DT

"Taco" had a strong spring after dropping 30 pounds. The Hokies will need him to help anchor its rush defense since No. 1 defensive tackle John Graves has yet to show his potential at the position.

Thompson showed signs of being a solid player late in the season in 2007. He finished the season with four tackles, and a sack while being No. 5 on the depth chart.

Coaches are raving about Thompson's ability. The Hokies are very thin at defensive tackle, so they will need Thompson and Graves to have big years in the middle of the defensive line.

Coming Thursday: 5 Freshmen or Sophomores to Watch in 2008

5 Things I'm Worried About in 2008

Five areas that concern me heading into the 2008 season:

1. Rush Offense

Here's what I think about the running back situation: If Darren Evans leads the Hokies in rushing yards next season, they will have a good year. If Tyrod Taylor, Kenny Lewis or Jahre Cheeseman lead the Hokies in rushing next year, it means it was a down year.

Basically, I think one of the freshmen, be it Evans, Josh Oglesby or Ryan Williams, needs to be THE GUY in the backfield. Lewis is best as a situational back and I don't think Cheeseman has the skills to be a great ball carrier. But the untapped ability of the freshmen trio could be Tech's greatest asset in the backfield. One of them has to step up. However, I don't think it will happen until after the Western Kentucky game when the Hokies get into the teeth of their ACC schedule.

The coaching staff will likely give most of the early carries to Cheeseman and Lewis because they have more experience with the offense. It will be up to one of the other three to take carries away from Cheeseman and Lewis. The best bet is Evans, who has shown the ability to pass block, which is the best way on to the field with running backs coach Billy Hite.

For Tech to have a great year, one of the freshmen have to break through. And if Tyrod leads the team in rushing, it means the whole system was shot to hell.

2. Rush Defense

The Hokies lost two of their best linebackers in recent memory with the departures of Hall and Adibi. They are also not very deep at defensive tackle. In fact, the Hokies lost the top three on their depth chart at the position.

Tech faced a similar situation in 2003 and saw teams rush for ridiculous numbers against them that season. And most of those rushing yards came right up the gut.

The coaches are raving about sophomore Taco Thompson, who is likely to start and be No. 2 on the depth chart next year. However, even if he is as good as advertised, the Hokies have no depth at the position.

If the defensive tackles have trouble stopping the run, it means the Hokies are going to have to use more linebackers and safeties to help stop the run. That will leave them vulnerable to passes over the middle to backs and tight ends and to long bombs on the sideline to wide receivers facing man coverage.

3. Kicker

Senior Dustin Keys will likely win the kicking job. It will be the third kicker the Hokies have had in as many years. If Keys has the same year Jud Dunlevy had in his only year as the starting kicker last season, the Hokies will be fine. If he doesn't, we could see two or three kickers get their shot during the season.

4. Early Games

With the influx of new talent, there is likely to be some growing pains. The Hokies struggled to score points early in the season last year, but were still able to win the games they were supposed to win. They may not be this lucky this season because of how green the defense will be.

I'm worried about the ECU game because they Pirates are a solid team and its on a neutral field. If last year's ECU game had been played in Charlotte instead of Blacksburg, who knows how the game would have turned out.

The Hokies also have road games against up-and-coming UNC and Nebraska. The Huskers are trying to return to glory and their new head coach, Bo Pelini, did a number on the Hokies as the defensive coordinator at LSU last year. However, he had a lot more talent at LSU than he does at Nebraska.

Still, the road game will be a very tough test for the Hokies.

5. Keeping the QB Upright

Protecting the quarterback's blind side next year will be Ed Wang at left tackle. It's a new position for him. I think he's the best offensive lineman Tech has going into 2008, but there will likely still be a learning curve.

At the other tackle spot is Blake DeChristopher, who has never played in a college game.

Coming Wednesday: 5 Guys Who Need to Excel in 2008

5 Things I'm Not Worried About in 2008

Five areas where the Hokies will be fine going into the 2008 season:

1. Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

OMG! WTF! We lost four senior wide receivers from last year!

Get over it. Yes, Royal, Morgan, Hyman and Harper were very good. But they can be replaced pretty easily. The Hokies' offense doesn't need great wide receivers.

Having those receivers as threats on the outside does spread the defense and make the run game easier. But they aren't necessary for the offense to be productive. Where they come handy the most is in the red zone as possession receivers when the defense is trying to stop the run.

The Hokies appear to have found a go-to receiver in spring practice. Brandon Dillard showed great speed in the spring game and will probably be Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor's primary target in the fall.

What Tech needs to do now is fill certain roles. The Hokies need a possession receiver in the red zone, which looks like it could be Cory Holt. He made a nice catch in the back of the end zone for a touchdown in the spring game, but is still adjusting to the position.

With Macho Harris now as an option as and the possibility of using Ryan Williams on the outside just to get him playing time, the Hokies will be just fine at receiver.

And it's looking like Tech has another good tight end duo in Greg Boone and Sam Wheeler. Tech has a tradition of having good combos at tight end. Boone and Wheeler could be the best combo its had. Wheeler has having a great year before suffering a season-ending knee injury at Georgia Tech last year. Boone has improved steadily each year at tight end since switching from quarterback.

The passing game won't be a problem for the Hokies in 2008. Another reason for this is next on the list.

2. Quarterback

The two-quarterback system, when orchestrated properly, can do outstanding things. It helped win Florida a national championship in 2006 and did the same for LSU last year. I think the coaching staff needs to take a look at the game tape from the LSU game last year (as painful as that is) and take some tips on how the Tigers used Flynn and Perrilloux. Glennon and Taylor can be used the same way.

Glennon needs to be the starter and leader of the offense. Taylor needs to be used to show the defense a different look and give the offense versatility when it needs it. He can also help the running game.

3. Pass Defense

Despite the loss of Ellis, the Hokies are pretty deep at defense end. Again. Orion Martin stepped up last year and was an excellent complement to Ellis rushing the quarterback. He can also drop back in pass coverage and use his nearly 40-inch vertical to snag passes.

Jason Worilds set the message boards ablaze last year with his performance in fall practice. He'll probably be a starter next year and is ready to break out. Nekos Brown moved to defensive end last year and had a solid season.

With those three applying pressure and Harris and Kam Chancellor lurking in the defensive backfield, it won't be easy to be a quarterback against Virginia Tech next year. That's why rush defense will be so important. Forcing opponents into passing situations will be a quick way to force turnovers.

4. Field Position

Brent Bowden showed versatility as both a driver and a wedge last year. He was able to boom kicks and pin them close to the goal line.

Macho Harris looks to take over return duties for Royal this upcoming season and showed last year he has the ability to break one at any time.

5. Winning the Division

Tech could drop one or two games in the conference in 2008. But that shouldn't stop them from winning the division. Their primary opposition in the ACC Coastal is Miami. The Hurricanes are also very young and have a lot of good talent, but they are still building.

The rest of the division is very poor. Duke is a doormat, Georgia Tech is installing a new offense and has seen a lot of players transfer, UVa lost a lot of talent and UNC is getting closer. UNC could be the darkhorse, but needs to be better at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

If Tech beats Miami, it should win its division and be bound for Tampa and the ACCCG.

Coming Tuesday: Five Things I'm Worried About in 2008