If there has been one regular intra-conference thorn that has been recently lodged in VT’s O&M side; clearly that team would be the Boston College Eagles from up on Chestnut Hill Massachusetts.

B.C. is 3-2 vs. our beloved Hokies in our last five games.

They have stymied us with 2 human battering rams inside on defense and with improved speed and athleticism behind that in the Flying Eagle hind-7 as a stop-unit goes.

The B.C. offense has been just good enough.  Thanks more often than not to moving the ball through the air with the bare minimum rushing yards on the ground to keep Bud Foster’s defense honest.

That caveat typed; gone are the Flying Eagles who have messed around with Virginia Tech every year since 2005. The only question is how high can Boston College now soar with more than just a few superstar departures in the last two years? Read the rest of this entry »

If you are truly a man among men; this is your upset pick of the year.

Well … that is if you are correct.

“Could Duke upset us?” Yes Sir.
“Is that likely to happen? “No Sir; but each year Duke has a better and better shot.
“Why?” You ask.
Because the Dukies are catching us in a the perfect let-down trap game right after our Big-3 September.

That and the fact that Duke should be 3-1 when they play us; with an outside look at 4-o. Then there is the little appreciated fact that Duke has the best Head Coach in the ACC that most can not name sans a little Google help. (click me to find out) Read the rest of this entry »

How good are the Miami of Florida Hurricanes these days?

What is wrong down in Coral Gables? Because the well fabled “U” is not supposed to average 6.3 wins over any three year period –as they have since 2005. On top of that they have not beaten arch rival Florida State in as many years as well.

Miami has fallen; but the real question to me is can embattled Head Coach Randy Shannon get them up? It sure looks like Miami has the talent (on paper) to win at least 8-9 game every single year. So what gives and what caliber of a ‘Cane football team should you expect to roll into Lane Stadium to close out our 2009 September run of 3 very good teams out of the first 4 we play??? Read the rest of this entry »

Big Red!

No. Not the chewing gum.

The football factory otherwise known as the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  Perennial conference contender and MNC threat of some magnitude or another. That said, NEB has experienced an ugly and extremely unusual sub .500 record in 2 of the previous 4 years prior to Bo Pelini’s arrival in Lincoln. For some schools that’s no bad run. However, for a long standing football factory that was entirely unacceptable. Last year NEB notched 9 wins and ended the year on a high note beating ACC brethren Klempson in the Gator Bowl. Props on that!

But is Nebraska fully back; and if the RATT answer is “no Sir”, just how far does Big Red have left to go??? Read the rest of this entry »

1 helluva a seasonal kick-off vs. a Top-8 team with MNC aspirations of it’s own.

Then 1 home opener that is at least a D-1 school; though this is a game that we really should win.

Then 2 games vs. 2 big-name D-1 teams that have only combined to win 55 conference and 9 national championships in the history of college football.

So………lets take a pocket guide sized look to some pros and cons of each game and set the very first pre-season odds on who will win the first two September Hokie football games here in September Part I. Read the rest of this entry »

“The best blocking back we’ll ever face.” - Alabama Coach Paul Bear Bryant-

“I will always remember Fitzgerald running that trap up the middle. He killed everybody with it.” - Bobby Bowden Florida State-

The Incredible Hulk.

The Mick.

Fitz’.

This guy was a 6`2“ 255 lb. Chicago Maroon Brahma-bull that nobody managed to olé. A total beast wearing #88 stampeding anyone brave or perhaps insane enough to get in his way. Mickey Fitzgerald was a helluva a true old-school Fullback (Fb). But the man that is Mr. Fitzgerald and what he has done post-VT and football participation might just impress you all the more. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll present three arguments here.

I’ll back all three up.

Take you time, slow down in your consideration of all three. Be realistic all the time (RATT); and see where that takes you.

Then you will vote to decide which one holds the most O&M stroke. All three have simultaneously compelling and competing merits, and the first two of the three are a bit more objective.  So bear that in mind as the first two represent a complete set of results that have been published in the O&M history books. Whereas the one behind the proverbial door number three is a bit more subjective or speculative if you will. It tis the real live difference between retrospect and prospect in any debate.

That caveat typed … has VT football peaked? Or is the best yet to come??? Read the rest of this entry »

In the last few recruiting classes, the Hokies have done an outstanding job stockpiling offensive talent, with one exception: quarterback, the position that matters most. In the space of just a few hours yesterday, Tech did something they haven’t done in years: secure commitments from multiple QBs high on their target board.

In 2001 the Hokies signed Bryan Randall, and in 2002 they landed Marcus Vick. Both of those players were highly rated QBs, sought after by many, and they had successful careers on the field. A stroll through TSL’s Past Recruiting Classes page reveals an alarming lack of quarterback signees, and many of those signees were never really slated to play QB at Tech.

Read the rest of this entry »

Sure, VT Spring Football 2009 is the big story, and we’ll get to that this week with some features closing out the big stories of the spring. But I wanted to jot down some quick notes on the draft yesterday, both Hokie-related and non-Hokie-related. I’m not a draftnik, so don’t expect jaw-dropping revelations, but here’s a couple things that caught my attention.

The Hokies’ only draft choice, of course, was Macho Harris, who was selected in the fifth round by the Eagles (anti-Philly fans, insert your groans here). You’ve probably already heard that’s the lowest number of Hokie draft choices since 1993, when no Tech players were selected, but I prefer to think of it this way: It’s the lowest number of draft choices in the Beamer Bowl era of 1993 to the present.

Read the rest of this entry »

In a move that surprised no one, Virginia’s top recruit in the class of 2010, Phillip Sims, verbally committed to Alabama on Wednesday. Sims is one of the top five quarterback prospects in the nation, and could end up being #1 before it’s all said and done. He’s the latest in a line of highly-touted quarterbacks from Virginia who are headed out of state.

Read the rest of this entry »