In my very first article that I wrote for this blog, I discussed the seemingly rampant pattern of cheating that had taken place at a triage of schools in the ACC. Not to say that it was Virginia Tech's fault, but it was the three teams in their division that are most likely to compete for their spot in the ACC Championship game year in and year out.
Georgia Tech did something nobody is going to remember, and won a conference championship. Miami did it with their usual South Beach style, receiving a lot of air time on all the sports talk shows when the news hit, but nothing in the win column. UNC also has nothing to show for their sins, but their program has been deemed not relevant enough to warrant any real national exposure, even though it's easily the worst, or at least most widespread problem we've seen at any of the college scandals in the past few decades.
It wasn't just players taking benefits. Nor was it only rogue coaches doing things (or kids) that they shouldn't have been. Academic integrity, or lack thereof, was only a small percentage of their crimes on Santa's Naughty List. This was clearly a program and institution who thought they were important enough, or just untouchable with one of their own running the conference, to feel that they could bend the rules in every area of the game and get away with it. And for this, and not just my own personal disdain, I hope that the NCAA punishes them accordingly, and not just to the level that they feel will be acceptable by the general public who doesn't really care.
Now that I've got all that off my chest, I suppose I should talk about the game.
UNC Wins If
1. Defense steps up
Running against this defense has been a chore for many teams this season. They barely give up a field's length worth of yards on the ground a game, but they're going up against the leading rusher in the league. If they can shut down Option A for the Hokies, and make them one dimensional, it won't guarantee anything, but it will make things easier for them. The Hokies have also shown that they can be inconsistent on offense, so if they get stopped early, it will help the Heels' ability to keep the game and momentum on their side.
2. Offensive Balance
Normally when you speak of a typical UNC team, offense is usually average at best. This year is no different, but they do have two capable young players who can go off at any game. QB Bryn Renner and RB Giovani Bernard have shown they can individually frustrate defenses if they get going early. Renner has one of the best completion percentages in the league, while Bernard has a great combination of size and speed. It seems like a given the Hokie D will dominate this pedestrian offense, but we thought the same thing last time they were in Blacksburg.
3. Win the Turnover Battle
This sounds obvious, and one of the keys for almost any game, but here is the importance in this matchup. Renner does have a high completion rate, but he also has a number of interceptions thrown. He has been pressured a high number of times this season, and when that happens there is usually a sack or a pick. On the other side of this, the Hokies have also had their problem with INTs when their young QB is pressured. David Wilson, who wanted to not have any fumbles all year, has had his moments of butterfingers this year. Which side takes care of the ball better will go a long way in determining the outcome, especially if the Heels have more takeaways than giveaways.
Virginia Tech Wins If
1. Keep the Defense Rested
As I mentioned earlier, the Tar Heels have a hard time when their QB doesn't have a lot of time to make smart decisions. In the past five games, he has been sacked 14 times. And of course sometimes a "hurry up" is better than a sack when it's a team that has problems with giving the other team the ball. As long as there aren't a number of long drives, this team has the speed and ability on defense to frustrate any offense this side of the Mississippi.
2. Don't Look Ahead
Even though every coach and player will tell you all the right things in interviews, everyone knows that winning this game doesn't matter as far as winning the division goes. They can possibly clinch the division with a win, but regardless of any of the possible outcomes between this and the FSU/UVA game, all it takes is a win in Charlottesville to get back to Charlotte. The last time this team was in a similar situation at Duke, they fell into the classic trap game mentality. This game should be different, as it is at home, Senior Night, and a slight revenge game from two years ago. Also if we want to take this further than just looking ahead to next week, the players should know that if we're looking ahead to every season in the foreseeable future, if they want orange jerseys/uniforms to be a possibility under Beamer ever again, they cannot lose in tomorrow's apparel.
3. Home Crowd A Factor
Thursday night is going to be a cold one in Blacksburg. Sometimes it is hard for most people to get jacked up for a 6-4 opponent in this type of weather. What needs to pointed out though is that UNC is only 1-3 on the road this year. I'm sure no one on their team will say it was because they were on the road, but they're 5-1 at home, so it has to be a factor to some degree. More importantly than just the opponent, is the fact it is the last home game of the year. Most of us obsess over this team year round, and those nine months of the offseason makes us really appreciate those 6-7 games a year we're at home. Sometimes we forget about that on a cold night in November against a middle-of-the-pack conference team.
But something we should never forget is that for a handful of these players, it will be the last game they ever play at Lane Stadium, and possibly anywhere. They have given up most of their time, their bodies, their youth, and much more to this sport and this program, so that those of us who sit on couches, or behind computer screens nit-picking everything they do, can go out with a smile on our face the next day because they won a game. They deserve a lot, and while some of them will receive a paycheck at the next level for an undetermined amount of time, the least they deserve is our respect and appreciation. If you are one of the lucky 66,233 people who can attend this game in person, you need to be there early and late to show these young mean what they mean to all of us, win or lose.
But neither they nor I am planning on losing.
Score Prediction: Gobblers 31 Cheaters 14
H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!
Follow along on Twitter @UtProsimGobbler
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