Really Florida State? You were a preseason top-5 team and you couldn't even beat UVA at home, in a night game? Here's a hint to all the recruits that don't read my blog: Just because you're talented out of high school, and pick a school that gets a lot of airtime on ESPN, doesn't just give you wins at this level. But I suppose it doesn't matter, because win or lose they'll still talk about your team, even though you haven't been relevant in a decade.
Rant over.
Really UVA? You won't just go away will you? It doesn't matter that you've been bitch slapped by your in-state rivals longer than FSU hasn't been relevant. Your biggest goal this year was to go to a bowl game, and now you're playing in the divisional championship. At home no less. With your momentum, this should be a guaranteed upset. I mean, who hasn't won when they were in this exact position in the past?
Oh that's right, you guys.
I would honestly be more afraid of the upset if this game didn't mean anything. If you were just another 4-7 team that we had nothing to gain from beating, I could see us taking one on the chin. But now you're playing in our league. We play for championships. We're the consistent team that has dominated this conference since the day we joined. When we're focused and ready, good luck stopping us with your handful of players whose parents might know their name, but no one else.
But for the sake of argument, we'll look at the keys for both teams.
Virginia Tech Wins If
1. Thomas the Tank Engine Keeps on Trucking
The Lieutenant has been almost unstoppable since the loss against Clemson in early October. A few bad passes against Duke has given him the only two interceptions he has thrown in the past six games. And don't get me started about his punishing running ability, because just like him, if I start I can't be stopped. If it is a short yardage situation, he should just be given a first down at this point. Last week, Logan himself said he would like if UVA beat FSU, so that this game would mean more. Part of that was being PC because he knows we play UVA and not FSU, but most of that is being a true competitor. Watch for big plays from the big guy all day long.
2. Get Pressure on Rocco
Earlier this year, UVA tried using a two-qb system due to a promise made by new coach Mike "Whatever It Takes to Get You Here" London. He promised true freshman David Watford playing time if he came to UVA, and was true to his word early on. Since he reneged on that promise, UVA has won four straight. Rocco has been solid, but he's far from perfect. Most of the passes are high percentage, which requires discipline and accountability from the front-7 on defense. Try to make Rocco force something, and let our secondary do their job.
3. Show Up
Now I don't mean that all they have to do is be on the field at game time and the game is over. And we're not one of the five best teams in the country right now. But there is a reason the Hokies are ranked that high. They're good. They do their job. And they don't lose often; especially in November, or on the road, or against UVA. With all things being fair, Virginia Tech should win this game the vast majority of the time they play it. The team's biggest problem this year is consistency for an entire four quarters. If they show up for at least three, but especially if it's for all four, then this should be a tune up to another ACC Championship.
Virginia Wins If
1. Unleash Fluffy
For those of you with a life, Fluffy is the name of the three-headed dog in Harry Potter. Today I am using it to refer to the tandem of running backs for UVA. The name just fit to me for some reason. Having a productive, power running game can help win lots of games. It helps control the clock, tires out the defense, maybe even frustrates them enough to make a dumb decision. The Hokies are no slouch against the run though. Whoever wins this battle up front will go a long way in determining the score at the end of the game.
2. Forces 4th Downs
UVA is very effective in stopping teams from converting 3rd downs. VT is very good at picking up 3rd downs, especially in short yardage situations. Third down is the biggest chance for momentum changes. Stay on the field and keep them tired. Come up short and you give them the ball back, or best case scenario settle for a field goal. 3rd down is also the perfect opportunity to have LT size someone up and run them over. Can't say I wouldn't enjoy watching him take down as many of their players as possible in his first of three matchups against this team.
3. Hell Freezes Over
There is this place that many people believe that you go to after death if you lived a bad life called Hell. This place is filled with all the evil, bad things you can imagine, and one of its motifs is it is very hot. I mean we're talking fire, lava, molten rock, the whole shebang. And even though I'm not a scientist, I have found that in life, heat always beats cold when the two lock horns. So this would make it very improbable that a place like hell could ever be overwhelmed by cold to the extent that the entire underworld could become encased in ice. We're talking about odds that look like 1 out of the digits of pi (you have to remove the decimal for this joke to make logical sense of course).
We are Virginia Tech, and beating UVA in football is what we do.
Score Prediction: Gobblers: 33 Pretenders: 21
H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!
Follow along on Twitter @UtProsimGobbler
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