Week 13 Predictions

Gimme Games
N/A

Upset Watch
VT over UVA
NCSU over Maryland
UNC over Duke
Miami over BC

50/50 Games
UGA over GT
SCAR over Clemson
Vandy over Wake
FSU over Florida

Game 12 Preview: Gotta Do Everything Our-Damn-Selves

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!!!

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Week 12 Predictions

After deciding to not play the 4th quarter, the Hokies still pulled out the victory on Thursday night. Now all that is left our favorite post-Thanksgiving dessert: beating the Wahoos the Saturday after Turkey Day.

How big that game will be this year will partially be determined by the outcome of their game today, so let's take a look at all the games across the conference this week.

Gimme Games

Notre Dame over Boston College

Upset Watch

VT over UNC

GT over Duke

FSU over UVA

Miami over USF

Clemson over NC State

50/50 Games

Wake Forest over Maryland

No upsets predicted this week, but one possible blowout. Notre Dame ends their mini-ACC tour with the Eagles, after already taking down the Deacs and Terps in consecutive weeks. If the Irish had scheduled Duke instead of Wake Forest (not that WF is a major step up in skill) they would have played the bottom 3 ACC teams this year, and are probably bragging about their dominance. Don't worry ND, all of us free thinkers know you're just posing to be the team and program that you once were. Have fun beating all the bottom feeders.

Now that the day of the game is here, let me say how happy I am we didn't lose to the Jackets, therefore making this game actually matter. I don't really see any way that the Devils pull this upset, although the combined score of both teams may be high. Without any chance of going to a bowl game this year, Duke may leave it all out on the field next week against their cross-town rivals, but today I don't see the emotion being there to win against a superior opponent.

Last year, USF beat in-state rival Miami to end the regular season, which was just one of many disappointing losses to the Canes. Technically Miami hasn't even reached bowl eligibility yet, but with the Bulls today, and the Eagles next week, it's probably just a matter of time. How crazy would it be if Miami wasn't even able to get to a bowl game this year. Lots of people are predicting no bowls for a few years after sanctions come down, but nobody thought it would be possible if they only had to win 6 games.

Clemson hasn't looked as dominant over the last handful of weeks, but they're still 9-1 and #7 in the BCS. This has trap game feel to it, as NC State hasn't looked great at all this year, sans UNC game, and top-15 SEC in-state rival is on the docket next week. After needing to rally to beat Maryland and Wake Forest, we'll find out how good of a gameday coach Dabo really is. If this team can come out and take care of business today, then we'll see if they'll be ready for the Cocks next weekend.

The big game of the weekend is of course the Hoos and the Noles. UVA needs the win to stay alive in the Coastal Division race, but the Noles have been playing as they were advertised preseason the past couple weeks. If this was a home game for Virginia, I would entertain the option of the upset. But regardless of what Zima is being consumed by their fanbase, we live in the real world. In that world it says that UVA has over-performed this year, and eventually reality will come crashing back down. Right now they have dreams of ACC Championship Games dancing in their head, but in 8 short days they could be just another 7-5 team going to a crappy bowl game.

Oh and Maryland loses again this week.

H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

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Game 11 Preview: Virtue Tech vs. UNCheat

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

Week 11 Thoughts

I don't know about the rest of you, but every year after the Georgia Tech game, win or lose, I feel like there is a huge weight lifted off the shoulders of the football team and us fans. They're the type of team, that no matter if you're more or less talented in a given year, they're going to be a problem. Their style of play requires more preparation than any other game you'll probably play, and once it's over, you're glad you can just forget about it for another year.

Having said that, I feel a lot better about our chances against them the next couple years at the very least. The Hokies played with probably the youngest and possibly smallest front seven that has ever beaten the Jackets, and should only get better from here. Jack Tyler gets the biggest shoutout from me, because while even though he had a dumb mental mistake early in the 3rd quarter, his ability to play against this type of defense with almost zero game experience shows how well focused and coached he and this team is.

As I said in my keys to the game for a Hokie victory, we didn't need a shutout, just enough stops to have the opportunity to capitalize on offense. That is exactly what happened. After giving up a touchdown on their first drive, we held them scoreless until a last second field goal to end the 2nd quarter, which seemed like a mental lapse not expecting them to come out firing with less than a minute on the clock. After giving up 13 more points to start the 3rd quarter, the defense once again buckled down, and didn't allow even a threat of a score from the Jackets. The big stand came on 3rd and 2, then 4th and 1, allowing the offense to raise the lead from one to eight.

As is usually the case, many were afraid of another lethargic showing from the offense. After getting into GT territory twice early, and having to punt both times, it looked like this may be another game where the coulda/shoulda/woulda would fill the message boards for how close we could have been to winning. Luckily after those two drives, the offense came out to one of its best showings of the season.

Another one of my keys regarding the offense was to spread the ball out to all its playmakers. David Wilson went buck wild for a career high in yards. Logan hit three different receivers for touchdowns. DJ Coles came up with a big catch on a 3rd and long, which was long because of a false start on him on 3rd and medium. Even Oglesby had his moments in relief of DW to help move the chains. And of course The Lieutenant was an unstoppable force anytime he wanted to go forward.

Next on the docket we have the Tar Heels of UNCheat, with what should be a hyped, albeit freezing cold, home crowd on Thursday. Last time the Heels visited, also on a Thursday night, we were upset in a game I'll never forget having to leave. I'm a huge hater of the Tar Heels, and not only had I invited a UNC friend of mine, but I was also living in Chapel Hill at the time. Luckily I moved down to Florida two weeks later, so I didn't have to put up with any crap for too long.

Across the ACC


I suppose we should start with Clemson this week as they're the first team to punch their ticket to Charlotte. After giving up 21 straight 3rd quarter points to go down by two touchdowns to Wake Forest, the Tigers settled down, and with a little bit of help from the refs, kicked a game winning field goal as time expired. It's still unknown if the ACC will get its dream matchup of two 11-1, top-10 teams, but Clemson and their fans being at the ACCCG is probably best case scenario from a selling point. A Clemson/VT matchup, regardless of records and rankings, will be a rocking time in Charlotte.

The only team at this point who can break up what will probably be the best ACCCG game in history, is UVA. After putting away Duke late (really Duke, how many dropped passes can you have in one game when that's supposed to be your only strength?) the Wahoos are still in control of their own destiny in their division. If they can upset the Noles on the road this weekend, then the Commonwealth Cup won't be the only thing on the line the Saturday after Thanksgiving. That's asking a lot, but you never know in this conference.

Boston College and NC State played about as boring a game as you would expect from those two. The Pack had many opportunities to try and win with a late touchdown, but the Boston College defense did a remarkable job at playing for pride in front of the home crowd, and walked away the victory. Many people will talk about FSU being the most disappointing team in the conference this year because of their pre-season ranking, but if you go by fanbase feelings at the end of the year, I think NCSU would get my vote for this "honor". The lone highlight for them this year was shutting out rival UNC, but besides that, there isn't much for them to be happy about this year.

FSU and Miami had a pretty entertaining game that was ruined by the worst reffing job of the day in the ACC, which is saying A LOT. Even though neither team was playing for anything except what mid-tier bowl they'll be going to, the players appeared to be playing for a lot more. There were hard hits, lots of trash talking, and some pretty good plays throughout the game. FSU winning never seemed in doubt, but Miami got it close enough to keep the game on my main tv until the very end. I'm a big fan of that matchup being an opening season game, because you can only imagine how much better the game could have been if there was something to play for.

And Maryland played and lost.


Week 11 Predictions: 5-1
November Predictions: 8-3
October Predictions: 24-7
September Predictions: 31-8
Overall Year-Long Predictions: 63-18


H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

Follow along on Twitter @UtProsimGobbler

Week 11 Predictions

Not to take away too much from my future "Weekly Thoughts" article, but damn what a fine game our Hokies played Thursday night. It was a moment for them to step up and defend their reputation in the conference and they did just that. It's a beautiful thing to watch these Hokies in November.

And now that we get another free Saturday to sit back and watch the rest of the country battle it out, let's take a look at what the ACC has in store for us this week. While there are technically only four teams left who can contended for a spot in Charlotte, and possibly only three after today, these are the weeks we'll see who has the pride to compete for a better bowl game.

Once again, the games will be broken up into probable blow outs, potential upset alerts, and games too close to call.

Gimme Games
Notre Dame over Maryland

Upset Watch
Clemson over Wake Forest
NC State over Boston College

50/50 Games
FSU over Miami
UVA over Duke
VT over GT

While I try to watch every ACC game I can, I can probably skip the Terps this week. Notre Dame isn't to the elite level most of their fan base and Lou Holtz always believe they are, but Maryland couldn't beat themselves in a scrimmage right now. Since there isn't much I can say interesting about the actual game, I'll take this time to say congrats to Frank Beamer on his tying and eventual passing of Lou Holtz on the all-time wins list. I doubt The Frankinator will go into broadcasting when he retires, but at least we would understand what he was saying if he did.

The only game this week that has any bearing on who goes to the ACCCG will be the Atlantic Division matchup between the Deacs and Tigers. If Clemson wins they secure their spot in Charlotte, while the Deacs could put themselves in a great position if they can pull of the epic upset. Wake Forest has shown they can take down a team with superior talent when they beat FSU earlier this year, but Clemson will be looking to avenge their only loss of the season. Say what you will about Dabo, and I agree I don't think he is one of the elite coaches in D-1 ball, but he'll at least make sure his players head are on straight.

And the award for the conference game with least appeal outside their fanbases goes to the Pack and Eagles. First off I don't think Boston College actually has enough fans to make up a whole base of them, and NCSU still hasn't figured out that they're the little brother of the Triangle that nobody notices unless they're playing one of their big bros. State gets bowl eligible with the win, and should barring a turnover and penalty plagued game.

I'll be honest about something. We've been used to seeing the college football season start with the Sunshine State rivalry (is there an actual name for this game? I mean besides Wide Right?), and since that wasn't the case this year, and since once again neither team can win their division, I completely forgot this game was being played. Both teams annually get two of the top recruiting classes nationally, so this game could be an amazing watch if they both show up for bragging rights. FSU gets the slight edge from me in talent, and a much bigger edge in terms of team mentality. I'm not sure what it will take for Miami diehards and players to realize that swagger left town once Ohio State walked away with the crystal ball, but losing to UVA two seasons in a row should have been the final slap in the face to knock them back to reality.

I realized as I started to talk about this last game that earlier I said there was only one game determining who goes to Charlotte. Then I remembered UVA is still technically in it. I could have gone back and edited my previous paragraph, but UVA is only in it based on a world of math and not reality. Duke has been the biggest thorn in the Cavs' side the past few seasons, and another loss to them would all but put the finishing move on their divisonal championship dreams. Of course I have picked UVA to win this game if you paid attention earlier, but that was just playing the odds. The truth is I see UVA winning this game, their fans getting hyped about FINALLY beating the Devils, and then FSU just kicking the sh*t out of them next weekend. It is impressive what UVA has done this year, but only based on what the expectations were.

H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

Follow along on Twitter @UtProsimGobbler

Game 10 Preview: De Facto Divisional Decider

In a divisional alignment that was intended to showcase many FSU vs Miami conference championship games, the Coastal Division has been dominated by the Techs. Not only that, but the division representative has always been the winner of the matchup between these two schools. Here is how it has broken down since the conference expanded in 2004:

  2004: #22 VT: 34  GT: 20; Virginia Tech wins ACC (no divisions/championship game)

  2005: #4 VT: 51  GT: 7; Virginia Tech loses to FSU in ACC Championship

  2006: #11 VT: 27  GT: 38; Georgia Tech loses to Wake Forest in ACC Championship

  2007: #11 VT: 27  GT: 3; Virginia Tech beats Boston College in ACC Championship

*2008: VT: 20  GT: 17; Virginia Tech beats Boston College in ACC Championship

*2009: #4 VT: 23  #19 GT: 28; Georgia Tech beats Clemson in ACC Championship

*2010: #20 VT: 28  GT: 21; Virginia Tech beats FSU in ACC Championship

*indicates Paul Johnson/Triple Option era

While this streak is rather impressive, it has also led to the conference champion the past four seasons; GT technically didn't win it in 2009 due to NCAA infractions, but that doesn't matter for the point being made here.

If Georgia Tech wins on Thursday, all they need to do to get to Charlotte is beat Duke, and have UVA lose one of their last three games against either Duke, FSU, or VT; very likely.

If Virginia Tech wins on Thursday, all they need to do is beat UVA, or beat UNC with UVA losing to either Duke or FSU; also likely.

But the one common denominator for both teams is to win Thursday night in ATL. Here are the keys for both teams in reaching that goal.

Georgia Tech Wins If

1) Control the clock with long, sustained drives.

Both the Gobblers and Bumblebees are towards the top of the national rankings when it comes to Time of Possession. Something will have to give for this game. GT's bread and butter is to cause their opponents' "death by a thousand cuts". They will gladly, especially with a lead in the second half, keep running their option plays that will get at least 4-5 yards a play, never having to throw, and always picking up a first down. More often than not it will get them points, tire out the defense, and eat up a bunch of clock.

2) Keep the Hokie O from getting in a rhythm

Al Groh has been the butt of jokes from the VT faithful for his inability to beat and compete with the Hokies in almost all facets of the game during his last years at rival UVA. Last season he became the DC at GT and brought his patented 3-4 defense with him. Last year a defense that was struggling up to that point did a good job at holding the Hokie offense to just 21 points (not counting DW's kickoff return). This year the defense isn't stellar by any means, but Groh's knowledge of VT tendencies and our own inconsistency could lead to another long (or short if we're going by drive length) night for the Gobblers.

3) Keep the ball away from/contain David Wilson

The GT defense isn't great, and their run defense is a big part of that. In the games the Hokies have struggled on offense, it has been due to getting away from the run too much. If GT comes up with a gameplan to contain DW when he gets the ball in the backfield, and makes sure to kick away from him on kickoffs, it will take a lot of pressure off of them. While this team is capable of spreading the ball to a number of receivers and putting up a lot of passing yards, I'm sure the Yellow Jackets would rather take their chances with that than the guy who beat them in the 4th quarter last year.

Virginia Tech Wins If

1) Comes out aggressive from the opening kick

The last time these two teams met in ATL, Virginia Tech looked like they should easily win by putting up huge numbers against a poor statistical defense, but only had 3 points at halftime. Then in the second half the GT offense kept a tired defense on the field, and didn't allow enough possessions for a Hokie comeback. The same might have been said about the game last year had Nesbitt not been injured resulting in a stagnant second half offense. The key to beating this offensive style is to force them to pass the ball by forcing them to play from behind.

2) A young and undersized defense stepping up

As Chris Coleman of TechSideline pointed out in his preview article, the starting front 7 for the Hokie D are all r-sophomores or younger. They are also much smaller than you would like for those 7 to be in order to get between the gaps. Hopefully what they lack in size is made up for in speed. Some size was lost due to injury to Hopkins, and some speed was lost also to injury to Tweedy. These are the kind of games where young players can make a name for themselves by stepping up and filling in roles some may think they can't. We're not asking for a shutout, just enough stops to give the offense a chance to score more.

3) Get the ball to their many playmakers

While David Wilson might be the best player to knife through the GT defense, he isn't the only one who can hurt them. The 3-4 defense has in the past given the Hokies problems, but this team has played enough 3-4 defenses this year to know what they can and can't do against it. Hopefully the gameplan starts with a lot of David Wilson, but whether or not that is effective, there needs to be a healthy dose of read option, and getting the ball to our plethora of receivers. It is unlikely that this will be a game where both teams will score less than 2-3 touchdowns, and the mindset for the coaches and players should be to give themselves the best chance to score as often as possible.

While the allure of Virginia Tech on a Thursday night game has gone down over the past few seasons, this game is one that will be great to have in primetime in front of a national audience. It is essentially a play-in game to the conference championship, and should be a great game to watch for everyone (not counting the fans of the team who ends up losing).

There are a couple other intangibles in the Hokies favor. Virginia Tech is 24-2 in the month of November since joining the ACC. Both of those losses came to Miami. The Gobblers also have an 11 game win streak on the road. Only five other teams, for a total of six times, have had a streak of 12 or more since 1995. This is a good program both on the road, and late in the year when wins matter. On paper it looks like our depleted defense may be the difference in who wins this game, but as always, In Beamer We Trust.

Score Prediction: Gobblers 31  Bumblebees 28

H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

Follow along on Twitter @UtProsimGobbler

Week 10 Predictions

First "Bye Week" for the Hokies, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Not only are we about to play the most important game of the season thus far, but until the post season rolls around, be it ACC Championship and/or bowl game, it will be the most important game of the season. The winner of the "Battle of the Techs" has gone on to represent the Coastal Division every year, and it's about 99% certain that the same will be the case this year.

But that game isn't for another week, so I don't want to peak my excitement too soon. I never wrote down any thoughts after the Duke game, but I guess I'll just chalk it up to the same lethargic energy that the Hokies showcased on Saturday. Maybe there has been something in the water on the east coast. I could yell about how closely they were playing with fire, or I could try to spin it into an overly optimistic cover-up. My honest opinion though is it was a trap game that also came at the end of eight straight weeks of play. Then the team played to that script perfectly. That's my grand analysis. Moving on.

Gimme Games
None

Upset Watch
FSU over Boston College
Maryland over UVA
UNC over NC State
Miami over Duke
Notre Dame over Wake Forest

50/50 Games
None

If Florida State plays like they did a week ago, this could be one of those Thursday night games ESPN wish they hadn't scheduled so far in advance. Of course it isn't ESPN's fault that Boston College has been cursed with more injuries, and therefore losses, than most teams in the country. Just because it isn't ESPN's fault though, that won't help pick up the ratings. After last week however, and the fact that this is still the ACC, anything can happen.

Maryland might be my vote for biggest disappointment in the conference this year. I've said it before, and perhaps had they not upset Miami in Week 1 I wouldn't feel the same, but I don't understand what has happened to the Terps since then. And while we're on the topic of disappointments, let's talk about UVA after big wins. Last year it was the downfall after the Miami win, then this year it was the loss following a GT upset. Until they prove they can win consistently, I'm picking against the Hoos after a big win.

UNC and NC State might be the game of the week in the conference, which is part me being a homer for my home state (even though I don't care about either team) and partly because there are no great games in the ACC this week. Ever since UNC thought they would be as relevant in football as they are in basketball with the hiring of Butch Davis, the Pack has won every year. We'll see if that trend can continue or not this Saturday.

Both Duke and Miami are coming off disappointing losses, but for different reasons. Duke wanted to get that big win to define where the program wants to go. Miami didn't want to lose to a team like UVA for the second straight year, on their home field, in front of a national audience. And they thought the Shapiro mess was embarrassing. Miami should win this one easily with talent, but Duke has the desire that a team with too much talent sometimes lacks. It wouldn't be as big as taking down the Hokies would have been, but a win against "Da U" would be a good win for this team.

How many people are going to watch the thriller that will be Wake Forest against Notre Dame this Saturday at 8? Anyone who said yes to that is a liar. In fact the only reason I would believe an Irish fan who said yes is because of how far their heads are up their own asses still thinking they're a relevant program. After all the hype that is being created over the LSU/Bama matchup, that game can only come up short of expectations, but it will still be more enthralling than any scenario that can play out between the Deacs and Irish. Not to mention the fact that even if the "Game of the Century" is lacking, there will be another top-15 matchup, and a top-10 game being played as well. Even though no one will see or care, it would make me ecstatic if the Deacs can pull of the upset.

H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

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