Hokie Tracks are Talking about the Sugar Bowl and Michigan.

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Hokies going to New Orleans, we're still trying to finalize the details of the Unofficial Sugar Bowl Meetup (unofficial because the BCO can't make it). Please leave a note on that thread if you're planning to stop by and say hello, and if you're assertive enough leave a suggestion of where it should happen.

Regarding our traveling rep, Tech has been allotted 17,500 tickets. On Tuesday the athletic department announced Hokie Club members and season ticket holders had purchased 5,000 tickets. Yesterday @VT_Foootball Tweeted, "students purchased over 1,200 tickets in the first hour to the Sugar Bowl". The general public will be able to buy tickets starting Monday at noon. If we don't sellout our allotment, expect more backlash from the mainstream media.

For those of you watching at home, ESPN announced Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe will be calling the game. Todd's Taste of the Town will no doubt leave him cringing in the fetal position; all that roux will clog up the intestines like lard down a drain pipe.

Michigan Men are here, and are answering questions you have about their football and hatred of Ohio. Please to take advantage of their hospitality as they're extremely knowledgeable fans.

Because of a Saturday death by fall wedding I only saw the first half of Michigan–Michigan State. It was 7-7 going into intermission and I was surprised Sparty ended up winning 28-14. Collapsing in the second half, who does that remind you of? Anyways, the Sugar Bowl matchup motivated me to find out what happened.

Chris Gaerig at Burgeoning Wolverine Star said State did a fantastic job of focusing on, and taking advantage of Michigan's weaknesses.

Michigan's weaknesses are not the same as my brother's--he understands statistics, so he knows better than to punt from the opponent's 36 yard line on fourth and four. Michigan State plays like a little brother, though. For the last several years, more than any other opponent, they've identified and exploited Michigan's weaknesses en route to commanding victories. Michigan's linebackers and defensive ends struggle with contain? They run almost exclusively outside of the tackles (even with two mediocre-to-bad offensive tackles). Denard Robinson struggles throwing under pressure? Bring heat constantly. Michigan runs well but struggles throwing the deep ball, even with man coverage and no safety help? Load the box.

You would think that Al Borges and Greg Mattison would change tendencies. How many times does an opponent have to blitz before Borges calls that throwback screen to Smith? How many times can Michigan State run outside the tackles before you bring a safety/cornerback blitz off the edge? In this game, unfortunately, either arrogance, ignorance, or just befuddlement caused Michigan's coordinators to spend most of the afternoon slamming their head against a brick wall and hoping that eventually, it would crumble. It didn't, of course, because the brick wall was made of brick and your head is made of squishy tissue that, if this were Rock-Head-Brick Wall, would lose to brick wall. (Head would also lose to rock for what it's worth. It doesn't seem like a very balanced game.)

Brian at MGoBlog analyzed the entire game, and provided a more detailed review at the play-by-play level (offense, defense). In summary, Denard threw a lot of uncatchable balls (that's something to keep an eye on in our game, he's a terrific runner and improviser, but isn't a polished passer), the offensive line couldn't pick up the blitz, the secondary had trouble making tackles and as eluded to above, they got out-coached.

Then there's this from The Hoover Street Rag.

Fat and raging through powder like a snow blower, hell of a head coach right there.

Who knows what exactly they're east of now, but the Big East announced their expansion plans yesterday.

Boise State, San Diego State, Houston, SMU and UCF will join the Big East Conference in 2013, sources told CBSSports.com.
...

Boise State and San Diego State will join the Big East as football-only members, while Houston, SMU and UCF will join as all-sport members. Boise State is expected to put its non-football sports in the WAC, while San Diego State would place its non-football sports in the Big West, sources told CBSSports.com.

With West Virginia dead set on joining the Big 12 in 2012, and the Big East looking stable for the foreseeable future, there's a chance Pitt and 'Cuse lobby and pay their way into the ACC for 2012. Relevant to us, Swofford said the Atlantic and Coastal will likely remain in place. Yay! We won't be stuck in some northern, Big East reunion division.

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