My full ballot is after the jump. Here's a quick justification of the movers, shakers and frozen.

• Auburn - They derailed South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore and moved the ball on the ground with ease.
• Big 12 - Texas got pistol whipped by UCLA, while Nebraska and Oklahoma slept walked through games against South Dakota State and Cincinnati, respectively.
• LSU - They have an abundance of talent and should be ranked higher based on the strength of their wins, but they just look extremely disorganized and they're simply a mess offensively.
• Miami - As long as Miami's defense continues to smother their opponents Jacory Harris can get away with playing loose with the football. He needs to make better decisions.
• Arkansas, South Carolina - They both had chances to earn a statement win, but were doomed by late interceptions.

As always, if you believe I've committed any major errors tell me why below and I'll take it under consideration when I submit my final ballot.

I didn't think we'd win this game.

A lot of other Hokies didn't think we'd win this game, but, you know what?

Everybody in unison, "What Joe?"

We won the game.

Do you know what else? Something else magnificent that happened today?

Everybody in unison, "What Joe?"

BC didn't score a point against us.

So you know what? What we didn't hear today this afternoon?

Everybody in unison, "What Joe?"

So... Let's talk about BC.

Virginia Tech is to Boston College, as Maggie Simpson is to Baby Gerald.

I think that best sums up my feelings about Boston College.

Against Boise State and James Madison Jeron Gouveia-Winslow struggled to make plays at Whip linebacker. To counter ECU's Air Raid the Hokies abandoned their base 4-3 defense for most of the game and featured two new looks: the Nickel and 30. Both formations featured athletic freshman free safety Antone Exum. In the Nickel he replaced Gouveia-Winslow and in the 30 he was substituted in for a defensive lineman. Exum ended up playing marvelously in his first career start, grading out highest among defensive players. The question now is, what defense will we see on Saturday?

BCO's College Football TV Viewing Guide

Week 4 is upon us, and it's another good one. It's heavy on southern football teams with five of the six games featuring at least one team from below the Mason-Dixon Line. One game has my attention because of what might happen before it, as much as during it. I admit it, I would give my left nut to hear the titillating conversation between the Mad Hatter and Stewey when they speak at midfield before the game. I can only guess, but I think it would go something like this...

Well gol-ley Lyle, there's a lot of people here, haven't even had a battery thrown my way yet.

What pantywaist let's that shit happen? I'd beat some ass.

Extends fist for pound.

Blank stare. Lifts cap, wipes away sweat from forehead.

Hell if I know Lance? I wish eers standin' to my back would stop trying to throw them across the field. They keep hittin' my head.

Removes his cap, shows knots.

Damn! And I thought these drunk Cajuns were a handful. You must make a lot of bread to take that abuse.

Awkward silence...

I gotta say, I like how you managed your timeouts during that Marshall comeback. How'd you know when to call 'em?

Easy Lex, see Devine over there, he's got a couple of kids. We let 'em on the bench. Well... whenever I look over and see one gone, I call a timeout so we can go find 'em.

Deep thought for a split second.

Good idea, my kids get bored when we're on offense and...

A confused looking Gary Crowton bumbles over to interrupt the conversation.

Excuse me coach, I need help again.

Frantically flips though a thin playbook pointing at diagrams.

I can't remember what comes first: the one-yard up the gut, bubble screen for loss, or the botched pass where Jordan Jefferson runs for his life and gets sacked...

Shakes his head.

Damn it Gary, can't you see I'm talking strategics here? I told you, we run it up the middle twice, so they don't expect the pass on 3rd and long! Gotta go Stew.

K Lars...

Shakes Miles' hand.

I'm gunna go meet Tony the Tiger, see ya after the game.

Whistles while singing.

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog, We're splitting the scene, We're full of beans, hot dog, HOT DOG!^*

Ok, well, I don't think Gary Crowton would interrupt the two. He would just do rock paper scissors against himself to choose the play, like usual.

Let the games begin...

A little breaking news tonight. I caught up with RB David Wilson after practice to see how much better he’s feeling about life compared to this time last week, when he was saying he wished he had redshirted because of his lack of a role in the offense.

Wilson, unprompted, said the Hokies will be without star RB Ryan Williams – who injured a hamstring Saturday against East Carolina – this week at Boston College.

Williams did not practice today, standing on the sideline in a blue, no-contact jersey. Wilson thinks Darren Evans will start but he expects to also get a good number of carries against the Eagles.

I said this would be up bright and early this morning. I apologize, but I'm running a little behind.

Here's an interesting statistic from a completely unfair sample: we are currently 1-0 against teams we've mocked this year.

I never realized he was an extra on The Simpsons either.

My full ballot is after the jump. Here's a quick justification of the movers, shakers and frozen.

• Oregon - The Ducks are scoring the most and giving up the least points a game.
• West Virginia - Quarterback Geno Smith is polished and confident, but we'll see what happens in Death Valley this Saturday night.
• Arizona - The Wildcat's stingy defense held Iowa to 29 rushing yards.
• Michigan - It seems like for every bit good the offense is, the defense is equally bad.

As always, if you believe I've committed any major errors tell me why below and I'll take it under consideration when I submit my final ballot.

Shots of Lane Stadium from Saturday. Thanks to everyone who sent in pictures, keep 'em coming to @thekeyplay or thekeyplay [at] gmail [dot] com.

Skipper! via @hokietrooper

Worsham Field is looking gorgeous. via @hokietrooper

The Walk. via @hokietrooper

"The loneliest pirate in the boneyard." via @shawnelledge

via: VTJawo

We're 1-2, but I'll be damned if I don't feel better than Don Draper after winning a Clio. Winning football and bourbon will do that to a guy. How about them Hokies? I'm just ecstatic I don't have to write another post about losing. Here are some bourbon powered notes.

The badass drawing was done by Hokie alumnus Shannon Smith. After you're done reading here, get over to his blog there.

The last game that mattered this much was against the 'Canes in 2003. If you've been reading and following my writing here then 1) virtual high five 2) you know that's my all time favorite game. The buildup to the '03 season was very similar to this one. Everyone expected us to be in contention for the National Championship, because we showed some glimpses of excellence in '02, and, well, talent wise we were loaded. Things were looking promising until we sentenced hundreds of couches to death by gasoline and match on a Wednesday night in Morgantown.

But, it was supposed to be our year...

On Saturday the Hokies young defense will be tasked with stopping one of the most potent offensive schemes in the country, the Air Raid. First year ECU head coach and former Texas Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill hired colleague and former Texas Tech assistant offensive coach Lincoln Riley, an understudy to Mike Leach, as his offensive coordinator. ECU is averaging 481.5 yards of offense (18th nationally) and 50 points (7th nationally) over their first two games. Albeit, that high production has come against Tulsa (99th nationally total defense) and Memphis (112th) whose secondaries could be best described as porous. The high output still impresses me because it's inexperienced personnel doing the heavy lifting.

BCO's College Football TV Viewing Guide

Week 3 is here, and after Saturday night many teams will already be a quarter way through their season. This isn't 'Monster Saturday' on paper, but I am hoping it will be a redemption week for the ACC and compelling for viewers. The slight letdown in national games, coupled with the egg VT has laid to start the season has left me a bit unmotivated. I am not going to lie, I struggled to write this. Monday morning, I felt as if Bud Foster had chewed my ass out for 15 minutes but when Tuesday rolled around it's like he picked me up, told me it was going to be alright and guided me with a steady hand. You, the readers will get my best effort. I am pumped for the weekend, so let's get to the games!

From my holed up man cave, the games this week...

The fine folks at the Georgia Tech blog From The Rumble Seat are hosting this week's roundtable. In their words it's all about, "admitting that your team is flawed, accepting this fact, and moving forward". Expect a roundup of everyone's answers to be posted on their site tomorrow. I'll update here with a link when it drops.

1. Enough with the MVP's and the National Title Talk... What ACC teams are going to be bowl eligible by November Who will be left out in the cold?

Eligible:

In the middle of August camp David Wilson made it clear that he wanted to play in 2010. If he received significant playing time that is. By his own word, that meant 10 touches a game. He trained throughout the offseason like he was the lone starter, posting the team's top 40-yard dash time (4.29s tied with Rock Carmichael) and breaking the team power clean record for running backs (331 lbs). On August, 30th the Frankinator announced David would play.

We're planning to play David. Billy met with him yesterday and David has really been exceptional in our preseason and he brings another element back their at tailback and I think that he can help this football team be successful. He wants to do it. I think you need to get your best football players on the field, and he's one of them. In the preseason practices he's been outstanding in every scrimmage.

via: BeamerBlog

As fans the consensus opinion was not redshirting Wilson was the right move. Throwing everything we had at 2010 was bold, and Wilson would be another weapon in the arsenal used to conquer the opposition with. Before the first snap against Boise State we assumed the offense would be able to sustain drives, therefore increasing the number of plays and making it easier to spread one ball around. Unfortunately, so far this season nothing has gone to plan.

Bill Roth, "Jane in Wilmington says, 'Bill your show is censored like Communist China.'"

I'm not going to provide these notes every week, but after a disappointing start to the season I felt last night's show served as a Hokie State of the Union address. We all want to know, where do we go from here? And everyone who wanted to know what the coaches were saying and ought to have a chance to find out. These notes are of relevant football topics, not covered are new replay boards, flyovers, Hokies Respect, etc... I've also tried to cut out as much "coach speak" as possible.

Jim Weaver

They're just two North Cackalacky boys who do their thing. One runs sideline game on Saturdays the other spits it on the mike.

C'mon and raise up take your shirt off, twist it 'round yo' head, spin it like a helicopter.

Here's the cutout, go have some fun.

If you're wondering what's happening here, look here, then come back.

My full ballot is after the jump. Here's a quick justification of the movers, shakers and frozen.

• Alabama / Ohio State - They've got a firm grip on the top two spots after notching victories against quality non-conference opponents.
• Oklahoma - The Sooners pasted Florida State and will continue to move up my poll with decisive victories against respectable opponents.
• Oregon - 60 Points For (2nd), 6.5 Points Against (6th)–I like shiny things!
• Michigan - Denard Robinson for Heisman
• South Carolina - Stephen Garcia is less of liability with a strong defense and Marcus Lattimore to lean on.
• ACC - Vomit.

As always, if you believe I've committed any major errors tell me why below and I'll take it under consideration when I submit my final ballot.

Redshirt junior defensive tackle Kwamaine Battle will miss the rest of the 2010 season with a torn ACL. If you haven't noticed from watching the first two games, the defensive line has been struggling. Boise State was able to push the interior linemen off the ball and as a group they looked pitiful in the second half against JMU. Kwamaine is an experienced and serviceable lineman and losing him is a huge blow to a defense struggling to find an identity. The brothers Hopkins, Antoine and Derrick, are going to have to step it up starting this week against ECU.

via: @ry_hudson

0-2. We are not a good football team. After our loss to Boise State the Frankinator said he believed we would become a good football team, and that a team makes their biggest improvement from week one to week two. Well, there are only ten games left to turn this boat around bail the water off the deck and we played worse against JMU than Boise State. I'm not optimistic after what I saw today.