I'm going to play the optimist card here and say that the guys are just beat up, and that's why Saturday's game was so ugly and flat.

I will give credit to the defense, though. Duke isn't exactly Georgia Tech or Clemson, but they mostly did a fine job.

Overall, I thought the guys played well here and there. Some of the third down calls blew my mind. Are we not trying to keep drives alive?

The few extra days of rest couldn't be coming at a better time. Everyone better buckle up for next Thursday...

I'll be honest, I had to watch this game in parts, and I had a better time trying to figure out why Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries filed for divorce.

Note: My game feed dropped out between Martin's touchdown and Whitley's personal foul.

1. Antone Exum - Quiet most of the afternoon, except when he absolutely leveled one of the Duke receivers on the sideline. It should be noted that I saw him blanketing his assignment multiple times.

2. Josh Oglesby - Who would have thought his touchdown would be the game winner? He knows how to run tough.

3. Logan Thomas - Well, he certainly threw a lot of interceptions. I thought he was actually OK otherwise, but the first pick was just brutal. These last few games are a good time to start giving him more carries, right? By the way, very nice tackle on his first pick.

My full poll is after the jump. As always I need you guys to keep me in check. So leave your opinions, thoughts and suggestions in the comments and I'll adjust the poll as necessary.

• My Top Spot - Here's a spoiler, in all likelihood Boise State will not jump a one loss SEC team or Oklahoma. And it's LSU-Alabama week, we can finally crown the national champion.
• Houston - The 'Coug is probably way too high, but I'd be lying if I said 70 points didn't turn me on.
• The one loss teams - For the most part, they all played horrible. Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Penn State and South Carolina all struggled to defeat inferior competition.
• Wisconsin - It's "All Russel Everything" (but only against really bad teams).
• Georgia Tech - Y U NO CONSISTENT?

The Key Play: Week 9

Let's start by getting all the pleasantries out of the way. We won. A tick on the left side of the column is all that matters. Boykin and Coale had another stellar game. We're going to reminisce about this duo at tailgates for a long time to come. Anytime we recruit another little known two-star receiver you better believe people are going to say, "kid could be another Coale."

After every game I realize how important Cris Hill is to this team. I give a lot of well deserved credit to Kyle Fuller for being able to step in and play Whip/Nickel, but without Hill filling in for him strongly at corner that'd never be possible. He had another 6 tackles and held his ground all afternoon in coverage.

If that game itself was the trick, then David Wilson was the treat. YEAH BAD HALLOWEEN PUNS FOR EVERYONE. Believe me there are runs when I'm screaming for him just to take the couple of yards that are there, instead of shooting for the moon. But afterwords when I take a look at his entire body of work I appreciate his aggressive and ambitious running style and the numbers and points he puts up. Also, credit to Josh O for doing work and putting up six in relief of Wilson. That was a tremendous cutback on his 31-yard run.

"Just like basketball."

*clap, clap, clap*

I think Lester is trying to get arrested by the fashion police. We're wearing maroon helmets, white jerseys and orange pants. The first time we've done so since a 1994 win against ECU.

The chat console is after the jump.

via @virginia_tech

Is the Frankinator consulting with comedian Bill Cosby about the kicking game and how to proceed under the hypothetical situation that Cody Journell can't play? I don't know, you tell me!

You seeeeeeeeee, the Myer has, to, kick, the ball more consistently. It pewwwwwwwwwwwww goes the distance, just doesn't always split the bars.

When asked about how his chat with Cosby went, Beamer responded:

Real strong comedian right there, good staff of writers around him.

/raises his two fists to his chest and slowly pumps them back and forth in short bursts.

He's always well-prepared, has that "want-to". His sets are real consistent: great intro, punchlines always get after ya, finishes strong.

/serious face

Great comedians make great jokes, and that's what Bill's always done.

*And just subtle amounts of orange, Lester please take note.

Who: #15/15 Virginia Tech Hokies (7-1, 3-1 ACC) @ Duke Blue Devils (3-4, 1-2 ACC)

Time: 12:30 PM

TV Coverage: ACC Network (Tim Brant, Dave Archer, Scott Pryzwansky)

Venue: Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC (33,941 – Grass)

Series History: Virginia Tech leads 11-7

• Last Meeting (2010): Virginia Tech 44, Duke 7
• Coach Beamer is a perfect 7-0 against Duke
• The Hokies have won 10 straight games against the Blue Devils, dating back to 1981
• In 7 ACC contests, the Hokies have outscored Duke by an average of 37-8

Injury Report

• LB Alonzo Tweedy – Out (ankle)
• OL Mark Shuman – Out (knee/ankle)

The Opponent: The Hokies start the final third of their season by facing the first of four consecutive Coastal Division opponents. This Duke team has continued a trend of Blue Devil teams under David Cutcliffe, slowly working its way into a competitive nature. The Blue Devils are more consistent than in years past, but they still have their Duke moments, such as losing to Richmond for their third consecutive time.

At 3-4, the Blue Devils possess wins over Boston College, Tulane, and FIU. They, too, finish the season with all Coastal Division games, but they play all five division opponents in a row, starting with Tech.