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:
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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BCO's College Football TV Viewing Guide
No time to pout about last Monday night, the college football season keeps moving and waits for no one. The games are so good this week I could have easily done a twelve picker, but time limitations will keep it at six. A little pre-weekend warning, whatever ration of shit you have to go through from your lady to watch football from noon to midnight is more than worth it. The entire six pick of games are being played on Saturday. To come correct you will need to man the hell up with a case of beer, three TVs and lots of artery clogging food.
This week's picks against the spread are a lot harder, as the games have gotten better. Last week 13 people picked and the results can be found here. Please keep picking and if you missed out last week, that's OK, it's not too late to start. All picks are against the spread, straight up would be too easy.
So let's take a look at what I'll be viewing while being a couch warrior on Saturday.
Saturday, September 11th
ugga at Souf Cackalacki -3 noon ESPN2
Looking for the second best SEC team this year after just one week? Might not want to look any further than the Gamecocks. Yes, they only beat up on Southern Miss, but they did what they needed to do, right fighting Ackbars? More importantly Steve Spurrier is talking shit again, that must mean he is confident in his product. He called out Tennessee for dropping UNC off their schedule for being too tough. Then he discussed John Blake's "recruiting practices" before he "resigned" from North Carolina. Maybe not a vintage barb like "Free Shoes University" in the '90s, but he's been noticeably more vocal this year. The game misses a smug Ole Ball Coach, a sincere "Welcome Back" from the BCO.
What to watch for: Will the Dawg's newly installed 3-4 defense cause problems for the Spurrier attack, that features a heavier ground game? Will it be difficult for Mark Richt be that offensive guru he has been in years past with WR A.J. Green sitting out four games for selling his jersey?
Pick: The Gamecocks to win and cover.
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If UVa is good for something it's laughs during tough times. They lose to William & Mary and suddenly our loss to Alabama doesn't look quite so bad. We let a close one against Boise State slip though our fingers and they trot out the laboratory lovechild of a horse and black bear that's going though its rebellious phase as their new mascot; sweet Mohawk bro!
Where have you been all of my life fuzzified Sabre?
He was worshiped by the Others.
He braved the tanks.
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ESPN drew a 6.8 overnight rating for Monday's Boise State/Virginia Tech game, up 21% from Miami/Florida State last year (5.6), and easily the highest overnight of the weekend for a college football game on the ESPN family of networks.
No other college football game on ESPN/ESPN2 or ABC drew even a 3.0 overnight, with LSU/North Carolina coming the closest (2.8).
To put the numbers in perspective, the most-viewed college football game ever on ESPN -- USC/Ohio State last September -- drew a not-much-higher 7.2 overnight.
The positive is we put on a show for America. The negative is we lost. What's to be determined is how the game will affect our national profile.
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"What It All Means" will be a weekly column during the regular season where we take a look at poll movement after the week's games and try to figure out what it means for the Hokies, plus anything particularly interesting on a national scale. Think the pollsters are right? Think they're nuts? Let's hear it in the comments.
DISCLAIMER: Blog posts may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
My full ballot is after the jump. Here's a quick justification of the movers, shakers and frozen.
- Boise State - They're staying put at number three because at the beginning of the year I believed Alabama and Ohio State were the two best teams in the country. I still believe this. For this to change Alabama and/or Ohio State will have to falter, or sustain a long period of mediocrity while Boise State will have to handle business against Oregon State and tear through the WAC.
- TCU - They get a huge bump up after beating Oregon State. Andy Dalton had a less than perfect game, yet the Horned Frogs prevailed. Their defense was able to contain the brothers Rodgers and limited Beaver drives (13 first downs), while their offense held the ball for almost 40 minutes.
- Texas, Oklahoma, Florida - I wasn't impressed.
- Virginia Tech - The defense showed their youth. The secondary was spotty in coverage, the linebackers couldn't tackle and the d-line couldn't pressure or control their gaps. The offense executed efficiently, except when it mattered most. The kicking game was uncharacteristically horrible.
- Stanford - The Cardinal was an egregious omission from my preseason poll.
- Utah - The Utes gutted out a nice win over Pitt and kept Dion Lewis at bay.
- Michigan - Denard Robinson was dirty posting nearly 400 yard of offense.
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.
DISCLAIMER: Blog posts may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
I was confident in a Hokie win going into yesterday's game. In fact, I'd assured myself there was no chance we'd lose to Boise State, and for no good reason too. Oh sure, if you had asked me I could've given you specifics: Ryan Williams, a matured Tyrod Taylor, my faith in Bud Foster, etc... But really I believed, like everyone else, that fate had our back.
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Once again magduffs is providing us with 100-pounds of awesome crammed into a 10-pound sack. Please thank her for all of her hard work on this video.
DISCLAIMER: Blog posts may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
We all love Coach Beamer. But even we must admit that his interviews can get a bit... repetitive?
So, to make the pregame, postgame and Tech Talk Live appearances just a bit more enjoyable, we here at The Key Play are proud to provide this Beamer Buzzword Bingo board. Spoils of victory? They're up to you.
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DISCLAIMER: Blog posts may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
My weekly column highlighting the most important things to lookout for on offense and defense.
The Hokies on Offense
Pass Blocking
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He's here to accomplish all that we haven't. May your remember his efforts well.
DISCLAIMER: Blog posts may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
BCO's College Football TV Viewing Guide
For more than a decade I have been picking which games people should watch each week over the course of a season. At first it was a spreadsheet put together at the beginning of the season for my family, friends and coworkers. It eventually grew into a weekly column for the masses on my previous blog. There, I could pick from week to week, publishing with up-to-date info and the cheap shots stayed current (no one is safe). It's my favorite thing to write, even it entertains no one else but myself. Each week on TKP I will write my Six Pick of must see games. Admittedly, there will be personal bias towards VT, ACC and other teams I like. That said, many weeks I will not have a Hokie game on the list. VT versus The Sisters of the Poor is not must see TV. Potty mouth alert... If bad words offend your sensibilities read another damn column.
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From time to time I'll engage my fellow ACC bloggers and participate in a roundtable question and answer. Brendan From Old Virginia is hosting the first discussion. He'll include my answers in with everyone else's and I'll let y'all know when it's up on his site. Let's get cultured people...
1. At UVA we have made wholesale changes to everything this past offseason: the coaching staff, the offense, the defense, the uniforms, even the color of the equipment shed. What change or changes on your own team are you most looking forward to watching play out on the field this season?
DISCLAIMER: Blog posts may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
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