SB Nation - East Carolina Pirates

If College Football Had a Playoff: #15 East Carolina Pirates @ #2 Texas Longhorns

Jeremy Mauss — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:02:43 -0000

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

Before we get to game four the previous matchup of #13 LSU against #4 TCU was a back in forth matchup with LSU leading by as many as 60 votes early this morning, but then the TCU fans came out and won by 150 votes. This matchup has the most votes with just under 800.

For the previous results go check out the section "If College Football had a playoff."

This should be as simple as the Troy vs. Alabama matchup with Texas mopping the floor with the Pirates. Had Houston won C-USA then they would at least make this game interesting.

Who knows maybe East Carolina could get a good pass rush on Colt McCoy and make this game interesting for a half. I would expect Colt McCoy to have a field day over ECU.

Now for the somewhat scientific view by using What if Sports to simulate this fine matchup. As expected What if Sports predicts a 43-14 blowout in favor of Texas. Texas was able to run and throw all over ECU with a balanced attack with 304 passing yards and 273 rushing yards.

Stop by to vote and comment on this matchup. Light hearted trash talk is highly encouraged.

Texas Stats

Passing

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
Garrett Gilbert	8	60.0	15	26	57.7	124	15.5	4.8	0	0	6	11	1.4	1.8	1	-	-
Colt McCoy	13	103.0	330	468	70.5	3512	270.2	7.5	27	12	128	348	26.8	2.7	3	-	-

Rushing

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
John Chiles	11	7	29	2.6	4.1	0	34	319	29	9.4	3
Antwan Cobb	2	1	3	1.5	3	0	0	0	0	0	0
Garrett Gilbert	8	6	11	1.4	1.8	1	0	0	0	0	0
Marquise Goodwin	11	2	8	.700	4	0	25	209	19	8.4	1
Sherrod Harris	1	1	4	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jeremy Hills	2	9	86	43	9.6	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cody Johnson	13	84	333	25.6	4	12	7	42	3.2	6	0
Colt McCoy	13	128	348	26.8	2.7	3	0	0	0	0	0
Vondrell McGee	9	56	300	33.3	5.4	2	8	37	4.1	4.6	0
D.J. Monroe	9	20	110	12.2	5.5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Tre' Newton	11	102	513	46.6	5	6	12	106	9.6	8.8	0
Jordan Shipley	13	1	0	0	0	0	106	1363	104.8	12.9	11
Foswhitt Whittaker	10	52	207	20.7	4	4	13	51	5.1	3.9	0

Receiving

		Receiving
	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
Dan Buckner	12	44	445	37.1	10.1	4
John Chiles	11	34	319	29	9.4	3
Marquise Goodwin	11	25	209	19	8.4	1
DeSean Hales	1	1	2	2	2	0
Cody Johnson	13	7	42	3.2	6	0
James Kirkendoll	12	48	461	38.4	9.6	6
Vondrell McGee	9	8	37	4.1	4.6	0
Tre' Newton	11	12	106	9.6	8.8	0
Philip Payne	1	1	7	7	7	0
Jordan Shipley	13	106	1363	104.8	12.9	11
Foswhitt Whittaker	10	13	51	5.1	3.9	0
Malcolm Williams	12	38	546	45.5	14.4	2

Kicking

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
Hunter Lawrence	13	-	-	-	-	-	22	25	90.0%	62	63	100.0%	128

East Carolina Stats

Passing

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
Josh Jordan	3	70.0	5	7	71.4	61	20.3	8.7	0	0	4	6	2	1.5	0	-	-
Rob Kass	3	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	-
Patrick Pinkney	13	60.0	242	407	59.5	2738	210.6	6.7	14	10	41	101	7.8	2.5	3	-	-

Rushing

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
Darnell Ballard	2	2	4	2	2	1	2	18	9	9	0
Justin Brockmeyer	2	2	23	11.5	11.5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Darryl Freeney	10	2	2	.200	1	0	42	622	62.2	14.8	3
Dwayne Harris	13	31	149	11.5	4.8	5	79	914	70.3	11.6	6
Brandon Jackson	8	84	316	39.5	3.8	3	6	75	9.4	12.5	0
Josh Jordan	3	4	6	2	1.5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dominique Lindsay	11	206	1029	93.5	5	5	18	138	12.5	7.7	1
Patrick Pinkney	13	41	101	7.8	2.5	3	0	0	0	0	0
J.R. Rogers	1	5	6	6	1.2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Justin Ruffin	2	15	95	47.5	6.3	1	0	0	0	0	0
Giavanni Ruffin	10	56	169	16.9	3	4	5	26	2.6	5.2	0
Norman Whitley	2	3	2	1	.700	0	1	9	4.5	9	0
Jonathan Williams	5	14	38	7.6	2.7	0	3	7	1.4	2.3	0

Receiving

		Receiving
	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
Darnell Ballard	2	2	18	9	9	0
Andrew Bodenheimer	3	4	72	24	18	0
Jamar Bryant	7	21	200	28.6	9.5	2
Darryl Freeney	10	42	622	62.2	14.8	3
Dwayne Harris	13	79	914	70.3	11.6	6
Brandon Jackson	8	6	75	9.4	12.5	0
Jacobi Jenkins	2	2	12	6	6	0
Dominique Lindsay	11	18	138	12.5	7.7	1
Korey Reynolds	1	1	12	12	12	0
Giavanni Ruffin	10	5	26	2.6	5.2	0
Alex Taylor	11	35	367	33.4	10.5	0
Norman Whitley	2	1	9	4.5	9	0
Jonathan Williams	5	3	7	1.4	2.3	0
Reyn Willis	6	6	107	17.8	17.8	1
Joe Womack	6	12	141	23.5	11.8	0

Kicking

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
Ben Ryan	3	-	-	-	-	-	0	2	0	4	4	100.0%	4
Ben Hartman	12	-	-	-	-	-	19	25	80.0%	32	32	100.0%	89

Poll

Who wins?

Texas Longhorns

37 votes

East Carolina Pirates

11 votes

48 votes | Poll has closed

Ranking The 2009-2010 Bowls: Part 2

Mark Kieffer — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:31:13 -0000

In Part 1 of the series, I listed the bowls that I would not be mad at missing. With this Part 2, I'm continuing the countdown. This set of games are those that I would like to see, but I'm not going to make any kind of sacrifices to watch these games.

During the holidays, especially when traveling to a bowl game myself, you're sometimes going to miss some. Click on the jump, to see the 12 bowls that I have in my middle tier of games!

#20: Outback Bowl (Northwestern vs. Auburn), 1/1/2010, 10am CST, ESPN

After a night of partying in Tempe on New Years, there's no way in hell I'm going to get myself up early to watch this. I'm not really one of those ISU fans obsessed with Chizik anyways. This game could have easily gone in my Part 1 post. Honestly, I think Auburn rolls in this one anyways, but you never know.

#19: Texas Bowl (Navy vs. Missouri), 12/31/2009, 2:30pm CST, ESPN

There's no way I'm seeing this game, (although I would've liked to) so it ranks this low. I'll be at Sundevil Stadium when this is getting underway, but I'll be scoreboard checking during the game. Not a bad matchup at all, and could be an entertaining game. Navy has that triple option, while Missouri has a good passing game behind Danario Alexander.

#18: Emerald Bowl (Boston College vs. USC), 12/26/2009, 7pm CST, ESPN

This should be an evenly matched game for the most part. USC has had a down year by their standards, but I think this year was pretty good for Boston College. I'm not really a fan of either team, which is why it ranks relatively low on my list.

#17: Liberty Bowl (Arkansas vs. East Carolina), 1/2/2010, 4:30pm CST, ESPN

You have a pretty good offense in Arkansas against an East Carolina team that won the CUSA, and has been on a roll down the stretch.

#16: Independence Bowl (Texas A&M vs. Georgia), 12/28/2009, 4pm CST, ESPN

Georgia has the better defense, and better overall team, while A&M has the better offense. You can't ignore Georgia's win over Georgia Tech; that was impressive. I think this has the makings of a good game, and it might suprise some people.

#15: Champs Sports Bowl (Miami vs. Wisconsin), 12/29/2009, 7pm CST, ESPN

I like watching Miami. Been a fan of them since I've been following College Football. Growing up in Minnesota, I've seen a lot of Wisconsin as well. A game between two programs I'm familiar with. Miami likes to pass it, and is a very athletic team. Wisconsin, plays your typical Big 10 style of game: running the ball and trying to play defense.

#14: Chick-Fil-A Bowl (VA Tech vs. Tennessee), 12/31/2009, 6:30pm CST, ESPN

Lane Kiffin is just a drama-machine. Seems like controversy follows him around, and that alone may be worth watching. It will also be interesting to see how VA Tech plays, when they've been eying a BCS Bowl game all year, and feel a little snubbed. Tennesee has played close to teams all year, with a pretty solid defense. This could end up being similar to the Nebraska vs. VA Tech game earlier in the year.

#13: Capital One Bowl (Penn State vs. LSU), 1/1/2010, Noon CST, ABC

If you like watching a good defensive game, this one is for you. Both teams have issues scoring at times, but have no issues stopping the opposing offense.

#12: Cotton Bowl (Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss), 1/2/2010, 1pm CST, Fox

This is the battle between two disappointing teams. Both were ranked high at the beginning of the year, and neither really did much of anything notable on the national scale. I'm still confused as to how Oklahoma State just laid an egg against Oklahoma, along with how Ole Miss was supposed to have this Heisman contender in Snead. I don't really think either fanbase is that excited about the game either. With how inconsistent these teams have been all year, I don't think anyone knows what to expect in this one, and maybe for that, it's worth tuning into for a little bit.

#11: Holiday Bowl (Arizona vs. Nebraska), 12/30/2009, 7pm CST, ESPN

These teams are pretty even on paper. I can't see scores outside of the teens in this one. Heck, this game could be 10-9 or something like that. It's really too bad for Husker fans that their offense was so bad this year, as it's really brought this team down. I have also come around to being a big fan of Suh, and it's extremley fun to watch him dominate the line of scrimmage all game long. Even if he doesn't get the tackle or sack, Suh has an impact on the play.

#10: Poinsettia Bowl (Utah vs. Cal), 12/23/2009, 7pm CST, ESPN

Jahvid Best is back for the Golden Bears, and he's a lot of fun to watch. Really good to see that he's going to be able to continue playing, after that scary concussion he suffered not too long ago. Honestly, when I saw that play, I thought his playing days in the future could be in jeopardy. This game is likely going to come down to the wire, as they are dead even on paper.

In Part 3, I'm going to countdown the bowls that are must-see for me. By process of elimination, you can figure out which bowls they are, but you will have to see on Thursday as to what the order is.

----

Part 1

3rd Annual Rock M Nation Bowl Pick 'Em Contest

The Beef — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:00:18 -0000

UPDATE: BUMPED BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE. PICKS ARE DUE AT NOON TOMORROW.

That's right loyal readers...the Bowl Pick 'Em Contest is back for its third season.

It is simple to participate. Simply reply to this thread with your picks. You will need to pick both against the spread, as well as the over/under, so you will have two picks per game. The spreads are LOCKED, so a movement in the line will not be taken into account. The spreads are courtesy of bookmaker.com because...well...that's the one I could find (and unless otherwise noted) They also represent where the lines were when they opened, which was a week ago (had to wait for Army/Navy to be played to determine Eagle Bowl and Texas Bowl line)

Our winner from last year is FSUncensored, who went 39-27 to win by three games over The Cool Alonzo and myself. All time, MU 1839 (our first winner) holds the best two-year record at 18 games over .500 (74-56). Of the "couples" category, The Beef and Tailgate Queen came out 3 game ahead of Bill C and Bill C's wife last year, tying their annual battle at 1-1. Overall, the contest generated a won-loss record of 1066-1244 for a not so good percentage of .461. Over the two years, we currently sit at 1711-1879 for a winning percentage of .477. Yes...I've kept track.

Picks are due by noon on Saturday, December 19th (since the first games are later that evening). Picks are lined up after the jump.

As for prizes...1st prize will get you the Rock M Nation T-shirt of your choice, unless RPT (who somehow is the keeper of the purse strings around here) decides we want to pony up some additional swag.

Anyway, we had a good time with this last year with 35 participants (up from 20 the first year) and somehow I am thinking we are going to have a FEW more than that :-) Come one, come all (and that certainly includes non-Rock M regulars...anyone from SB Nation is welcome to participate)...make me work hard at this. If you were here last season and have changed names, just let me know and I will do my best to give you your two or three-season score when all is said and done as well. I will also be adding a couple set of special picks. We will have the "coin-flip" picks, where each pick will be decided by heads or tails. I will also compile the "Consensus" picks, which will be the most popular pick on each game, to see how RMN did as a community (in the majority at least).

New Mexico

Fresno State -10 1/2 vs. Wyoming

Over/Under - 55 1/2

St. Petersburg

Rutgers -2 vs. UCF

Over/Under - 44 1/2

New Orleans

Sothern Miss -3 1/2 vs. Mid Tenn St.

Over/Under - 59

Las Vegas

Oregon State - 1 1/2 vs. BYU

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Poinsetta

Cal -3 vs. Utah

Over/Under - 53 1/2

Hawaii

Nevada -14 vs. SMU

Over/Under - 73 1/2

Little Caesers

Ohio -2 vs. Marshall

Over/Under - 50

Meineke

Pitt -3 vs. UNC

Over/Under - 44 1/2

Emerald

USC -9 vs. BC

Over/Under - 45 1/2

Music City

Clemson -7 vs. Kentucky

Over/Under - 52 1/2

Independence

Georgia -7 vs. Texas A&M

Over/Under - 64

Eagle Bank (LSVC odds)

UCLA -4 vs. Temple

Over/Under - 46 1/2

Champs Sports

Miami (FL) -3 vs. Wisconsin

Over/Under - 56

Humanitarian

Bowling Green PK vs. Idaho

Over/Under - 68 1/2

Holiday

Arizona -1 vs. Nebraska

Over/Under - 41

Armed Forces

Houston -5 vs. Air Force

Over/Under - 61

Sun

Oklahoma -9 1/2 vs. Stanford

Over/Under - 56 1/2

Texas (LVSC odds)

Mizzou -6 vs. Navy

Over/Under - 54

Insight

Minnesota -3 vs. Iowa State

Over/Under - 48

Chick-Fil-A

Va Tech -4 1/2 vs. Tenn

Over/Under - 50 1/2

Outback

Auburn -8 vs. Northwestern

Over/Under - 54 1/2

Gator

West Virginia -2 1/2 vs. Florida St.

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Capital One

Penn State -3 vs. LSU

Over/Under - 44

Rose

Oregon -3 1/2 vs. Ohio State

Over/Under - 51 1/2

Sugar

Florida -10 vs. Cincy

Over/Under - 55 1/2

International

South Fla. -6 1/2 vs. No. Illinois

Over/Under - 50

PapaJohns

South Carolina -4 1/2 vs. UCONN

Over/Under - 53

Cotton

Ole Miss -3 vs. Okie State

Over/Under -  50 1/2

Liberty

Arkansas -7 1/2 vs. East Carolina

Over/Under - 63 1/2

Alamo

Texas Tech -7 vs. Michigan St.

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Fiesta

TCU -7 vs. Boise St

Over/Under - 54

Orange

Ga Tech -4 vs. Iowa

Over/Under - 51

GMAC

Central Mich -4 vs. Troy

Over/Under - 64

BCS Champ

Alabama -5 1/2 vs. Texas

Over/Under - 45

Week Fourteen BlogPoll Ballot Draft

T Kyle King — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:52:12 -0000

The time has come to cast my final regular-season BlogPoll ballot---or, at least, I think it has; I’m assuming we’re not submitting new top 25s after next weekend’s Army-Navy game---and here is what I came up with after starting with a blank piece of paper:

Rank	Team	Delta

1	Alabama
2	Cincinnati	2
3	Texas
4	Boise State	1
5	TCU	1
6	Florida	4
7	Oregon
8	Ohio State
9	Georgia Tech	1
10	Iowa	1
11	West Virginia	9
12	LSU	1
13	Arizona
14	Oregon State	2
15	Southern Cal
16	Virginia Tech	5
17	Stanford
18	Miami (Florida)	4
19	Pittsburgh	7
20	California	1
21	Oklahoma State	2
22	Brigham Young	1
23	Nebraska	1
24	Penn State	7
25	Wisconsin	1
Last week's ballot

Dropped Out: Houston (#18), Central Michigan (#25).

The Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0) are No. 1. Duh! Of the dozen Division I-A opponents beaten by Nick Saban’s squad, nine finished with winning records, including the sixth-ranked Florida Gators, the twelfth-ranked LSU Tigers, and the 16th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. The Tide’s only close calls came in rivalry games against teams who will be playing on New Year’s Eve or later.

In spite of their close call against the Pittsburgh Panthers in a game played in the snow featuring two botched extra point attempts, the Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0) captured the No. 2 spot on my ballot by virtue of seven regular-season wins over teams that finished above .500, among them the 11th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers, the 14th-ranked Oregon St. Beavers, and 19th-ranked Pitt. Also, Cincy gets credit for having a logo reminiscent of Chick-fil-A's.

While I understand and respect C&F’s argument, I awarded the No. 3 ranking to the Texas Longhorns (13-0) because Mack Brown’s outfit went undefeated against a slate that included no Division I-AA schedule fodder and only four teams that posted losing ledgers. Wins over the No. 21 Oklahoma St. Cowboys and the No. 23 Nebraska Cornhuskers provided heft to the Big 12 standard-bearer’s resume.

I ranked the Boise St. Broncos (13-0) ahead of the TCU Horned Frogs (12-0) for a variety of reasons. Both took advantage of a Division I-AA victim and each faced five Division I-A teams with winning records, but Boise State has an additional win and Texas Christian has two close shaves (at Air Force and at Clemson) as opposed to the Broncos’ one (at Tulsa). Boise State’s second- and third-best wins (over Nevada and Fresno State) are comparable to the Frogs’ (over Utah and Clemson), but the Broncos’ marquee victory over the seven-ranked Oregon Ducks far outshines TCU’s best pelt, that of the 22nd-ranked BYU Cougars.

The Sunshine State Saurians (12-1) slipped to sixth after their less than competitive neutral site outing against ‘Bama, as befits the nation’s lone once-beaten team, and Oregon (10-2) led the parade of two-loss teams because the Ducks fell to two quality teams on the road and made up for those setbacks with wins over three teams ranked in my top 20 (Arizona, Oregon State, and Cal).

The Ohio St. Buckeyes (10-2) earned a No. 8 ranking on the strength of wins over the tenth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, the 24th-ranked Penn St. Nittany Lions, and the 25th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-2) rode their ~~fourth-place finish in the SEC East~~ ACC championship to the No. 9 ranking, although the Ramblin’ Wreck’s loss to the Georgia Bulldogs at home serves as a drag on a resume that includes five close calls in the Golden Tornado’s ten Division I-A wins. Only two of the Engineers’ victims finished with fewer than five losses, but one of those triumphs came over No. 16 VPI.

Iowa (10-2) carded quality victories over a trio of top 25 teams (Arizona, Penn State, and Wisconsin, all by double-digit margins) to overcome respectable losses to Ohio State and Northwestern, both of whom will be playing on New Year’s Day. (For whatever it might be worth, I would point out that the five BCS bowls pit No. 9 v. No. 10, No. 7 v. No. 8, No. 4 v. No. 5, No. 2 v. No. 6, and No. 1 v. No. 3 on my ballot. This ought to be a pretty good bowl season.)

West Virginia narrowly edged out Louisiana State in my estimation. Both teams boasted similar resumes: both finished 9-3; both won three games by a touchdown or less; both lost one game by a touchdown or less. However, as ashamed as I am to admit it, the Mountain Men’s win over Pitt counts for more this season than the Bayou Bengals’ win over Georgia. I know, it hurts me to admit that, too; visions of Tony Dorsett and Dan Marino will haunt my dreams tonight.

A glut of 8-4 clubs out of the Pac-10 proved difficult to untangle, but I declared the Arizona Wildcats first among equals by awarding Mike Stoops’s troops the No. 13 ranking. Three of Arizona’s four losses came on the road, two of them were nailbiters, and only one of them was the handiwork of a team with fewer than eight wins. The Wildcats carded victories over No. 14 Oregon State, the 15th-ranked USC Trojans, and the 17th-ranked Stanford Cardinal, with Central Michigan thrown in for good measure.

The Beavers landed right behind Arizona, partly because of wins over Cal and Stanford but mostly because of a quartet of quality losses. Oregon State’s four setbacks all came against opponents sporting eight or more wins, and, of the four, only the one against the No. 2 team in the country wasn’t a close call.

I will grant that it appears somewhat strange that I placed Stanford at No. 17, two spots behind Southern California (a club the Cardinal beat handily in Los Angeles) and three spots ahead of the California Golden Bears (a squad that defeated Jim Harbaugh’s outfit at the Farm), but Stanford had no legitimate third-best victory after the Cardinal’s wins over Oregon and USC to overcome the trio of triumphs notched by the Men of Troy over Ohio State, Oregon State, and Cal. Likewise, the Bears of Berkeley had trouble overcoming the fact that all four of their losses came by margins of 17 points or more. Oddly enough, Southern California, Stanford, and California each lost to a 5-7 team on the road, but the Trojans’ loss to the Washington Huskies and the Cardinal’s loss to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at least had the virtue of being close.

Sandwiched amid those West Coast outfits were No. 16 Virginia Tech (9-3), which beat top 25 teams Miami and Nebraska while sustaining three respectable defeats (including two to top ten squads); the 18th-ranked Miami Hurricanes (9-3), who are able to boast of a marquee win over Georgia Tech; and 19th-ranked Pittsburgh (9-3), which sneaked ahead of California by virtue of a more forgivable set of losses. The Panthers’ three setbacks all came by close margins, with two of those coming in down-to-the-wire clashes with top eleven opponents Cincinnati and West Virginia. Pitt’s loss to N.C. State was comparable to Cal’s loss to Washington---both came on the road against 5-7 squads---but the Wolfpack won by seven and the Huskies won by 32.

The inclusion of Oklahoma State (9-3) attested to the fact that next year’s BlogPoll should rank only 20 teams instead of 25---which the Associated Press poll did prior to 1989, by the way---but somebody had to be No. 21, so the Pokes were as qualified as anyone. Why was Les Miles’s old team ranked nine spots behind Les Miles’s current team when both have identical records and both count a win over the ‘Dawgs among their most impressive conquests? Simple: LSU lost to three teams with a combined 33-5 record by a combined 62-41 margin, while OSU lost to three teams with a combined 30-8 record by a combined 113-49 margin.

BYU (10-2) had absolutely no business being ranked after getting positively smoked by TCU and the hapless Florida St. Seminoles, but Brigham Young beat the Oklahoma Sooners and the Utah Utes, which counts for something. Nebraska (9-4) did little to impress me in the win column---the ‘Huskers beat only two teams with winning records---but, since all of the Big Red Machine’s losses were to teams that finished .500 or better and three of those were by razor-thin margins, I gave Bo Pelini’s team the benefit of the doubt.

The fact that Penn State (10-2) and Wisconsin (9-3) made the grade proves that I was scraping the bottom of the barrel; both the Nittany Lions and the Badgers lost convincingly to the Big Ten’s two top ten teams and neither beat more than two Division I-A teams that finished above .500, but the dearth of quality squads at the bottom of my ballot allowed a PSU team whose best win was against Temple and a Wiscy unit whose best win was against Fresno State to sneak undeservedly into the top 25.

Consideration was also given to the Boston College Eagles and the Mississippi Rebels. I’d like to tell you that I took a look at the Central Michigan Chippewas, East Carolina Pirates, Houston Cougars, Missouri Tigers, Navy Midshipmen, North Carolina Tar Heels, Northwestern Wildcats, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and Texas Tech Red Raiders, but, if I said so, I’d be lying.

I watched the Oregon-Oregon State game on Thursday, the Central Michigan-Ohio (Ohio) game on Friday, and a Saturday slate consisting primarily of the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh, Alabama-Florida, and Clemson-Georgia Tech games, with bits of the Nebraska-Texas and Hawaii-Wisconsin tilts sprinkled in for variety.

As always, I actively solicit your input with respect to what is, after all, a draft ballot. Feel free to register your disagreement or lobby for or against particular teams in the comments below.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Saturday College Football Game Day Open Comment Thread

T Kyle King — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:30:14 -0000

Just because the Red and Black will not be in action at any point this afternoon or evening doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy one another’s usual collegiality on an autumn Saturday, particular with a lineup before us that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

12:00 noon: Cincinnati Bearcats at Pittsburgh Panthers
12:00 noon: Houston Cougars at East Carolina Pirates
12:00 noon: West Virginia Mountaineers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
4:00 p.m.: Alabama Crimson Tide v. Florida Gators
8:00 p.m.: Nebraska Cornhuskers v. Texas Longhorns
8:00 p.m.: Clemson Tigers v. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
11:30 p.m.: Wisconsin Badgers at Hawaii Warriors

That slate generates legitimate interest without requiring emotional investment; we care, though not so much that we’ll get too far down if things don’t go our way and yet still enough that, if we like what we see (if, say, certain teams whose names rhyme with Horrida Haters and Borgia Heck Fellow Packets happen to lose), we can get so jacked we’ll go eat a stick of butter.

Feel free to join in the fun, folks. I’m trusting podunkdawg to bring the brownies, tankertoad to bring the pessimism, and a good time to be had by all.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Don't Bet On It!: National Games of Interest

T Kyle King — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:00:44 -0000

Needless to say, it has been a busy week in Bulldog Nation, which is why I’m a bit behind schedule in bringing you this week’s special dual SEC/national edition of "Don’t Bet On It!" Reversing the typical trends, I went 4-2 in last week’s national games of interest and 2-4 in last week’s conference picks, bringing me to 68-16 for the season in SEC contests and 32-30 in other outings. In other words, I’m now utterly unreliable in every category, which is all the more reason why you should believe me when I tell you . . . Don’t Bet On It!

Here are this week’s important outings, which will be played on Saturday, December 5, unless indicated otherwise:

East Carolina Pirates v. Houston Cougars: Obviously, I am using the broadest possible definition of "national games of interest" here, but there is a conference title on the line. All right, fine, it’s just the Conference USA title, but, still, that’s something. (Quick question . . . at the end of the Conference USA championship game, do fans of the winning team begin chanting "U-S-A" the way Southeastern Conference fans chant "S-E-C"? Because I think that would be rather presumptuous of them.) I know better than to side with any coach named Holtz unless it’s flagrantly obvious that he’s cheating his hindquarters off, and, since Skip seems to be going about his duties with honesty and integrity, there’s no way I’m taking his team over Houston.

Central Michigan Chippewas v. Ohio Bobcats (Friday, Dec. 4): Central Michigan (Michigan) faces Ohio (Ohio) to settle the MAC championship. This probably only matters to you if you live in Michigan or Ohio, follow college football, and aren’t a fan of the Big Ten. There can’t be more than twenty people who fit that description, can there? Assuming that the quality of football in the two states is roughly equal, it is worth noting that the Bobcats are not the best college football team in Ohio but the Chippewas are the best college football team in Michigan. Therefore, I’m picking Central Michigan.

West Virginia Mountaineers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights: I once asked whether Les Miles was the new Danny Ford, but now I’m wondering whether Bill Stewart is the new Les Miles . . . namely, the head coach everyone is just sure is an ignorant bozo promoted beyond his level of competence, who somehow manages to win in spite of what we all perceive to be his shortcomings. I thought about that for a while and I came to the following conclusion: naaaaaaah. I’m going with Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights at home.

(Obligatory photograph of Rutgers alumna Kristin Davis.)

Cincinnati Bearcats at Pittsburgh Panthers: The power vacuum created by the departures of Miami (Florida), Virginia Tech, and, later, Rich Rodriguez made the Big East an intriguing league in which almost every team had a shot at contending. This has made for some wild and wacky upsets, and I expect this to be one of them. Pitt is hopping mad after wetting the bed in the Backyard Brawl, Cincy is distracted by the increasingly credible speculation about Brian Kelly becoming the next head coach at Notre Dame, and the Panthers have both home field advantage and a history of knocking conference rivals out of potential national championship contention. I’m sticking with Pittsburgh this week.

Oregon State Beavers at Oregon Ducks (Thursday, Dec. 3): I’m sorry, did you just say the Battle of the Webbed Feet will settle the Pac-10’s Rose Bowl berth? When did that happen? Oh, right . . . somewhere between the time Pete Carroll whined that Jim Harbaugh went for a cheap late score against him and the time Pete Carroll went for a cheap late score against Rick Neuheisel. With everything on the line in Eugene, the Civil War will be much more akin to warfare than to civility, but I’m not betting against Autzen Stadium when the chips are down, particularly when such other orange-clad contenders as Clemson and Oklahoma State have been getting embarrassed in season-ending in-state rivalry games. Oregon State will come up short in a game of Duck, Duck, Duck, lose.

Nebraska Cornhuskers v. Texas Longhorns: There was a time when the Big 12 title tilt was good for at least one epochal upset every couple of years. One of those came in 1996, when James Brown delivered on his pregame prediction that the ‘Horns would beat the ‘Huskers and announced afterwards, "Get on up! Hit me! Ow!" (All right, not that James Brown. Sorry.) Lately, though, it’s been all South Division, all the time. That won’t change this weekend, as Texas will take care of business.

Alabama Crimson Tide v. Florida Gators: I don’t know which image I find more revolting . . . Urban Meyer hoisting another crystal football while rocking his natty Members Only jacket or Tim Tebow weeping openly after a Gator loss while ESPN films him through the same gauzy lens typically reserved for Doris Day movies or Barbara Walters specials and Thom Brenneman somberly intones, "Every time Tim Tebow sheds a tear, an angel gets its wings." Actually, as sick at my stomach as I get whenever the sports media get all starry-eyed over His Royal Tebowness, I just can’t stand the idea of Florida winning another . . . well, anything, really: national title, conference championship, game, whatever. I’m going with my heart instead of my head and picking ’Bama.

There you have them, ladies and gentlemen . . . the last slate of picks for the 2009 regular season! If you haven’t figured out by now that I’m bad at this, you probably never will, but, just in case, I’m going to warn you one more time: Don’t Bet On It!

Coming Soon: ~~National~~ Championship Game of Disinterest.

Go ‘Dawgs!

2009 Bowl Projections - Post Week 13

Bama Hawkeye — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:29:09 -0000

Everything is clear. Some things are clear as crystal. Others are as clear as mud. But make no mistake, the situation is clear.

TCU will go to the BCS. The BCS Championship? Only with a couple of upset losses.

On the crystal side, the SEC Champ will play Texas, Cincinnati, or TCU in the BCS Championship Game. I think that's the order, too. If Texas beats Nebraska, they'll go. If not, Cincy is next in line. After playing the Pitt, they'll move ahead of TCU in the standings. Should the Bearcats fall to the Panthers, I think TCU gets their chance. I do not see a repeat of the SEC Championship game. Not with one viable undefeated team in the clubhouse and two more approaching 18. All in all, the 10 BCS teams are pretty safe bets. I've mentioned some alternatives, but I think that there are only 15 teams in play for the 10 spots.On the mud side, look at the SEC after the top 4 teams are placed. That's right, six 7-5 teams.

This Week's Articles

JerDogg finally admits that Minnesota just ain't that good.

Graham ranks the Big Ten quarterbacks for their 2009 performance.

Greg discusses the future of Tate Forcier and moving Denard Robinson to WR.

Good luck making any sense of it. I took my best shot, but you can feel free to speculate in a different direction. If you're counting, there are four open bowl spots for at large teams. 9 win MTSU and 7 win Bowling Green and Northern Illinois will take three of the spots. That leaves room for one 6-6 team to go to Mobile, Alabama to play the top choice from the MAC. My guess is that it's UCLA.

Full projections of all of the Big Ten, BCS, and every other bowl game after the jump.

Remember the rules.

These are projections. I am taking into account what will happen in future games, not assigning teams based upon current standings.
The best teams don't always go to the best games. In the end, butts in the seat and eyes to the television are the biggest factors.
The order of BCS selection is 1) Replacement for #1 Team; 2) Replacement for #2 Team; 3) Orange Bowl; 4) Fiesta Bowl; 5) Sugar Bowl.
The Champs Bowl picks its Big Ten team ahead of the Alamo Bowl this year.
For the full rules on BCS selections, look here.

			The SEC Champion will finish Number 1 in the BCS. Texas will finish #2 if they beat the Huskers. If they lose, Cincinnati will finish #2 with a win over PItt. If Texas and Cincy lose, TCU will slide into the number two spot.
			Beware of Clemson. Aren't they most dangerous after losing a game they have no business dropping? If Clemson wins the ACC, the Orange Bowl will likely take Cincinnati over a regular season rematch.
			Oklahoma State's loss means that the second Big Ten BCS team will be in Arizona, not Florida. If the Huskers upset Texas, Nebraska will be here, Texas will be selected by the Orange, and the Fiesta will still get a Big Ten team (and Boise will be left out). And yes, it very well could be Penn State over Iowa. If it was the Orange making the decision, it probably would be. But I'm still thinking that the Fiesta goes black and gold (and $green$).
			The only way that this isn't the SEC Runner-Up versus the Big East Champ is if Clemson or Nebraska pulls the upset.
			Ohio State has punched their ticket. The winner of Oregon/Oregon State will do the same. It says here that the Ducks win and head to Pasadena.
			LSU slips back into Orlando after Ole MIss lays an Egg against Mississippi State. From the Big Ten, this will be the loser of the behind the scenes battle between Iowa and Penn State.
			Is there any chance that this could be Northwestern? Maybe if Wisconsin loses at Hawaii, but I still have a hard time seeing the Wildcats winning that tiebreaker. Picking Tennessee here establishes them as the most desirable of the SEC's 7-5 mob.
			I think Clemson gets this bid after Virginia Tech and Miami.
			Yes, I think that 7-5 Oklahoma is selected over 8-win Missouri and Texas Tech. If good-MSU and good-OU show up, this could be a great game. If one of the schools brings their bad squad, it could get ugly.
			I don't see this matchup going well for the Gophers. Then again, if it was OU or Texas Tech, I don't know that it would go much better.
			Another Big Ten-less Motor City Bowl.
			When you can't get to six wins, you know that you'll spend the season On the Couch with the Queso Bowl (now sponsored by Ro*Tel).

			Kudos to Wyoming for getting bowl eligible.
			The bowl will want a Florida connection if it can get it.
			Troy has clinched their trip back to New Orleans. ECU makes for a great matchup.
			BYU makes their 122nd consecutive trip to Las Vegas. Oregon State will be a great match for them there.
			I expect the Mountain West to arrange their alignment to give their big three the best games possible.
			Both teams say that they'll play "anytime, anywhere." Time to prove it.
			This will be Pitt or West Virginia from the Big East. For the second year in a row, Tar Heel fans should fill the seats.
			Bowden's last stand in that hotbed of college football --- San Francisco?
			Boston College is always a tough out in a bowl game. This should be no exception.
			Independence Bowl selects its Big 12 team ahead of the Texas Bowl this year. I think they take the team that gave Texas a battle over the team that beat Nebraska. My guess is that it's a choice between Kentucky and South Carolina on the SEC side.
			If Army defeats Navy in two weeks, they'll replace Marshall.
			Idaho is happy enough to go bowling. I'm sure that staying close to home is all right with them.
			Navy has clinched this bid. On the Big 12 side, it will be whoever is left between Iowa State and Texas A&M.
			Could the Cotton take Nebraska over Oklahoma State? Yes. Especially if the Huskers show well in a loss to Texas.
			The Ponies are another team that won't mind the quick commute for the bowl game.
			Should be a fun game.
			Georgia brings the crowd, while Miami brings the sizzle.
			It's an old fashioned Big East battle. Notre Dame's 6th loss means that the Gator Bowl can't pick the Irish. My guess is that West Virginia will head to Jacksonville if Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh (and the Mountaineers beat Rutgers). If the Panthers win, Cincy heads here.
			Still weird to see Temple in a bowl.
			I've got South Carolina as the last choice out of the SEC. It has as much to do with geography as anything else.
			Yes, this could be Nebraska over Okie State. I suppose that one of those seven win SEC teams could be chosen here too. When push comes to shove, I think that the teams with the best records get chosen.
			Think that Arkansas will bring some fans to Memphis? I have Houston beating ECU. The C-USA champ automatically goes here.
			GMAC gets first choice from the MAC. Not champion, first choice. I project that's CMU, regardless of what happens elsewhere. It looks like it will come down to UCLA or Notre Dame to fill an empty ACC slot With the firing/hiring going on in South Bend, I expect the Irish to decline a bid.

Non-Automatic Qualifying Conference Races

utesfan100 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:52:38 -0000

So on Sunday I broke down the automatic qualifying conference races as part of my BCS analysis. For completeness I will now present the conference races for all remaining conferences.

None are anywhere near as tricky to discern as the PAC 10 was this week.

C-USA:

East:

The ECU and the UAB both control their own fate. S. Miss and UCF are still potential candidates for the championship game.

ECU wins if:

They beat S. Miss and UAB
They beat S. Miss and UCF beats UAB
They beat UAB and Tulsa beats S. Miss

UAB wins if:

They beat ECU and
- UAB beats UCF
- S. Miss beats ECU and Tulsa beats S. Miss and Tulane beats UCF

S. Miss wins if:

They beat ECU and Tulsa and UAB beats ECU or UCF

UCF wins if:

All of the following occur:

They beat UAB and Tulane
ECU loses to S. Miss and UAB
Tulsa beats S. Miss

West:

SMU wins if:

They beat Marshall and Tulane
Houston loses to Memphis and Rice
SMU splits with Marshall and Tulane and Houston splits with Memphis and Rice

Houston wins if:

They beat Memphis and Rice and SMU loses to Marshall or Tulane
They beat Memphis or Rice and SMU loses to Marshall and Tulane

MAC:

North:

C. Michigan and N. Illinois both control their own fate.

C. Michigan wins if:

Beat N. Illinois
Beat Ball State and Ohio beats N. Illinois

N. Illinois wins if:

Beat C. Michigan and
- Beat Ohio
- Ball State beats C. Michigan

South:

Temple and Ohio control their own fate.

Temple wins if:

They beat Ohio
Beat Kent State and N. Illinois beats Ohio

Ohio wins if:

Beat Temple and
- Beat N. Illinois
- Kent State beats Temple and loses to Buffalo

Kent State wins if:

Beat Temple and Buffalo and Ohio beats Temple but loses to N. Illinois

MWC:

TCU wins outright if:

beat Wyoming and New Mexico
beat Wyoming or New Mexico or the Utah-BYU winner loses to SDSU or Air Force respectively.

TCU wins a share if:

beat Wyoming or New Mexico
the Utah-BYU winner loses to SDSU or Air Force respectively

BYU wins outright if:

Beat Air Force and Utah and TCU loses to Wyoming and New Mexico

BYU wins a share if:

Beat Air Force or Utah and TCU loses to Wyoming and New Mexico

Utah wins outright if:

Beat SDSU and BYU and TCU loses to Wyoming and New Mexico

Utah wins a share if:

Beats SDSU and BYU and TCU loses to Wyoming or New Mexico

Air Force wins a share if:

Beats BYU and TCU loses to Wyoming and New Mexico and Utah loses to BYU or SDSU

Sun Belt

Troy wins if:

Beat Florida Atlantic or LA Lafayette
The LA Monroe Middle Tennessee St. winner loses to LA Lafayette or Arkansas St. respectively.

LA Monroe wins if:

Beat Arkansa St. and LA Monroe and Troy loses to Florida Atlantic and LA Lafayette

Middle Tennessee St. wins if:

Beat LA Lafayette and Middle Tennessee St. and Troy loses to Florda Atlantic and LA Lafayette

WAC

Boise St. has won the WAC outright.

2009 Bowl Projections - Post Week 11

Bama Hawkeye — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:06:46 -0000

The Pac-10 is the best conference in college football.

There. I said it. It seems weird, but no other conference goes 6 deep with quality teams. Oregon, Stanford, USC, Arizona, California, and Oregon State give the Pac-10 depth that no one else can match. I will readily admit, that Oregon, the likely champ, does not compare to Floribama or Texas. It may not be as good as Ohio State, Cincinnati, or Georgia Tech for that matter. But when the other Pac-10 teams match up with the other conferences in bowl games, I expect to see an outstanding league record.

In the Big Ten, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Northwestern seem pretty well locked into their slots. It would take a huge chain of events to move them. I expect to see more movement of their opponents than of them as we go forward. There will be an Iowa/Penn State decision to be made, and don't expect the answer until December 6th. Unless Michigan shocks Ohio State next weekend, Michigan State and Minnesota can make their hotel reservations, too. Full projections for the Big Ten, BCS, and all other bowls after the jump.

Remember the rules.

These are projections. I am taking into account what will happen in future games, not assigning teams based upon current standings.
The best teams don't always go to the best games. In the end, butts in the seat and eyes to the television are the biggest factors.
The order of BCS selection is 1) Replacement for #1 Team; 2) Replacement for #2 Team; 3) Orange Bowl; 4) Fiesta Bowl; 5) Sugar Bowl.
The Champs Bowl picks its Big Ten team ahead of the Alamo Bowl this year.
For the full rules on BCS selections, look here.

			Did you see anything yesterday that changed this matchup? I didn't.
			With no traditional power or huge traveling fan base available, maybe the Orange Bowl takes TCU as the top ranked unbeaten team? The TCU defense against the Tech offense would be fun to watch.
			I am presuming that after the polls come out tomorrow, Iowa will be no lower than 17 in the BCS standings. If that's the case, a 10-2 Iowa will likely be in the Top 14 by the final rankings. I'm projecting that the Fiesta picks Iowa over 10-2 Penn State. If you want to argue otherwise, be my guest. It'll be a tough call. As for the other spot, does the Fiesta take a 10-2 Oklahoma State team (assuming that they win in Norman)? Maybe. But I'm guessing that they look to 13-0 Boise instead.
			Still think that this will be the SEC Championship loser versus the Big East champion. Pittsburgh is sure giving me pause...
			Congratulations, Ohio State. Now win.
			Again, if you want to flip Iowa and Penn State, be my guest. LSU is a lock for Orlando.
			I don't see any way in which Wisconsin moves from this spot. I think a 9-3 Iowa or Penn State squad gets selected ahead of the Badgers. I'm going with 7 win Tennessee over 7 win Georgia, 7 win Auburn, and 7 win Arkansas.
			Congratulations to Northwestern on reaching 7 wins. The fact that none of the teams below you accomplished that means that you get a great bowl matchup. Getting the 8th against Wisconsin won't move you up any further.
			6-6 Michigan State goes to San Antonio. If Sparty can upset Penn State, they'll go to Orlando for the Champs Bowl instead. Expect to see the Oklahoma/Texas Tech winner here.
			Barring an upset of Iowa, which would bump the Gophers over a 6-6 Michigan State, or a Wolverine win that sends the Gophers to Detroit, Minnesota is headed back to the desert for the third time in four years.
			Unless Michigan wins, this game goes unfilled by the Big Ten. Again.
			At this point, Indiana, Illinois, and Purdue have guaranteed themselves a winter without a bowl game. Michigan can reach 6 wins if they can pull the upset over the Rose Bowl bound Buckeyes on Saturday. If they do, they'll get the best bowl slot available for a 6-6 team (likely the Alamo Bowl). I'm not counting on it. I think that all four of these teams will be On the Couch with the Queso Bowl (now sponsored by Ro*Tel).

And now we add the other 23 bowl games...



			SMU controls its own destiny to win C-USA West. I think that they do, but they lose to ECU in the championship game. Troy has made this their annual winter home.
			BYU will be asked to go to Las Vegas every time they can. Oregon State is a good matchup.


			10-2 Pitt may be the biggest loser in the bowl pairings. With Notre Dame not earning a BCS bid, they'll go to the Gator Bowl and push all of the Big East teams down a rung. Pitt deserves better than this.
			Florida State will need to beat Maryland to keep their bowl streak going (you don't think they'll win in Gainesville do you?). Stanford stays close to home for a nice matchup.
			This would be a great matchup. Why doesn't this game happen during the regular season from time to time?
			Iowa State could get out to the Insight Bowl if they upset Mizzou next weekend.
			The ACC can't fill this spot. Ohio's 7 wins will get them a bid somewhere. I'm saying that somewhere is DC.
			The current projections have room for one 6-6 team. It's UCLA, and they will head north to the blue turf.
			Navy has clinched this bid. Will pent-up Aggie fans travel to Houston? I suspect they will.
			Stanford may end up with a better record, but this would be a dream matchup in San Diego.
			Houston is going to need help to win the Western Division of C-USA. I don't think that they get it. The good news is that they get a great matchup in Ft. Worth.
			Texas Tech fits well here. Look for the Cal/Stanford winner to be their opponent.
			Chick-Fil-A will have its choice of the Hokies, Clemson, and Miami. Clemson/Auburn wouldn't be a surprise either.
			Even Notre Dame haters would love a good Catholics vs. Convicts game.
			This would be a really good game. The MAC champion is not tied to any one game, and I suspect the league will try to get them a good matchup.
			6-6 Kentucky gets the SEC's last spot. The Big East places teams, and they'll want one of their better teams to face an SEC member.
			The Cowboys have cemented their place as second best in the Big 12. Auburn's loss to Georgia moves Ole Miss to a return trip to Dallas.
			Houston's loss sets up an ECU/SMU C-USA title game. I've got ECU winning and going back to Memphis. The Liberty Bowl is happy to have Arkansas.
			UL-M replaces the ACC, which can't fill its last two spots. A seven win ULM team will get chosen above a more (TV friendly" 6 win team.

Virginia Tech 16, East Carolina 3: What They're Saying

furrer4heisman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:00:39 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

Browse more photos »

Of course it's better to win ugly than lose pretty, but the Hokies sure do have a lot of issues to address before getting back into conference play. Let's see, there's offensive efficiency, poor tackling and carelessness with the football (especially by kick returners). Yep, that's all three phases of the game. Practice will be far from easy for Tech's players this week. Let's see what the media and unwashed masses have to say about Thursday night's win.

National Media and Bloggers

Hokies, Williams get back on track (Annette)
"Even though Williams didn't get into the end zone, his ability to run the ball and the Hokies' ability to control the line of scrimmage was the difference in the game. Williams showed why he was a midseason favorite to win the ACC's Player of the Year award, as much of his yardage came by breaking tackles, lowering his shoulder and keeping his feet moving. Virginia Tech also got the most complete effort from its defense it has seen in the past two games, and Cody Grimm seemed to be in on almost every play."

We Were Riiiiiiiight (EDSBS)
"Taylor also fumbled once doing that, but he gives, and he takes, and did enough spectacular scrambling to keep Tech drives alive in a 16-3 victory over the ECU Pirates, who shot themselves in the wooden leg all night with drive-killing penalties. Tech freshman Ryan Williams also had 179 clock-killing yards and got to show off the "Sweetness" tat on his forearm for the cameras, so yeah, it was as slow a night of football as one might expect."

Virginia Tech 16, ECU 3 (J.P. Giglio)
"The aesthetic differences, and big-game energy, didn't add up to a new offense, which was held to a field goal in the three quarters and was handcuffed by penalties. ECU committed six penalties, for 60 yards, in the first half, none more costly than a holding call on guard Terence Campbell that negated a 20-yard touchdown run by Dominique Lindsay."

Virginia Tech Beat Writers

Not pretty, but a win (Mark Viera)
"After back-to-back losses, Virginia Tech needed a win. With a 16-3 victory at East Carolina on Thursday, the Hokies got back in the happy side of the won-loss column, but they were unconvincing. But that did not seem to matter. On Thursday, the cliche that a win is a win applied for Virginia Tech’s players and coaches, who felt at ease after beating the Pirates."

Tech's defense does the trick on third downs against ECU (Norm Wood)
"After Georgia Tech and North Carolina combined to convert on 18 of 34 third down plays in wins against Virginia Tech, much of the grousing this week around Camp Hokie was about Virginia Tech's inability to get opposing offenses off the field when it counted. ECU didn't enjoy nearly the same success as Georgia Tech and UNC, converting on just four of 14 third downs. On third downs against ECU, Virginia Tech surrendered 3.6 yards per play and intercepted a pass. Of course, Tech's offense was equally as inefficient as ECU on third downs, also converting just four of 14."

QB Taylor gets Tech back on its feet (Aaron McFarling)
"Whatever the reason, Taylor's running ability seemed under-utilized, a gift unwrapped only in emergencies. Taylor scored a rushing touchdown in the 2-minute offense against Georgia Tech and drew effusive praise from Jackets coach Paul Johnson -- a guy who mentors QB Josh Nesbitt, the fourth-ranked rusher in the ACC."

Three-game skid avoided (Randy King)
"Riding a career-high 179 rushing yards by redshirt freshman tailback Ryan Williams and a stout performance by its defense, Tech washed away the misery of back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina the past 20 days. It was sweet redemption for Williams. Last Thursday in Blacksburg, the hard-running back lost a fumble for the first time in his college career that set up a game-winning field goal that enabled UNC to beat the heavily favored Hokies."

Everyone Exhales (Kyle Tucker)
"For Taylor, who was again imperfect, it was a night when his leadership shined. After the fumble, he took the team right back and scored on a run almost identical to his crazy-cool scoring scramble against Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl last year. Taylor’s arm was a little erratic, but he hit some clutch throws and he ran for 61 hugely important yards."

Ryan Williams breaks through (Darryl Slater)
"Another interesting tidbit: Tech is now just the third school in Division (I-A) history to produce back-to-back 1,000-yard freshman rushers. Of course, it takes an odd circumstance for this to happen, like Evans’ season-ending knee injury, because why would a 1,000-yard freshman rusher get limited action the next season?"

Hokies snap streak with road victory at ECU (Jimmy Robertson)
"The victory moved the Hokies to 6-3 overall and enabled them to achieve bowl eligibility for the 17th straight season. Tech, now 10-5 in the series and 4-2 all time at Dowdy-Ficklen, has won six of seven meetings against the Pirates and avenged last season’s 27-22 loss in Charlotte. The Pirates fell to 5-4 on the season."

Virginia Tech Bloggers

Hokies Run Over Pirates 16-3 (Tech Sideline)
"That was the last time East Carolina had the ball in Virginia Tech territory. Bud Foster's defense was dominant for the rest of the game, using an array of blitzes to pressure quarterback Patrick Pinkney. They only sacked him once, but they threw off the timing of the ECU passing game, and the Tech defensive backs had excellent coverage downfield."

Immediate Reactions to the ECU Game (The North End Zone)
"That game last night, while a good win, was just plain sloppy. Granted we only technically gave up one fumble, but the fumble into the end zone, the fumbled lateral (that was not a forward pass) and the muffed punt were just sloppiness and lack of concentration. We're better than that."

Yawn: Hokies beat Pirates 16-3 (Fight for Old DC)
"Win or lose, this game was nearly unbearable to sit through. Between Lou Holtz and his spitfest, and his blatant (and obviously expected) favoritism for his son's ECU Pirates, I wanted to just cut the game off all together. That doesn't begin to explain my disgust with some of the things happening on the field. While I've been one to jump on the Fire Stinespring bandwagon, and tonight didn't do a lot to sway me from that seat, some players just didn't come to play."

Skip to My Lou and Who’s Your Daddy? (College Game Balls)
Some quality signage from VT-ECU.

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