SB Nation - Florida St. Seminoles

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Tuesday (12/22/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:20:59 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few daily distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Brahma beer, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

It's the Day Before the Day Before Christmas Eve. I hope everybody has their shopping done (mostly because I don't and I don't want to fight any crowds today). Anyway, there's plenty inside to keep you occupied. Tips, suggestions and requests are always a nice gift. See you on the other side...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Tuesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Coach Stewart Quotes - MSNsportsNET.Com

The secret of WVU’s success - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
I don't agree with the first two paragraphs....AT ALL.

News of Note (FB):

The Underdog Role - BlueGoldNews.com

Lending a Hand - MSNsportsNET.Com
Jack of All Trades, Pat Kirkland, is profiled.

Looks like Devine wants one more year - Charleston Gazette

Devine plans to return ... for now - Charleston Daily Mail

WVU's Devine yet to decide on future - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
I guess we have a winner for this week's theme.

WVU considers honoring Chris Henry at Gator Bowl - Charleston Daily Mail
Casazza's Notebook

WVU Focuses on Solid Football Going into Gator Bowl - WVIllustrated.com

Bowden Reminisces - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Audio link

News of Note (BB):

NCAA College Basketball Polls - ESPN
Holding steady at #6 in both polls

Weekly Watch: Week 5 - ESPN
On Wednesday, we're a "place to be"

Conference Call: West Virginia looking strong in Big East - Sporting News

What's On Tap:

Women's Basketball: WVU Takes on UMBC - MSNsportsNET.Com
7 pm tonight at the Coliseum.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Dixon gives UC spark off the bench - Cincinnati Enquirer

ESPN's OTL Takes a Look at Rutgers Football - Protect R Turf

Plethora of questions face Rutgers coach Greg Schiano as season wraps up - Star Ledger

Cardinals are still hobbled - Courier-Journal

Pitt Basketball: Brown makes anticipated return to Panthers' lineup - PPG

Kentucky beats Drexel to become first college team to reach 2,000 wins - ESPN

Joe McKnight doesn't travel with USC; three players ruled academically ineligible for Emerald Bowl - ESPN

Video of Interest:

Courtesy, as usual, of WVIllustrated.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Babe Year in Review Gallery of the Week:

Well...mostly babes.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is yet another Brazilian supermodel who has been featured in the SI swimsuit edition and is another former Victoria's Secret model. I really want to, at least, visit Brazil...soon. Here's Isabeli Fontana.

via i214.photobucket.com

Brahma image via www.brahma.com.pe

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Monday (12/21/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:02:47 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and some daily distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Adnams Spindrift, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

It's Christmas week and most of us are recovering from the weekend snow. Football practice started up again and both basketball teams won over the weekend. The women did it in convincing fashion and the men blew a 17 point lead to win with an improbably easy layup with a second to spare. Your tips, suggestions and requests are always helpful. See you after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

WVU Edges Vikings - MSNsportsNET.Com
80-78

West Virginia Defeats Fresno State - MSNsportsNET.Com
The women take care of business 72-52, after being delayed overnight by the snow.

Gold and Blue Report for Monday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Video of Interest:

Here's an interview with Coach Beatty, courtesy of WVIllustrated.

Random Link of Hilarity:

These are awesome!

The top 10 unintentionally worst company URLs - Independent Sources

Christmas Gallery of the Day:

via www.gunaxin.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is one of the tabloid stars in the UK. Say hello to the lovely Michelle Marsh. God bless the UK. The gallery is just....wow.

via girls.gunaxin.com

And because it's the Christmas season, and I like to give, here are two more with Michelle frolicking around with pal and fellow Miss Throwdown, Lucy Pinder.

Adnams Spindrift image via www.thepublican.com

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl's Response to Tomahawk Nation's Story About Player Gifts

FrankDNole — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:16:00 -0000

TOMAHAWK NATION EXCLUSIVE: This story contains information that has not yet been released, published, or reported by any main stream media outlet, newspaper, blog, or any other site. TN is the first to publish this information.

Recently I published a story titled Are The 2010 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Sponsors Stingy and Tight Wads? where I questioned why the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl's announced and published list of gifts for players were what I consider to be inferior and substandard, especially when compared to what other "less prominent" bowls were offering the participants of their respective bowls. At the time of this story being published, 563 (67%) out of the 839 TN members who voted, felt the 2 gifts were inferior, shabby, and cheap, and only 40 voters (4%) felt they were satisfactory. (The poll has now been closed and removed)

Apparently this story received some attention outside of the Tomahawk Nation membership base and from those others who read TN on a regular basis.

Shortly after publishing, I was contacted by the sports editor of a Jacksonville sports media outlet requesting permission to share the story on their site, which I granted.

The next day I was contacted by e-mail, by Erik Dellenback, who is the Director of Marketing for the Gator Bowl Association.

In Mr. Dellenback's email to me, he stated that he respects and that I am entitled to my opinion on the gifts, but that he would like me to consider the following points:

-That the Title Sponsor, Konica Minolta, has no influence or relationship with the selection of Bowl gifts.

-That the Title Sponsor is one of the primary revenue sources that helps keep Bowls making millions of dollars in payouts to the participating Universities.

-That "the City of Jacksonville, the Gator Bowl and Konica Minolta are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to thank Bobby and his fans appropriately for a legendary career,

including,

-providing game tickets and hosting events for past players,

-creating a special in-game ceremony,

-honoring Coach Bowden as the Grand Marshall of the Parade,

-creating a once in a lifetime final walk into the stadium for FSU and WVU fans to thank Coach Bowden,

-and providing many other thank you mementos for Coach Bowden and his family."

-Also, that the players will be getting a ring to commemorate Bobby Bowden's last game.

Mr. Dellenback concluded his email by reiterating once again how I am entitled to my opinion, and how over the last two weeks there have been meetings between the Gator Bowl Association, Konica Minolta and the City of Jacksonville, on how they can spend their time and money to make this a once in a lifetime event for FSU fans and players as well as Coach Bowden.

While I appreciated Mr. Dellenback's response and concern about our story, everything he stated, with the exception of the ring and the tickets/events for past players, are usual and customary things that are considered normal operating procedures for Title Sponsors, cities, and organizing committees and associations for major bowl games. Furthermore, his email did not address the point of my story and my desire to learn why this years gifts were inferior to the gifts presented to Clemson and Nebraska players last year, and more importantly, inferior and substandard to the gifts being presented by "less prestigious bowls" to their participants this year.

Please hit the jump to continue reading my response and subsequent correspondence between Mr. Dellenback and myself.

Here is my reply to his e-mail.

Mr. Dellenback,

Thank you for your e-mail.

As the Director of Marketing for the Gator Bowl, I can appreciate your concern regarding my story regarding what I consider to be inferior gifts for the FSU and WVU players who will be participating in your bowl game, as compared to what is being given to players at what I will refer to as "less prominent" bowl games.

In writing my story, I used data that was obtained from published sources, based on information apparently supplied to those outlets by someone associated with your Gator Bowl Association.

If you will further help me understand where I went wrong, I will be more than happy to write a follow-up story with more accurate information.

Here are some of the issues I am concerned with, that I would like for you to address, if at all possible, to help me explain to our readers why I was incorrect in my conclusions.

1.    If the Title Sponsor Konica Minolta, has no influence or relationship with the selection of Bowl gifts, who or what group of people, specifically in the case of the Gator Bowl, made the decision as to what gifts are given to the players?

2. Regarding the Rings....Are you able to share any other information other than that the ring will commemorate Bobby Bowden's final game, such as manufacturer or approximate value? Are you able to share a sample layout or photograph of the ring that I am able to publish?

3. Was the GBA planning to keep the rings a secret in order to surprise the players? Is this the reason it was not made public at the same time the other gifts were originally announced?

4.  Will the West Virginia players also be getting a ring that will commemorate Bobby Bowden's final game, or will their rings be different?

5. While I can appreciate the points you make in your e-mail, specifically in item #2, with all due respect, the payout versus publicity the Title Sponsor receives is a corporate decision that sponsor makes willingly, and it is the same decision all Title Sponsors make for each and every bowl game. The Gator Bowl is not any different than any of the other bowls in this respect.  I am sure Konica Minolta performed extensive cost analysis before deciding to sponsor, and I am confident that they made a sound business decision when they agreed to be the Title Sponsor of the Gator Bowl.

As a matter of fact, during last years Gator Bowl, "Konica Minolta will launch a new television ad campaign, which focuses on delivering a reliable, trustworthy solution that exceeds customers’ copier product and service needs. The two-spot campaign will debut during the Gator Bowl Classic, and will appear during additional sports programming throughout 2009. Featuring a new slogan, Count on Konica Minolta, viewers will come to know personalities Bev and Milt, who quickly learn the value of Konica Minolta’s award-winning line of MFPs and printers and come to rely on the certainty and trustworthiness that comes from a trusted partnership with Konica Minolta."

Therefore, your point about the Title Sponsor being one of the primary revenue sources that helps keep Bowls making millions of dollars in payouts to the participating Universities, in my opinion, benefits Konica Minolta equally and is really a non-issue as far as my story is concerned.

6. While I can appreciate the points you make in your e-mail, specifically in item #4, I will concede that the cost of the complimentary tickets and special events for past players may be an additional incurred cost to the GBA that may or may not have been budgeted for. However, your other points in #4 regarding the "special" events are a normal bowl game expense which I consider not relevant to the point of my story.

7. If my facts are correct, the 2009 Gator Bowl attendance was approximately 65,000.  From what I understand, the 2010 Gator Bowl is expected to break the previous attendance record.

"We're planning on breaking the record," Gator Bowl general chairman Dan Murphy said of the benchmark set two years ago, when 85,412 fans watched Bowden's Seminoles beat Alabama 21-14.

"I knew this would be a hit," Gator Bowl Association president Rick Catlett said. "But this has exceeded our wildest expectations."

Considering these facts, please help me explain to our readers why there is such a difference between the 2009 gift package of a Bulova watch, Jostens ring, Oakley Split Thump MP3 sunglasses, fitted cap, two-piece Mercury Luggage rolling duffel and sling bag, and the 2010 gift package of the Commemorative Ring honoring Bobby Bowden that you mentioned in your item #3, along with a Fossil watch, and Oakley Antix sunglasses. Would you agree that there seems to be a discrepancy in level of the gift packages between last years and this years? I am not familiar with the Jostens ring given to the Clemson and Nebraska players last year. Will that be a similar ring to the Commemorative Bobby Bowden Ring you mentioned the players will be given this year?

Mr. Dellenback, the point of my story was that it appears the gifts the players of both teams will be receiving this year are not on par with the gifts given last year by your Gator Bowl, and at the same time, inferior to the gifts being given to players at less prestigious bowls.

As I previously stated, I will write a follow up story explaining the Gator Bowl's point of view regarding what I view as a discrepancy in terms of gifts with other bowls. The information you provided regarding the Commemorative Ring is a good starting point. If you will please answer my questions and concerns outlined above, I will write a story explaining how my perceived ideas of inferior gifts was incorrect and I will be more than happy to explain why I was wrong.

Please feel free to reply to this email address, or to the one you originally sent me.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you with more facts so I can get a new story published ASAP.

The next day Mr. Dellenback responded to my e-mail by starting out with the following:

I truly appreciate you allowing me the opportunity to further explain this process. I can also tell by your below e-mail that you certainly do extensive research before publishing and I appreciate that very much.

Mr. Dellenback responded to my questions as follows:

In regards to you points, I would like to provide the following response:

1. Bowl gifts are selected by Bowl Staff with input from our Volunteer leadership. The process of Bowl gift selection begins each year when we have a critique meeting with the two teams that played in the last game. We sit down with several player and administrators and they give us feedback on what they got and what they would rather have gotten. We take that information and make selections based on that.

2. I am referring to the NCAA dollar amount and the manufacturer is Jostens. Each ring will be customized by the two schools to represent their season and trip to the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, so we have not yet finalized artwork.

3. The ring is not a surprise it was just not published for some reason.

4. There ring will be customized by WVU.

5. I actually agree with you on this point, I was only referencing that I wished the company had not been negatively affiliated with the Bowl gifts.

6. The events I was referencing will all be conducted and paid for above and beyond the already scheduled event packed Bowl week.

OK, so now let's get back to the point of my original story, the gifts for the FSU and WVU players.

The point of my original story was simply to wonder out loud why the PUBLISHED Gator Bowl gifts were inferior to the gifts presented to last years Gator Bowl participants and, inferior to what the lesser bowls are giving out this year.

I am not trying to beat a dead horse here by any means. If I were a player, I would consider it an honor and privilege to play in a bowl game, and the gifts would just be a little icing on the bowl cake. But the fact of the matter is that the gifts to the players are a customary and expected tradition, and with a record breaking attendance expected, I saw no reason why our players should get short changed and felt they should at the minimum, get gifts comparable to similarly ranked bowls. Whether you like the gift idea or not, gifts are a fact of life in the bowl world.

The information I obtained during my research of last years bowl gifts came from two published sources and both sources listed the gifts given to the Gator Bowl players as a Bulova watch, Jostens ring, Oakley Split Thump MP3 sunglasses, fitted cap, Two-piece Mercury Luggage rolling duffel and sling bag.

http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/60900

and

http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/12/your-2008-2009-college-football-bowl.html

In Mr. Dellenback's e-mail response, he agrees that the gifts given last year included a Bulova Watch, Oakley Thumps, a fitted hat, and a luggage set, however he did not list the Jostens Ring. The Jostens Ring allegedly given last year is from the same manufacturer as this years Bobby Bowden/Gator Bowl commemorative ring.

I chose to believe that what Mr. Dellenback is saying is truthful, and that he is not purposely omitting that a comparable ring was given last year, just to bring this years gifts more in line with last years gifts.

Mr. Dellenback also informed me that they have also added a Luggage Trunk as a gift to the players.

Therefore, the players will be receiving the aforementioned Fossil Watch and Oakley sunglasses, the previously unannounced Luggage Trunk, and the large gift on which the majority of the dollars will be spent, a Jostens Ring that will be customized by FSU and will commemorate Bobby Bowden’s final game and the Gator Bowl.

To recap, when I first published the story, the only gifts that were announced and published were the watch and sunglasses which lead me to ask

Are The 2010 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Sponsors Stingy and Tight Wads?

Knowing what I now know, that the FSU players will be receiving a previously unannounced specially designed Gator Bowl/Bobby Bowden Commemorative Ring (the WVU players will be also receiving a ring customized by their school), the Fossil Watch, the Oakley Sunglasses, the also previously unannounced Luggage Trunk, that the GBA will be giving tickets and hosting events for former players, and based on all this new information that was not published and incorrectly reported by many other media outlets, my answer to that question today, would have to be

NO!

Finally, as I publish this story, I am sending Mr. Dellenback the following e-mail to make him aware that I have kept my word, and suggest the Gator Bowl consider issuing a press release to make other MSM outlets aware of the actual gifts and to stop the spread of misinformation and negative publicity about their gift selections.

Hello Erik,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my questions.

I have written a new story regarding our exchanges on our site Tomahawk Nation.com, which I think better explains the Gator Bowl Association's position, the gifts, and the GBA's relation with Konica Minolta, in a more flattering and positive light.

Here is the link. http://www.tomahawknation.com/2009/12/18/1205531/konica-minolta-gator-bowls

I believe I was diligent in the research I performed when attempting to find out what gifts were being given to players by the different bowls. During this process, I came across several stories on different sites that portrayed the Gator Bowl gifts in a less than desirable fashion. There will undoubtedly be more stories being written by newspapers, magazines, blogs, and possibly even reported on television, in the next two weeks about what participating players can expect to receive when arriving at their respective bowl games. Last year for example, many stories were written, not just by blogs, but by newspapers such as the Orlando Sentinel, and even by ESPN.com.

With all due respect, I would like to offer a suggestion. I think the Gator Bowl Association should consider issuing a press release about the actual gifts that the FSU and WVU players will be given, to stop any misinformation about the quality of the Gator Bowl gifts, and to make sure the correct information is disseminated to the MSM outlets, so that they can have accurate information on any future stories being written or reported.

If by chance you do issue any type of release, I would appreciate being included on the distribution list for that and any other future release's pertaining to the upcoming game.

Finally, I am sure I will be enjoying my latest FSU bowl game experience in the Gator Bowl, and the subsequent weekend I will be spending in Jacksonville Beach.

Thank you again for your time and response.

While this information is not as important as a new coaching hire, some of you may find these turn of events at least somewhat interesting during a slow Nole news period.

>---------------:----:-----------------> GO NOLES!

(In cap's, bold, and highlighted for your reading pleasure)

ACC Football Decade Standings Kind to the Eagles

Brian @ BCI — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:52:53 -0000

This past decade was kind to the Eagles on the gridiron. While Florida State fans will be quick to point out that Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College were fortunate enough to avoid being dominated by the Seminoles in the early part of this decade, the numbers below are certainly interesting. This comparison isn't 100 percent apples-to-apples given ACC expansion but BC still fares pretty well if you look across the entire body of work this decade.

The chart below shows how the ACC fared this decade in football. The seven bowl-bound teams (Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Miami, Clemson, North Carolina, Boston College and Florida State) have one more game to play as we wrap up the aughts.

ACC All-Decade Standings (sorted by Overall Winning Percentage)

Team	Conf.*	Pct.	Overall	Pct.	Bowls	BCS	ACC Title	NFL Draft	1st Rd.
Virginia Tech	38-10	.792	98-32	.754	10	3	3	47	4
Miami (Fla.)	25-23	.521	92-32	.742	9	4	0	63	26
Boston College	26-14	.650	88-39	.693	10	0	0	21	7
Florida State	55-25	.688	84-44	.656	10	4	4	55	13
Georgia Tech	50-30	.625	81-47	.633	10	1	1	22	1
Clemson	47-33	.588	78-47	.624	9	0	0	24	3
Maryland	41-39	.513	71-52	.577	6	1	1	26	3
NC State	34-46	.425	65-58	.528	6	0	0	27	5
Virginia	32-48	.513	65-59	.524	6	0	0	32	6
Wake Forest	32-48	.400	61-60	.504	4	1	1	17	2
North Carolina	32-48	.400	53-67	.442	4	0	0	26	4
Duke	7-73	.088	19-97	.164	0	0	0	2	0

Decade Notes

Expansion Bang For The Buck. Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College run 1-2-3 in terms of best overall winning percentage on the decade. These three schools also account for 36 percent of all NFL Draft picks from ACC schools, as well as the same number of first-round Draft picks (37) as the rest of the pre-expansion teams combined. That number, of course, is largely propped up by Miami's 26 first-rounders.

Just How Bad Were The Carolina Schools? Pretty bad. NC State led the way with 34 conference wins, followed by Wake Forest and North Carolina at 32, and Duke managed just 7 wins in 10 years (and that included quite a few 0-8 seasons). In four less seasons, Virginia Tech managed to surpass every North Carolina schools' ACC win total. The four NC finished last in conference winning percentage, yet we continue to let these guys run the conference.

A Tale of Two Dynasties. Florida State dominated the pre-expansion ACC, winning 4 of the decade's first 6 ACC titles. Virginia Tech is the big winner post-expansion, claiming 3 of the decades final 6 titles. The Hokies and Seminoles run 1-2 in overall conference winning percentage.

A Perfect 10 for 10. Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Florida State and BC were the only ACC programs to appear in a bowl game every year this decade. Miami and Clemson appeared in 9 bowl games. Clemson fans will jump all over me if I don't mention that the Tigers were indeed bowl-eligible the one year they did not go to a bowl (2004), but they declined the invite as punishment for "The Brawl" incident in the season finale against South Carolina. On the other end of the spectrum, Duke, of course, went 0-for-bowling this decade.

The Century Mark. With a win in the Peach Bowl over Tennessee, Virginia Tech will finish one win shy of reaching the century mark for total number of wins this decade (99). Luckily for Duke, a season only had 11 games during the first half of the decade. Otherwise Duke would likely have eclipsed the century mark for total number of losses (97).

Team Notes

Boston College. If I were to tell you before 2000 that BC would produce more first-round NFL draft picks (7) than any ACC program other than Florida State (13) and Miami (26), you would have told me I was crazy, right? The Eagles .693 overall winning percentage and .650 ACC winning percentage are good for third among current ACC programs.

Clemson. The Tigers own the best ACC winning percentage (.588) of pre-expansion ACC teams that failed to win an ACC title this decade (a group that includes Virginia and all four Carolina schools). On a plus note, Clemson never turned in a losing season in ACC play over their last ten seasons.

Duke. Duke's sad trip through the aughts produced 6 winless ACC seasons. The Blue Devils waited nearly four full seasons before registering their first ACC win this decade (a 41-17 victory over Georgia Tech on November 8, 2003). This season alone, Duke earned 42 percent of their ACC victories this decade (3 of 7).

Florida State. Florida State's 55 NFL draft picks were good for second in the conference, only 8 behind Miami's 63 draft picks. However, Miami produced twice as many first-rounders as FSU this decade. The Seminoles .688 overall winning percentage is good for second in the conference, while their .656 ACC winning percentage leaves them fourth behind all three post-expansion programs. (I know, I know. Sample size, right?)

Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have produced 22 NFL draft picks, good for 9th this decade. However, their lone first-round draft pick (Calvin Johnson, 2nd overall in 2007) is the lowest number of first round picks for an ACC program not named Duke.

Maryland. Maryland's 1-7 ACC campaign ties them with Virginia as both programs finished 2 games over .500 in ACC play this decade. Maryland, of course, gets the nod for better program over UVA with an ACC Championship and a better overall winning percentage tipping the scales in the Terps favor.

Miami. A large part of the U's success this decade came well before their jump to the ACC. The Hurricanes' 92-32 overall record is largely the result of back-to-back BCS National Championship Game appearances. All four of their BCS bowl appearances occurred while a member of the Big East. I'm unsure but have to imagine that Miami's 63 NFL Draft picks and 26 first-rounders are a decade-best (next best USC with 61 and 15?).

NC State. NC State finishes the decade on a fairly sour note. Their 2-6 ACC mark in 2009 matches a decade-worst record in conference (2006). The Wolfpack finished with more losing seasons in the ACC (5) than winning seasons (1) with several 4-4 seasons sprinkled in. Tom O'Brien's record the last three seasons (16-21) is nearly identical to Chuck Amato's final three seasons in Raleigh (15-20) before Amato was shown the door.

North Carolina. A late-decade Butch Davis rebirth couldn't stave off a below-.500 decade in the ACC for the Tar Heels. The Heels finish the decade at .400 in the ACC, tied with fellow Tobacco Road program Wake Forest. Heels fans really suffered through a good part of this decade. UNC had two winning seasons to start the decade, followed by seven straight losing/.500 seasons (they can thank the Eagles for the lone .500 season), and only a couple of 8 wins seasons under Butch Davis to finish the decade off on a high note. A win in the Car Care Bowl will give the Heels the most wins in a season since Mack Brown's final season in Chapel Hill (1997).

Virginia. UVA has produced a lot of NFL talent this decade and only has one ACC co-championship to show for it. The Cavaliers produced the fourth highest total of NFL Draft picks (32) and first-rounders (6) in the ACC this decade. Only Frank Beamer and Bobby Bowden coached in more games this decade than Al Groh (112, which leaves him tied for third with Ralph Friedgen).

Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech has dominated the ACC since joining the league, posting a 38-10 (.792) record in six seasons. Out of Virginia Tech's 10 conference losses, no team has beaten the Hokies more than the Eagles (3 times - 2006, 2007, 2008) but sadly, never when it really counted.

Wake Forest. Jim Grobe should be commended for turning around one of the ACC's doormat programs into ACC Champs in 2006. Grobe inherited a team that had gone 38-74 the decade before, largely under the leadership of Jim Caldwell (funny what a head coach can accomplish with Peyton Manning as your quarterback). Grobe's 9 seasons in Winston-Salem produced a 59-51 record that gave Wake Forest a winning record this decade (61-60).

* ACC Championship Game results were not included in the final conference W-L record. Conference records for Virginia Tech and Miami are from 2004-present. BC's conference record is from 2005-present.

Ed note: most numbers were calculated by hand so there may be a few numbers slightly off. Keep me honest in the comments section or email us at bcinterruption at gmail dot com.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Friday (12/18/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:08:13 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a bit of entertainment. Today we're being brought to you by Layla Dirty Blonde Lager in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

The men and women both get back into action tomorrow as basketball gets back into the swing of things all around the country. There's a full slate of BE ranked teams in action. Football starts practice again for the bowl tomorrow as well, which means news there should pick up a bit next week. If you're anywhere where snow is being called for, stay warm and be careful if you have to go out. There's plenty to keep you warm in this edition. Suggestions and requests are always encouraged. Have a safe and great weekend!!! Let's GOOOOOOOO...........

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Friday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Bill Stewart Statement - MSNsportsNET.Com

Men's Basketball: No Tickets Remain for Seton Hall - MSNsportsNET.Com
Looks like I missed this one. Sorry.

Syracuse Orange enters top 3 of College Basketball Power Rankings - SI.com
We've slid back to #6 from #4 last week.

West Virginia 25th in Director's Cup Standings - MSNsportsNET.Com

Forde Yard Dash - ESPN
"From the starting block in Albuquerque to the finish line in Pasadena, The Dash sprints through all 34 bowls -- and picks the winners."

BCS National Championship, Rose Bowl headline bowl Pickoff - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

News of Note:

West Virginia - Team Notes - USATODAY.com

Let rivalry begin again - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Will Doc's loss impact WVU all that much? - 'Eers to the Ground/PPG

Unfinished Business - MSNsportsNET.Com

WVU's Brown takes aim at home-state team - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Sporting News All-Big East first team - Sporting News

Florida State's head-coach-to-be Jimbo Fisher still fond of West Virginia - St. Petersburg Times

Not just another week for FSU football - Tallahassee Democrat

Chris Henry:

Chris Henry's WVU teammates remember the life of Slim - WVIllustrated.com

Chris Henry's death interrupted his redemption with Bengals - Paul Daugherty - SI.com

NFL Videos: Brown, Lewis on Henry - NFL.com

Chris Henry rocked the Carrier Dome in 2003 as a West Virginia freshman receiver - syracuse.com
Orange beat writer remembers Henry's performances against Syracuse.

What's On Tap:

The WVU women take on Fresno State tomorrow at 7 pm from the Coliseum (couldn't find a link).

West Virginia vs. Cleveland State - SI.com
Saturday from Cleveland at 2 pm on ESPN 360 and MASN.

Lipscomb vs. Cincinnati - SI.com
Saturday at 2 pm from Cinci on ESPN 360.

Villanova vs. Fordham - SI.com
Saturday at 2 pm from East Rutherford, NJ.

Old Dominion vs. Georgetown - SI.com
Saturday at 7 pm from the Phone Booth in DC on ESPN 360 and MASN.

St. Bonaventure vs. Syracuse - SI.com
Saturday at 7 pm from the Dome.

UCF vs. Connecticut - SI.com
Sunday at 1 pm from Hartford on ESPN 360 and MASN.

St. Petersburg Bowl - UCF Knights vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights - ESPN
Sunday night at 8 on ESPN. Rutgers is favored by 3.

Around the League (and Beyond):

See No Big Ten, Hear No Big Ten, Speak No Big Ten - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Cincinnati's Lance Stephenson talks about transition to college game - Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati holds first Sugar Bowl practice without Brian Kelly - ESPN

Samuels is battling huge expectations - Courier-Journal

Pitt coach Dixon demands big improvement - PPG

What now? - TheUConnBlog.com
Ater Majok makes his debut this weekend

Bulls ease back into practice - Tampa Tribune

If The Big East Expanded... - Pitt Blather

Rutgers tailback Joe Martinek ready to go in St. Petersburg Bowl whether Tim Brown plays or not - Star Ledger

Schiano More than Wins and Losses - Protect R Turf

Doc not a perfect hire, just a terrific one - Charleston Gazette

How about Big 14? -- chicagotribune.com

Videos of (Dis)Interest:

We've seen the music synced light displays before, but music and video game synced? Impressive.

She may be past her prime and carry hepatitis...but this video still does it (and her friend is nice too).

Holiday Picture of the Week:

I think the guy on the right wins, for creativity alone. Thanks to Jimmy T. of Hot Clicks for the find.

via thesurlybirds.com

Brazilian Gallery of the Week:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is easily one of Israel's finest. Please wish Happy Hanukkah to Miss Bar Rephaeli.

via i.cdn.turner.com

Layla image via www.abarbanel.com

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (12/17/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:09:10 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and entertainment. Today we're being brought to you by Solera in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

First, it seems that former WVU wide receiver Chris Henry has passed away. He was an amazing talent that we all hoped would get his life together and now it seems to have been tragically cut short. The other news today has shifted from Big Ten expansion to the loss of Doc and any other assistants he may take with him (mostly regarding the recruiting effects). The tips, suggestions and requests are always welcome. Now updated with Gazette articles. See you after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

Bengals wide receiver dies after Charlotte accident - WCNC.com
R.I.P. Chris Henry

Gold and Blue Report for Thursday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Hol(l)iday Break - BlueGoldNews.com
4 big points about next years football team inside

News of Note (FB):

Holliday on track for Marshall position - Times West Virginian

Doc has gone back to ties at WVU to start filling positions at Marshall - WVIllustrated.com
IMHO, losing Seider and Beatty would be the biggest losses.

What's up with Doc gone? - Charleston Gazette

Manchin on Doc; WVU hoop recruits on display - Charleston Gazette
Vingle's hodgepodge

Mark Ingram, Jerry Hughes lead SI.com's 2009 All-America teams - SI.com
Brandon Hogan and Scott Kozlowski get Honorable Mention status.

Jarrett Brown vs. the world - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

News of Note (BB):

Kentucky and Syracuse most likely to stay undefeated longest - SI.com
He figures we'll drop our first at Purdue on Jan 1.

Elite Eight | 2005 NCAA tournament - 2000s: Top 10 College Hoops Games - Photos - SI.com

BIG EAST Hardwood Slate - WVIllustrated.com

Recruiting:

Doc or no Doc - WVIllustrated.com
Millines is still committed to WVU

Around the League (and Beyond):

Bearcats suffer setback at UAB - Cincinnati Enquirer
64-47?!?!?

High expectations for Jones - Cincinnati Enquirer

Following Pitino challenge, Louisville basketball gets real in rout of Oral Roberts, 94-57 - Courier-Journal

Do you want to please Jim Boeheim? Expand the NCAA Tournament and watch him beam - syracuse.com

USF's Miller: Leavitt didn't strike me - Tampa Tribune

Jones scores 27 as USF men top UCF, 69-65 - Tampa Tribune

Jasper Howard stabbing suspect pleads not guilty - SI.com (AP)

Lawyer: Ex-Connecticut Huskies student manager at center of recruiting allegations has not spoken to NCAA - ESPN

Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti on Big Ten conference expansion plans: 'We are a proud member of the Big East Conference' - Star Ledger

Briefly on Big 11 Expansion Talk - Pitt Blather

Big East expansion - looking at some numbers - Card Chronicle

Four Things The Big East Conference Needs To Do Right Now - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
"The four things the Big East Conference should begin doing in order to quell the Big Ten's overtures."

Report: Arizona's Mark Stoops heading to FSU - Tampa Tribune

Pac-10 will consider expansion - ESPN

Video of Interest:

Yes, he was troubled, but he was a Mountaineer. Rest in peace Chris.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

I'm a little behind with this video, but it's worth it. Warning: Strong Language.

Year in Review Gallery of the Week:

This is a double bonus gallery. Everything inside is basically SFW, but I'm guessing the linked galleries inside aren't, based on the URL's.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is an unbelievable combination of Italian and Venezuelan hotness. This is Carolina Marconi. (Scroll down inside the link a bit for the gallery)

via multimedia.quotidianonet.ilsole24ore.com

This one is only 7 seconds, but....oh, my!

Warning: A little bit of NSFW in this one:

Solera image via 4.bp.blogspot.com

Are The 2010 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Sponsors Stingy and Tight-Wads?

FrankDNole — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:00:29 -0000

The views and opinions expressed here are strictly those of this author, and do not reflect the views or opinions of Tomahawk Nation, their management, sponsors, or advertisers.

Inferior, nominal, shabby, and cheap are the words that come to my mind when I think of the gifts being given to the FSU and WVU players participating in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl on January 1st, especially when compared to some of the gifts being given to participants of the less "prominent" bowls.

The giving of gifts to the players and coaches of both teams participating in Bowl games is a tradition that has gone on for many years. The Bowl game is a reward to the players for having a above average season and qualifying for a extra game in late December or early January, and the gifts are one of the perks which have long been associated with Bowl games.

According to the NCAA, bowls are permitted to give each player up to $500 worth of gifts once they arrive at the bowl site. Some bowls allow the players to select their own gifts, often via a gift card and usually used during a team shopping spree or "party" usually at a electronics store (e.g. 2008 Champs Bowl/Best Buy last year for the FSU team). Some Bowls give a player a "gift basket" of goodies which will usually include some type of electronic gadget, along with a couple of other items such as a watch or ring, sunglasses or apparel, luggage or backpack, and/or a miscellaneous item (i.e. commemorative football, food gift card, plaque, recliner, or some other memorabilia).

Of course, the total amount of the gift(s) is entirely up the bowl sponsors and the bowl committee.

Recently, the combination of gift certificate/team shopping spree, the gift suites, or allowing players to pick out their own gifts from a catalog, has become increasingly popular and is now being used by the majority of the bowls.

The Florida based Capital One and Champs Sports bowls, both organized by Florida Citrus Sports, were among the first to allow the players to pick their gifts.

"We're somewhat widely credited for gift suites and a shopping spree," said Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports. "We kind of said, 'Look, it just doesn't make sense to kind of guess on an electronic item, a branded item and just guess what kids want.' "

Here are a couple of quick examples of what some of the sponsors of some of the "lesser" bowls will be giving the players and coaches upon their arrivals.

The St. Petersburg Bowl will give each player an iLuv iPod/DVD player, and an Oakley package that includes a watch, sunglasses and a backpack.

The R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will give each player a Pure Digital mini cam-corder, a Balfour ring, and a Oakley package with Antix sunglasses and a backpack.

The Meineke Car Care Bowl will present each player with a choice of a Bose gift package or an iPod touch, speakers, and $20 gift card, along with a Fossil watch, an Ogio duffle bag, and a commemorative photo from the Richard Petty Driving experience.

The Emerald Bowl will be giving away Hewlett Packard mini netbooks, which are basically small laptops, in addition to a Fossil watch.

The EagleBank Bowl will giving players a Slingbox SOLO with Slinglink Turbo 1 Port, which is a device that allows users to watch TV on a computer or mobile phone, and a Powermat, which is a wireless charging station for cell phone, a hat, football, and tailgate blanket.

Participants in the Texas Bowl will be receiving a $300 Best Buy gift card, a Fossil Watch, Under Amour shirt, hat and backpack, and a Bowl T-Shirt and Belt Buckle.

For a bowl game that sold out in 2 hours, the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl's package pales in comparison to many other bowls. The words I used to lead off this story are the ones that come to mind once again when I see what the players and coaches from FSU and WVU will be receiving this year.

Hold on to your hats, or better yet, maybe the players should grab their ankles, because the giant multi-national Imaging Company, Konica Minolta, and the 2009 Gator Bowl committee, have generously decided to grace these athletes presence in Jacksonville, by giving each participant,

wait for it,

A Fossil watch and Oakley Antix sunglasses.

IMAO, I find these gifts laughable and inexcusable.

What do you think? Please vote below.

NOTE: You must be a Tomahawk Nation member to vote or your vote will be discarded. Click here to join TN. It takes less than one minute and we promise we will not share your info or send you any spam.

Hit the jump to see how the other Bowls sponsors and committees are putting the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl to shame by at least making an effort to get as close to the NCAA maximum of $500 as possible, or at least by giving these young men some electronics or gift cards to show their appreciation for their participation. After all, isn't this the season for giving, and the sold out Konica Minolta Gator Bowl should be showering our players with gifts upon their arrival.

SOURCE: Sports Business Journal

2009 Bowl gifts to participants

Bowl	Electronics	Watch/Ring	Apparel/Sunglasses	Luggage	Other
New Mexico
Dec. 19, 4:30 p.m., Albuquerque, N.M., ESPN	Sony gift suite		Oakley beanie, Oakley Antix sunglasses	Ogio wheeled garment bag, Oakley Surf Pack backpack
St. Petersburg
Dec. 19, 8 p.m., St. Petersburg, Fla., ESPN	iLuv iPod/DVD player	Oakley Holeshot 3-Hand watch	Oakley Eyepatch sunglasses	Oakley Surf Pack backpack
R&L Carriers New Orleans
Dec. 20, 8:15 p.m., New Orleans, ESPN	Pure Digital Flip mini-camcorder	Balfour ring	Oakley Antix sunglasses	Oakley Panel Packbackpack
MAACO Las Vegas
Dec. 22, 8 p.m., Las Vegas, ESPN	Sony gift suite	Fossil watch	New Era cap	Ogio Fugitive laptop pack
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia
Dec. 23, 8 p.m., San Diego, ESPN	Flo TV television, 1-year of service; Best Buy gift card	Tourneau watch	Sports Tek hooded sweatshirt, cap
Sheraton Hawaii
Dec. 24, 8 p.m., Honolulu, ESPN			Kahala Aloha shirt
Little Caesars Pizza
Dec. 26, 1 p.m., Detroit, ESPN	Sony gift suite	Timely Watch Co. watch			Football
Meineke Car
Care Dec. 26, 4:30 p.m., Charlotte, ESPN	Choice of Bose gift packages or iPod touch, speakers and $20 gift card	Fossil watch		Ogio duffle bag	Commemorative Richard Petty Driving Experience photo
Emerald
Dec. 26, 8 p.m., San Francisco, ESPN		Fossil watch
Gaylord Hotels Music City
Dec. 27, 8:30 p.m., Nashville, ESPN	RCA HD camcorder	Fossil watch	Majestic fleece pullover,New Era hat	Ogio Metro laptop pack
AdvoCare V100 Independence
Dec. 28, 5 p.m., Shreveport, La., ESPN2	Sony gift suite	Timely Watch Co. watch	New Era hat		Football
EagleBank
Dec. 29, 4:30 p.m., Washington, D.C., ESPN	Slingbox SOLO with Slinglink Turbo 1 Port, Powermat charging station		Visions Marketing Hat		Football, Kanata tailgate blanket
Champs Sports
Dec. 29, 8 p.m., Orlando, ESPN	Party at Best Buy($420 limit)	Timely Watch Co. watch
Roadys Humanitarian
Dec. 30, 4:30 p.m., Boise, Idaho, ESPN	Sony gift suite, Garmin GPS		Parka, Nike pullover, gloves, hand warmers, skull cap	Ogio Fugitive laptop pack	Football
Pacific Life Holiday
Dec. 30, 8 p.m., San Diego, ESPN	Flo TV personal television (includes one-year of service), Best Buy gift card	Tourneau watch	Sports Tek hooded sweatshirt, cap
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces
Dec. 31, Noon, Fort Worth, Texas, ESPN	Sony gift suite	Timely Watch Co. watch	Camouflaged knit cap	Ogio Metro laptop pack, luggage tag	Football, calendar
Brut Sun
Dec. 31, 2 p.m., El Paso, Texas, CBS	Sony gift suite	Timely Watch Co. watch	Majestic fleece pullover, VP Sports cap	Ogio Politan laptop pack	Brut hair dryer; coin
Texas
Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m., Houston, ESPN	$300 Best Buy gift card	Fossil watch	Under Armour shirt and hat; Bowl T-shirt	Under Armour backpack	Belt buckle
Insight
Dec. 31, 6 p.m., Tempe, Ariz., NFL Network	Sony gift suite	Fossil watch	Hat	Ogio Bounty Hunter or Hermit laptop pack
Chick-fil-A
Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., Atlanta, ESPN	$250 Best Buy gift card	Fossil watch	Russell Athletic knit cap	Russell Athletic travel bag	Football, Chick-fil-A gift card
Outback
Jan. 1, 11 a.m., Tampa, ESPN	Best Buy gift card	Pro-Swiss watch, Jostens ring	Hat		Outback Steakhouse gift card
Capital One
Jan. 1, 1 p.m., Orlando, ABC	Party at Best Buy($420 limit)	Timely Watch Co. watch
Konica Minolta Gator
Jan. 1, 1 p.m., Jacksonville, CBS		Fossil watch	Oakley Antix sunglasses
Rose Bowl presented by Citi
Jan. 1, 4:30 p.m., Pasadena, Calif., ABC	19 Sharp television combo	Fossil watch	New Era 59Fifty fitted hat	Ogio Fugitive laptop pack	Plaque
Allstate Sugar
Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m., New Orleans, Fox	Sony, Apple, Trek, Garmin and Weber gift suite	Timely Watch Co. watch	New Era cap	Ogio Politan laptop pack	Lane recliner
INTernational
Jan. 2, Noon, Toronto, ESPN2	Electronics package	Timely Watch Co. watch			Football
Papajohns.com
Jan. 2, 2 p.m., Birmingham, Ala., ESPN	RCA HD mini-camcorder			Oakley Surf Pack backpack
AT&T Cotton
Jan. 2, 2 p.m., Arlington, Texas, Fox	Would Not Disclose
AutoZone Liberty
Jan. 2, 5:30 p.m., Memphis, Tenn., ESPN	Westinghouse 19 LCD HDTV/computer monitor	Fossil watch	Nike training shoes, Nike sport sandals, Nike sunglasses		Football
Valero Alamo
Jan. 2, 9 p.m., San Antonio, ESPN	32-gig iPod Touch, Dr. Dre Monster Beats headphones	Fossil watch	Oakley Antix sunglasses		Shutt mini-helmet,panoramic photo
Tostitos Fiesta
Jan. 4, 8 p.m., Glendale, Ariz., Fox	Sony gift suite	Fossil watch,Tourneau watch	Hat	Ogio Hermit checkpoint friendly laptop pack
FedEx Orange
Jan. 5, 8 p.m., Miami, Fox	Sony gift suite	Tourneau watch	New Era cap	Ogio Politan laptop pack
GMAC
Jan. 6, 7 p.m., Mobile, Ala., ESPN	RCA HD mini-camcorder	Timely Watch Co. watch	Cap	Garment bag with dop kit	Football
Citi BCS National Championship
GameJan. 7, 8 p.m., Pasadena, Calif., ABC	Sony gift suite with Trek and Garmin	Fossil watch	New Era 59Fifty hat	Ogio Politan laptop pack
Notes: All times listed are ET. Product details are provided as they were available. Most watches, rings, clothing and luggage are custom-made with the bowl logo. Gift suites are set up as private events in which game participants, and often bowl VIPs, are given an order form and allowed to select a gift, or gifts, up to a value that is predetermined by each specifi c bowl, not to exceed the NCAA limit of $500 per person. Sources: Bowl committees and vendors

Could Big Ten Expansion Force the SEC to Bring In a New School?

T Kyle King — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:15:09 -0000

Big Ten expansion talk is all the rage, even here in SEC country, and, while the Notre Dame Fighting Irish remain atop the list despite being obviously unattainable and the Pittsburgh Panthers make the most sense, much attention is being paid to the apparently interested Missouri Tigers, with respect to whom Big Ten aficionados not only have an idea, they have a plan.

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that happens. Short of the Golden Domers climbing down from their high horse (which isn’t going to happen now that the arrival of Brian Kelly has ensured Notre Dame’s inevitable return to ~~relevance~~ ~~competence~~ dominance), conference expansion is a zero-sum game; if the Big Ten increases from eleven teams to twelve by poaching Mizzou, the Big 12 decreases from twelve teams to eleven. The Big 12 is going to need a new team.

Maybe it’s just the traditionalist in me, but it seems to me that there can be only one choice for Big 12 expansion should Missouri bolt for browner pastures. The Arkansas Razorbacks have a longstanding rivalry with the Texas Longhorns, currently have a series going with the Texas A&M Aggies, and have deep Southwest Conference roots. Turnabout is fair play, so a Big Ten that includes Missouri could mean a Southeastern Conference sans Arkansas.

If the first domino falls, the line could topple all the way to the SEC’s doorstep, raising the question . . . where would the SEC turn if it had to replace the Hogs? The options, it would seem, are these, in no particular order:

Louisville Cardinals: U. of L. shares an in-state rivalry with the Kentucky Wildcats and just hired longtime SEC defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. The ‘Ville would bolster the league’s basketball reputation but the Cardinals have been only intermittently good at football. Still, as a current member of an automatic BCS-qualifying conference, Louisville would have to get a look, although it’s too bad the Cards would be brought in to replace Arkansas, because a series between Bobby "Pignocchio" Petrino’s current and former schools would be fun to watch.

South Florida Bulls: I’m not saying they deserve it, but any number of SEC coaches would love another annual opportunity to travel to the recruiting hotbed of the Sunshine State. Tampa is an attractive market and USF has been consistently respectable (albeit no more than that) since making the jump to the Big East. You’d have to think the Florida Gators would scream and howl at having to add an in-state conference rival to their existing slate, though. This brings us to . . .

Florida St. Seminoles: Let’s not mince words here. If you were an SEC football fan in 1991, you thought Bobby Bowden ducked the SEC in order to pad FSU’s schedule with ACC games. It’s time to atone for that gutless decision now that the Jimbo Fisher era is underway. This would make great sense for the Gators, whose season-ender against the ‘Noles would count as a conference game, although it likely would increase the pressure on the Saurians to schedule the Miami Hurricanes more frequently. Regular trips to Tallahassee by the Georgia Bulldogs would please the conspiracy theorists among the Red and Black fan base, who would wonder regularly whether Mark Richt would just stay put once he got back to his old stomping grounds. While we’re on the subject of in-state out-of-conference rivals, I suppose I should mention . . .

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: I would be 100 per cent opposed to this idea, but you’d have to admit it makes sense. The Engineers played in the SEC for many years and were a part of some of the league’s great rivalries at one time. The Ramblin’ Wreck left the conference at the tail end of the Bobby Dodd era and had their efforts to rejoin the league rebuffed, so both sides might be lukewarm on a reconciliation. After both of this year’s ACC division champions fell to middling SEC East outfits that came into their battles for local bragging rights sporting 6-5 ledgers, it’s doubtful whether the Orange Bowl-bound Golden Tornado would want to trade a shot at a big-money bowl in the soft ACC for a lower spot in the league pecking order. In theory, Georgia Tech could enjoy home town advantage in an SEC championship game, but, honestly, that’s not much of a risk.

Clemson Tigers: Admittedly, I’m biased, but this option makes the most sense to me. The Country Gentlemen are comfortably within the SEC’s geographic footprint and share longstanding rivalries with the ‘Dawgs and the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Fort Hill Felines also share a common heritage with several other SEC schools which would make league games intriguing: Walter Riggs and John Heisman established strong ties between Clemson and the Auburn Tigers; the Alabama Crimson Tide have produced numerous coaches for the Orange and Purple, including Frank Howard, Danny Ford, and current skipper Dabo Swinney; Charley Pell landed both Clemson and Florida on probation; the LSU Tigers could host the Country Gentlemen in Death Valley before traveling to face them in Death Valley. Culturally, the Tiger faithful are a much more comfortable fit with the rabid fans of the Southeastern Conference than with the Big Ten wannabes of the Atlantic Coast Conference and an SEC association certainly wouldn’t hurt the proud Clemson baseball program. Should we be willing to trade the Razorbacks for the Tigers? Ken Hatfield certainly was, and he was an Arkansas alum.

If it were up to me, the Big Ten would add Missouri, the Big 12 would add Arkansas, the SEC would add Clemson, and the ACC would . . . actually, I don’t care what the ACC does. I say let’s ship the Hogs back to their old stomping grounds, move the Tennessee Volunteers over from the SEC East to the SEC West (where the Vols properly belong, given their natural rivalries with Alabama and Auburn), add Clemson to the SEC East, and have at it.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Food Chain: Eagles' Biggest Wins of the Decade

Brian @ BCI — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:48:08 -0000

Because everyone else is getting all decade nostalgic on us. A look at back at the decade that was Boston College athletics from children of the decade (BC's Class of 2004).

Food Chain: Eagles' Biggest Wins of the Decade

We consider these 8 Eagle victories and each rank our top 5 biggest Ws of the decade.

December 28, 2001: Boston College 20, #16 Georgia 16 (Music City Bowl)

In his final collegiate game, William Green ran for 149 yards on 35 carries as the Eagles upset the No. 16 ranked Georgia Bulldogs in the 2001 Music City Bowl. The victory snapped a 21 game losing streak against ranked teams for the Eagles. Despite throwing for a mere 109 yards on 9-of-25 passing, Eagles QB Brian St. Pierre helped lead the Eagles on the game-winning drive, finding Dedrick Dewalt for a 22 yard game to the Bulldogs 10. Green scampered 7 yards into the endzone, giving the Eagles the 20-16 victory.

November 2, 2002: Boston College 14, #4 Notre Dame 7

Notre Dame turned the ball over five times including two interceptions from backup QB Pat Dillingham as the Eagles escaped South Bend with a 14-7 victory over the No. 4 ranked Irish. Notre Dame dominated the game statistically, outgaining BC 357-184 and holding a 22-9 edge in first downs. The loss knocked the Irish out of the ranks of the undefeated and ended any hope of a National Championship. It was the Eagles' first win over a Top 25 team in over 9 years.

September 24, 2005: Boston College 16, Clemson 13 (OT)

For every curious loss, there are games where you are left baffled as to how the Eagles managed to pull out the victory. BC didn't score for the final 41 minutes of this game after taking a 10-0 lead in the fourth quarter. A 1-yard touchdown run by backup QB Matt Ryan in overtime gave the Eagles the 16-13 victory over the Clemson Tigers, their first win as a member of the ACC. Andre Callendar rushed for 116 yards on 22 carries in the victory.

September 9, 2006: Boston College 34, #18 Clemson 33 (2OT)

The Eagles came back from 10-0, 17-7 and 24-17 deficits to force overtime against Clemson in the 2006 ACC opener. Return man Jeff Smith had a huge day, returning a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. He added returns of 45, 39 and 29 yards on the day, and his 213 return yards were one shy of a BC school record. JoLonn Dunbar blocked a Clemson PAT in the second overtime to give the Eagles a 34-33 victory. It was the first victory for BC coach Tom O'Brien over a ranked opponent in his 10 seasons in Chestnut Hill.

October 12, 2006: Boston College 22, #22 Virginia Tech 3

Steve Aponavicius came out of the stands to connect on two field goals (36 and 20 yards) and two PATs to send the Eagles past #22 Virginia Tech 22-3. Matt Ryan threw for 174 yards on 16-of-29 passes including two touchdowns to WR Kevin Challenger. The Eagles' defense had a huge day, holding the Virginia Tech offense to 3 points. It was the first time since the 1998 Gator Bowl that Virginia Tech had failed to score a touchdown.

October 25, 2007: #2 Boston College 14, #8 Virginia Tech 10

After being shutout nearly the entire game, Matt Ryan engineered two touchdown drives in the final 4 minutes, 16 seconds, to lead #2 BC to a 14-10 victory over the 8th ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. Ryan found Andre Callendar in the end zone with 0:11 left to secure the win. The win pushed BC's record to 8-0 and gave the Hokies the second loss on the year, essentially eliminating them from National Championship contention. This was BC's third win over Virginia Tech on Thursday night. Up until then, no other team had managed to knock off the Hokies on Thursday night (14-3).

November 17, 2007: #18 Boston College 20, #15 Clemson 17

Matt Ryan engineered yet another fourth quarter comeback as the Eagles defeated Clemson 20-17. The win gave the 9-2 Eagles their first ACC Atlantic Division Championship and a spot in the title game opposite Virginia Tech. Ryan hooked up with Rich Gunnell on a 43-yard touchdown pass with 1:46 to play to give the Eagles a 20-17 lead. On the ensuing drive, Clemson QB Cullen Harper nearly found wide receiver Aaron Kelly in the end zone for the victory. After a timely sack by Roderick Rollins - pushing the Tigers back 7 yards - Clemson kicker Clay Bucholtz's 54 yard attempt to tie fell well short, and the Eagles celebrated an Atlantic Division title in Death Valley.

November 15, 2008: Boston College 27, #19 Florida State 17

It was homecoming for Montel Harris as he rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles defeated Florida State 27-17. The win kept the Eagles' hopes of winning a second straight Atlantic Division title alive. BC's defense held the Seminoles to 79 yards rushing and frustrated Seminole QB Christian Ponder all day (3 interceptions). Ponder threw a costly interception to Marty Bowman who returned in 87 yards for the touchdown. The win pushed the Eagles record to 7-3 and jump started a string of three consecutive ACC Atlantic victories to give the Eagles their second straight division title.

Brian’s Food Chain:

5. December 28, 2001: Boston College 20, #16 Georgia 16 (Music City Bowl) - Not many college football experts gave us a chance in this game but the Eagles came away with the big victory over a ranked Georgia team. This game really kick-started BC's bowl winning streak this decade.

4. September 9, 2006: Boston College 34, #18 Clemson 33 (2OT) - First ACC of 2006 win in one of the most dramatic games of the decade

3. November 2, 2002: Boston College 14, #4 Notre Dame 7 - The sweetest of Eagles’ victories over the Irish this decade

2. November 17, 2007: #18 Boston College 20, #15 Clemson 17 - late Matt Ryan heroics clinched the Eagles first ACC Atlantic Division title

1. October 25, 2007: #2 Boston College 14, #8 Virginia Tech 10 - Matt Ryan’s final two touchdown drives make this arguably the best college football game I have ever attended

Jeff's Food Chain:

5. October 12, 2006: Boston College 22, #22 Virginia Tech 3 - Steve Aponanvicius comes out of the stands

4. November 15, 2008: Boston College 27, #19 Florida State 17 - First ever win in an ABC primetime game and was the key win to get us back to the ACC Championship Game

T1. October 25, 2007: #2 Boston College 14, #8 Virginia Tech 10 - Worst game ever attended to best in a matter of minutes

T1. November 17, 2007: #18 Boston College 20, #15 Clemson 17 - Going to the 'Ship

T1. November 2, 2002: Boston College 14, #4 Notre Dame 7 - BC beat the Irish with their green jerseys

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (12/16/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:39:15 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and some fun distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Victoria Bitter Gold in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

The big news everywhere seems to be B11 expansion. Almost every article I found of fellow BE football members want their team considered. That does say something about the state of our conference, regardless of your or my personal opinions. Plenty inside about that. I've also got something special planned for around 1pm today. So make sure to check back then. Tips, suggestions and requests would be greatly appreciated. Here we go...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Wednesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

2009 CFN All-Big East Team & Top 30 Players - Scout.com

Big East better watch out for Big Ten expansion - ESPN

Big Ten to explore possibility of expansion in next 12 to 18 months - ESPN

Expanding to 12 teams could hurt Big Ten in BCS, pocketbook - SI.com

Time is right to explore Big Ten expansion - ESPN

College Football Live Extra: Dec. 15th - ESPN Video
ESPN Video: Should the Big Ten expand?

Momentum seems to be on side of Big Ten expansion -- chicagotribune.com
"Joe Paterno's strong comments at the Big Ten meetings in May were "catalytic," according to a league source. Paterno's criticism that the league "goes into hiding for six weeks" between the regular season and the BCS bowls prompted some to re-examine their views on a league title game."

Mountaineers in the NFL - WVIllustrated.com

News of Note (FB):

Out of the Spotlight - BlueGoldNews.com

Big Ten sets off the raid sirens - Charleston Gazette

Jimbo Fisher loves life with Florida State - Charleston Daily Mail

Fisher is looking smart for FSU - Washington Times

Expansion in Big Ten could hurt Big East - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column - Kind of overstating the obvious isn't he?

Lots of scenarios for Gator - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

Making the Most of Bowl Prep - WVIllustrated.com

NCAA panel recommends new rules on concussions for all sports - USATODAY.com

News of Note (BB):

Women's Basketball: West Virginia Ranked 23rd - MSNsportsNET.Com
The women have worked their way into the rankings.

Basketball Notebook - MSNsportsNET.Com

Bracketology - ESPN
#2 in the East

Recruiting:

Ohio running back's commitment to Mountaineers firm despite Nebraska visit - WVIllustrated.com
Braylon Heard

Around the League (and Beyond):

Butch Jones to be Cincinnati Bearcats' next football coach - Cincinnati Enquirer

Brian Kelly had no choice but to leave Cincinnati for Notre Dame - Andy Staples - SI.com

Cincinnati looking to rebound from Xavier loss against UAB - Cincinnati Enquirer

Pitt takes step toward rebuilding O-line - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Silence isn't best strategy for USF during investigation - Tampa Tribune

Five Reasons Syracuse Will Go To The Big Ten - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Would Syracuse ever be seriously considered for Big Ten expansion? Please, say it ain't so. - syracuse.com
One person doesn't think it would be a good idea.

Rutgers in the Big Ten? Do whatever you have to do to make it happen, Scarlet Knights - Star Ledger

Big 10 to expand to 12? Louisville a possible candidate? - Card Chronicle

Texas faculty find Mack Brown's $5 million raise unseemly - SI.com (AP)

What's On Tap:

UCF vs. South Florida - SI.com
Tonight at 7 from the Sun Dome in Tampa on ESPN 360. The Bulls are giving 8.5.

Oral Roberts vs. Louisville - SI.com
Tonight at 7 on ESPN 360 from Freedom Hall. No line given. Can ORU pull the upset for their recently departed patriarch?

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. UAB Blazers - ESPN
Tonight at 7 from Birmingham. Cinci is favored by 1.5. No TV that I can find.

Video of Interest:

Thanks to WVIllustrated.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

An appetizer for later today.

Cool Toy Gallery of the Week:

Hey!!! It's not all T&A around here...sometimes.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a gorgeous Aussie actress. Say G'Day to Nicky Whelan. The link leads to a message board posting. The gallery is at the top if it's slow loading for you.

via img249.imageshack.us

This seems to be her. I say close enough.

Victoria Bitter Gold image via www.jankvollmer.de