Tuesday: Hard to hype a Tech-UVa game with a 2-TD spread
FOURTEEN AND A HALF. That’s the spread for tonight’s Virginia Tech-UVa game, and it’s enough to make you wonder how many minutes of this one will actually be worth watching. In the previous 10 meetings between these in-state rivals, the largest spread on either side was Virginia by 8 on Dec. 5, 2010. UVa ended up winning that game by three.
TECH CARRIES A SIX-GAME LOSING STREAK INTO TONIGHT, while Virginia is trying to build a resume worthy of NCAA tournament inclusion. Jerry Palm writes today that the Cavs aren’t even on the bubble yet given their six losses to teams outside the RPI top 100. Obviously, they can’t afford to fall at home to their slumping neighbors.
YOU CAN BET ERICK GREEN IS DRINKING GATORADE AS YOU READ THIS. After his bout with dehydration on Saturday, the Tech star shouldn’t plan to get a breather tonight. “Man, I’d like to be able to [rest] him more,” Tech coach James Johnson says, “but especially when you’re playing a team like Virginia, where you’ve got to manufacture points and … we don’t have guys right now that are putting the basketball in the hole like we need them to, it’s very hard to take him off the floor.”
Game’s on ESPNU at 7 p.m.
EX-HOKIE GETS PREP JOB: Martinsville High School hires former Tech standout Orion Martin as its head football coach. The Bulldogs are coming off a 1-9 season. Martin’s a good dude; best of luck to him.
VICK STAYS IN PHILLY: The Eagles restructure Michael Vick’s deal, giving him a one-year contract that could be worth as much as $10 million. New coach Chip Kelly praised Vick’s competitiveness, adding: “He still has that skillset. He can still throw the football.”
LAZOR’S TAKE: Doughty catches up with former UVa offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, who left this offseason took a job with the Eagles. He rejects the notion that Mike London ever “meddled” with his offense. “I don’t know that I would ever use that word because, to me, it has a negative connotation,” Lazor says. “To me, it was discussions. Even when he didn’t like what I had to say, that was my responsibility. Then, he decides.”
SURPRISE SIGNING: The Indians land free agent speedster Michael Bourn, giving him a four-year, $48 million deal.
AT LEAST THERE’S STILL MODERN PENTATHLON: The IOC drops wrestling for the 2020 Olympics. I’ve never been an Olympics guy and probably never will be, but isn’t wrestling the kind of sport that’s MADE for the Olympics? I like this line in the story: Modern pentathlon combines fencing, horse riding, swimming, running and shooting – the five skills required of a 19th century cavalry officer. In other words, totally modern.
NAME THAT TUNE
I got a job making money for the man
Throwing chicken in the bucket
With the soda pop can
Puke green uniform on my back
I had to set it on fire
In a vat of chicken fat
I leaped on the counter
Like a bird with no hair
Running through the mini mall in my underwear…
February 12, 2013 - 8:39 AM
Jon Copper told me a story one time about Gatorade. He said when he went to Fork Union the practices were so hard he was having trouble hanging in there so he started drinking Gatorade all the time which actually caused his whole body to cramp up at the next practice and he almost died in the trainer’s room. So even though I am a UVA fan I hope Erick Green is not drinking Gatorade right now. This game should be a blowout and if UVA wants to go to the NCAA this year it needs to be. I would say no they are not on the bubble yet. 21 wins for bubble and 22 to get in for sure.
Go Wahoos. Whomp up on them Hokies.
Wrestling goes back to the historical ancient Olympics. Why in the world would they drop that?
If there was ever chance for Virginia Tech to stick a fork in the bubble, tonight would be it. Likely? Probably not. Have I been wrong before? See my proclaimation last year to see what happened. LOL.
So, the Olympics dropped wrestling, which has been around since naked Greek men have done it, and what a marvelous idea! (sarcasm) The Olympics is totally out of touch with history and what fans of the Olympics wants. I have lost complete interest in the Olympics because it has become too much about the pagentry than about the games.
As a UVA fan, I would not … IN THE LEAST … be surprised to see Tech pull off the upset tonight. Fourteen and a half point spread? Yeah, no way. I’m taking Tech to cover the spread on this one.
The IOC are on the same totem pole as the NCAA, on the bottom, of idiocy.
Forrest Gump’s mama would be right when she said, “Stupid is as stupid does.”
Sorry for another post from me, but have to give kudos to Orion Martin for taking a head coaching job. I think he’ll be an awesome coach. He played under the best and I’m sure he will apply what he learned from his time at Tech to coaching high school kids.
When I coached teens and younger athletes (mostly in basketball) I talked about hydration at every practice. You have to start a game or practice fully hydrated and then replenish as much as you can during the event. And continue afterward. Some sport drink before (one bottle) the practice or game is good, but not that much. The ingredient the body needs is water. Too many electrolytes in the body is just as bad as not enough. Unfortunately, VT may as well forfeit if Green isn’t on the court for nearly the whole game, every game. The rest of the team doesn’t qualify for the term “supporting cast.” At this point in another lost season, sit Green down for a few more minutes in each half. He may score just as many points to pursue scoring stats and the team isn’t going to win anything anyhow.
I haven’t watched much of the Olympics in years…it’s not really compelling television, especially when it’s halfway around the globe and aired on tape delay…really NBC? I like the winter sports better, but even that I haven’t watched since Salt Lake. I just have better things to do than watch the Olympics…like boil water, or watch paint dry.
UVA this year is in the position that VT had typically been in with SG…a solid overall record, good record in the ACC< but weak-as-anything résumé. A loss tonight to VT would deal a severe blow to their NCAA hopes…as it stands, I have a really hard time seeing more than 3 ACC teams making the dance the way they're playing. UNC and Duke are the only sure-fire locks right now. NC State and UNC just keep dropping games they probably shouldn't, and UVA has a lot of really, really bad losses. The simple fact that one of UVA's losses came to 3-22 ODU?? Holy crap! UVA is 0-3 to the CAA!
why would any team want to go to the ncaa bbt and lose in the first round…better to go to the nit and at least have a better chance of moving on…maybe even to the championship game….I for one would rather be playing than sitting at home watching other teams play…..
I would take Tech to cover, too, but I think Virginia will win. It is nice to see the freshmen (Anderson, Nolte) starting to contribute so it’s not all on Harris and Mitchell’s shoulders. With their defense, they don’t need a ton of offense, but they need to give the opposing defense more than one guy to guard. That’s the difference between now and the beginning of the year when they lost to ODU…if Harris was cold, the Cavs were cold. Now there are options. For a team picked to finish seventh (I guess they still could), they’ve overachieved a bit.
But man oh man, they are going to be loaded next year, with some good looking first years, that transfer from South Carolina and Brogdon (remember him?) returning. And the constant will be the defense.
They are also 6-0 vs. Top 100 RPI so just some food for thought. I am biased no doubt, and it depends on how they finish but aren’t we trying to put the most competitive teams in the tournament? George Mason is excusable being a decent team and the Hoos took a majority underclassmen team on the road there for their first game. Tough first game. Delaware is borderline since that was only the third game of the year, BUT it was at home which is not good. ODU there is no reason for, have to beat them.
Also, hope Erick Green is in fact playing tonight, seems to be a good young man and definitely a fantastic basketball player. I also wouldn’t be shocked to see an upset, it’s a rivalry. I think Johnson shaking up the lineup may help them.
Also, Jerry Palm seems to be the only “Bracketologist” that is keeping them out. I noticed it but didn’t want to sound like sour grapes but other writers on Twitter are noticing the same thing that he “seems to have a personal hostility and agenda” towards UVA. Lunardi has them in this morning as an 11 seed, as his final team in the tournament.
Minus 14 and 1/2. Hard to believe VT basketball has fallen to that. Maybe that will inspire the team. AT lease we have a choice tonight. Watch the State of the Union or the state of Tech basketball Have no idea on the song so here is a trivia question. Name 3 movies Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro were in together. One is pretty obvious. The other two maybe not but good movies also.
Interesting no matter who you side with:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia%E2%80%93Virginia_Tech_rivalry
Has anyone heard an estimate of how long Tobey might be out? I really loved seeing him play. This recruiting class has been great and I really like so many of them have got playing time. Hopefully that will keep anyone from transferring away.
I’ll take Tech and the points. If UVA loses, then it would take winning the ACC tournament to get to the NCAA. Most folks watching VT would think that that VT b’ball is really bad right now. Despite JJ and the players saying that Tech is better than their record, perception is reality in college basketball. How else can you explain Indiana staying at #1?
I suspect that the IOC will next remove the marathon in favor of the more modern sport of cricket.
@Ralph – I can get two for sure Godfather II and Heat. I’m hung up on the third movie.
I sort of have to go watch tonight with the VT Alumni AND the local UVA Alumni. Sigh… It’ll be a tough night. Still love my Hokies. Maybe Eddie and Brown will rain 3s. Sigh…. Oh for the good old days after OK State.
I like Gatorade and I never cramped with it. Still think water is best. Beer a close second. Jack and coke third. This from years of rehydrating after walking 18 holes in Texas summers.
Good on Orion Martin. One need not play in the NFL to benefit from a VT scholorship.
If Vick can;t succeed with his new Coach he is out of the league. Talk about a guy whose offense is built for Vick.
How can a Head Coach “meddle” in his team’s offense? How does that work exactly? Isn’t the Head Coach in charge? I guess I could understand if the HC pulled play calling away in the middle of a game or changed the game plan in the locker room just before kick-off but that isn’t what is said, right?
I don’t know anything about Bourn. Have to talk to my kid to find out if this is important.
I am shocked, shocked I say, to see that the IOC has done something dumb. Just shocked. Maybe if we ask nice they will add Senior Shuffleboard, Horseshoes and Bocce’ to the agenda. Wrestling? Who cares. Ruland? Forget him. When Bolt retires, stop running. More Beach Volleyball please! How about 6 a side female BV? No interest in sweaty stinky male bodies writhing on mats. Lets go for girls in bikinis jumping up and down in sand. Throw some brews, watch the show.
I never care about the point spread, but I think that the Hokies will stay within 14 points of UVa. Not because I think they have a shot of winning, but because UVa runs such a deliberately paced offense the score won’t be very high. I could see a 65-52 game. That would edge inside the line. Vegas pushed the points out so far because it took that much to get the betting even on both sides.
The Johnson comment about having to keep Green on the court constantly is concerning. Surely Johnson can find a couple of two minute spots each half where the entire rest of the team wouldn’t immediately collapse. Yes, I get they’re not playing well, but has Johnson just publicly announced he’s given up on everyone except Green, even at the risk of long term deterioration of Green’s game? If Johnson keeps running Green into the ground, Green will also lose effectiveness.
The cracks are starting to appear. The season still is only less than 75% finished. There’s a long way to go in this marathon.
Beck — Soul Suckin Jerk
UVA is the definition of a bubble team right now. Arguments can be made both for and against their entry. How the rest of the season plays out will determine their fate with big games coming against UNC, Duke, and Miami.
I will take the points with UVA on a roll right now and Tech heading the opposite direction. They already beat them by more than that once this year and that was in Blacksburg.
HokieAl, No wonder you are stuck. I was thinking Sleepers but now realize Dustin Hoffman played the strung out lawyer not Pacino. One of my 5 favorite movies-should have known better.
UVA is 17-7 (7-3). They have 8 ACC games left, with 4 at home, 4 on the road. They need to win all 4 home games: VT, GT, Duke, Maryland. VT and GT are bad teams they cannot afford to lose to. Maryland is a middling team, and a loss to them would look bad but not as bad as to GT or VT. They really need the Duke game to get a win over a good team, since NC State has flopped a bit since they beat the Wolfpack.
Then, there’s the road games. Roadies are tough in the ACC, but they have the following opponents: UNC, Miami, BC, and FSU. UNC is a fellow bubble team, and a win there would really help. A win at Miami would give them a solid marquee-type win. BC and FSU are not good…especially BC, so they really need to win both of those.
If UVA finishes 6-2 to close out at 23-9 (13-5), they should be in regardless of the ACC tourny. Of course, they could really muddy the picture by getting a couple good wins and dropping some bad losses…would they cancel out? I think a 5-3 or worse finish keeps them on the bubble because it would mean they either score no marquee wins, or take too many bad losses. They could really use a bit of a rebound by NC State back into the top-25.
One item not on the briefing was the NFL’s consideration of widening the playing field to the same dimension as CFL’s fields. Of course it provides logistics problems as many of the stadia are already built to the current specification, and that would bring the boundaries a tad bit too close to the fans.
Part of me immediately thought there was a conspiracy in the works to merge with the Canada Football League to gain the television markets up there.
The NFL claimed that widening the field will make the game a bit safer. The flip side is it gives players more room to build up speed for a vicious collison.
I doubt the consideration ever becomes a proposal that have to be talked by the NFL’s owners, coaches, and players.
#22 OJ, nice breakdown on the hoo’s upcoming challenge. I’d guess they finish 3-1 at home and 2-2 on the road. That would put them 22-10/12-6. If they do accomplish your scenario of a 23-9 season, and are kept out of the tourney because of weak OOC performance, I would personally love it. It would help make up for one of the four times we got shafted by the NCAA committee. On the surface, 23-9/13-5 looks like one heck of a year. Now that the statisticians rule, though, it’s easier to guess the next Pope than who makes the NCAA tourney.
The news about wrestling being dropped from the Olympics is sad to me. A college classmate of mine, Brandon Slay, won the gold medal in wrestling at Sydney in 2000. This is just another sign that the Olympics are being driven by television dollars, more than ever, and wrestling is not a “tv” sport. Meanwhile they give ridiculous X Games events like “skiing big air” medal-sport status. The Olympics is a glorified miniseries, nothing more.
Other John. I think your analysis is spot on except on terminology. UNC as a fellow bubble team. That should have read as SHOULD be a fellow bubble team. You and I both know unless they do not qualify with a winning record they get in. Saw UVA and UNC both in person against Hokies. Not even close. In the end I think UVA does enough. For tonight if either Brown or Eddie come to life Hokies cover. If both do a slight chance to pull upset. If not the spread is conservative.
Don’t know if London meddled or not, but it was obvious that Watford should have gotten the nod over Rocco from day 1. UVA would have went to a bowl game with Watford under center!
Hey 757 resident, Watford is just as bad a QB as the others on the hoo team. Also, use proper english, would have gone not would have went ????
Hey Tony, this is sports talk, not college english. Miss me with the feminimity okay????
Also, Rocco was a junior, Watford was a true freshman and they were dead even from what I could see. They could have used Watfords scrambling ability.
Wrestling could very well have been the first Olympic sport. Will the Marathon be next? I believe golf may be added in 2016 and tennis last year so the Olympics have gone commercial. Will the flame be replaced by a Bic lighter in 2024? Wrestling needs to stay for the sake of tradition even if nobody is watching. Ironic that Nike in Greek means victory which this is for the Phil Knights of the advertising world. Aaron, not that it`s any of our business but we are interested. How did the MRI chat with the doctor go today?
CR, I agree…that would be somewhat sweet justice as a VT fan, watching them get hosed on 1 bid, and probably a second that they should have had. And, I think 3-1 at home and 2-2 on the road is a realistic middle-ground. They hit that, and their bid chances are iffy without a solid run in the ACC tourny. They go 6-2 or better, and I think they’re in unless they flop out in their first ACC tourny game. They need quality more wins, and to avoid the killer losses.
alwaysOandM…yeah, you make a good point. UNC should be a bubble team right now given their record and who they’ve won/lost to. Texas is their bad loss, and they don’t really have an impressive win. They have 2 left against Duke, 1 with UVA, and 1 with NC State that will make or break them. But simply on name alone, they probably get in over someone else.
NC State is in a similar bubble boat as UNC, with only one really good win over Duke…and they have several close, but ultimately bad, losses. But, NC State has a problem in that of their remaining 7 games, only 1 is against a team with a shot at the NCAA’s…at UNC. The other 6 games are trap games where a loss really hurts them, and a win doesn’t help them.
UVA has 3 games against potential NCAA tourny teams, and UNC has 4. Given those 3 teams vying for probably the final 2 bids behind Miami and Duke, I’d say UVA and UNC have the best chances because they control more of the situation if they can land a couple good wins and avoid bad losses. NC State is in the weakest spot of the 3 having the weakest remaining schedule.
A potential wildcard is Maryland, who has a similar overall record to UVA, UNC, and NC State…but is by far weaker than those 3 overall. Only good win is a 1-point win over NC State, and they have games remaining against Duke, UNC, and UVA…with Duke and UNC at home. IF they win their home games, 3 of the 4 roadies they have left are BC, WF, and GT. Not easy, but that’s 3 of the bottom 4 in the conference…and they already have home wins over Wake and BC. But, like I said, they’re the longest shot out there and it would take not only a run by them, but a collapse of probably 2 of the other contenders for them to even have a shot.
And while FSU has an RPI ahead of both UVa and Maryland, they have no really good wins, and a 13-10 record right now.
FWIW, the RPI rankings have the ACC teams ranked like this:
1: Duke
2: Miami
17: NC State
36: North Carolina
65: Florida State
74: Maryland
75: Virginia
121: Georgia Tech
125: Wake Forest
144: Boston College
152: Clemson
168: Virginia Tech
#32 OJ, you’re on it today. I just realized something from your RPI list. Even if the hoo’s – notice how I said ‘if’? ha ha – even if they beat the Hokies, at least we’ll hurt their RPI & strength of schedule. A win over us will not ‘help’ them at all in getting into the NCAA.
Yep, CR…a win over us is no help to anyone this year…nor are wins against GT, WF, Clemson, or BC…which is half the conference. And realistically, wins over Maryland, FSU, and UVA don’t help anyone much either since they’re well outside the top-50, and a couple losses might drop them close to out of the top-100.
Do I expect us to win tonight in the JPJ? No. I wish I could say differently, but I’m a realist. Will it be closer than the spread? I’m not really sure, since we got leveled in Cassell by 16 in what started this 6-game slide, and the team looks even more ragged now (declining scoring total over the past 5). Hokies haven’t scored more than 75 in almost 2 months…going back to the Oklahoma State win.
The spread is dropping, guys. Down to 14. Hokie Nation crashing those Vegas windows.
OJ
The RPI that I read last night had the Wahoos at 81, not 75.The bad OOC losses for the Hoos were early season with little playing time from Evans who was hurt and with freshmen who have grown up a lot since then.
Confre3nece road games are always problematic. Ask UNC, Clemson, and NC State. The Cavs are 3-0 against teams in the top 50 RPI and 3-0 against teams in the 51-100 RPI all of whom are ranked above them right now. They have a win over top 25 Wisconsin on the road and beat both unc AND ncState while they were top 25.Of course the rest of the season matters but I think 5/3 takes them off the bubble and puts them in and 4-4 with a conference tournament win would also put them in.
Post #9 where do you place Miami ???
Glad Orion got the job so my fiancee can apply for his old special education job!
just flipped channel from tech-uva to usa to watch westminster dog show….the dogs there are all blue-chippers and scoring heavily!
I was right when I said UVA would cover. That game made Tech look bad.
Was I right with the song AM? Soul suckin jerk by Beck.
Al/38…my mistake! I meant to say Miami and Duke were the sure-fire locks…but I’m so used to that being UNC and Duke that my brain misfired! Yes, Duke and Miami are the current locks, with NC State, UNC, and UVA the likely bubble teams…and I think 2 of them get in. I had originally thought maybe only 3 squads got in, but after researching and looking at how weak the whole field is, 4 seems a sure bet, and 5 a definite potential. I seriously doubt 6 make it though.
wayne, the RPI rating I looked at this morning had been updated through yesterday’s games, which may be the difference. The thing really hurting UVA right now is their SOS and their low RPI. Quality wins will help both. Thumping Tech tonight doesn’t help their case, but I agree that probably a 5-3 finish gets them in. 4-4, depending on how those shake out, might imperil their bid hopes barring a stout run to at least Saturday with a strong showing. UVA’s biggest thing hurting them are their really bad losses. Take away 1-2 of those and they’d be a lock with their current resume…same problem VT had for a couple season.
36.The spread is dropping, guys. Down to 14. Hokie Nation crashing those Vegas windows.
Comment by Aaron McFarling — February 12, 2013 @ 4:10 pm
I hope Hokie Nation didn’t risk the rent or grocery money crashing those
Vegas windows because that was an old fashioned butt kicking.
You got it, Patrick. Nicely done on both counts.
Wayne — That was just a joke. The line dropped all of a half a point and was still at 14.