A postseason possibility: Belk Bowl
Before I get to the next bowl on the list, two items of note:
1) Georgia Tech had its waiver approved by the NCAA to be bowl eligible should it lose the ACC title game and fall to 6-7, according to ESPN. Read the quotes in the story from the MAC commissioner, who is rightfully ticked, since it’ll probably be one of his eligible teams that gets pushed out of a bowl.
This probably shouldn’t affect anything with the Russell Athletic Bowl. It’d be surprising if that bowl opted for a 6-7 team, considering it hasn’t taken a 6-6 team since it moved up to getting the No. 3 pick in the ACC and No. 2 in the Big East. I still think, should Florida State win the ACC title game that Virginia Tech has a good shot of getting picked for Orlando, given N.C. State’s coaching situation and the Wolfpack’s recent visit to the game.
The ACC still has a rule that the title game loser can’t fall below the Sun Bowl in the selection process. If that’s still in effect, the Yellow Jackets couldn’t go below fourth in the bowl pecking order, should they lose the conference championship game.
2) Louisville beat Rutgers last night, which all but gives the Cardinals the Big East’s BCS berth (the tiebreaker is highest BCS ranking, which Louisville currently has and figures to keep Sunday). That takes the Cardinals out of the running for the Russell Athletic Bowl, which will choose from a group that includes Rutgers, Syracuse and Cincinnati.
If Virginia Tech is picked, it’s unlikely that the bowl would go with Cincinnati, since the teams played in the regular season. Overall, Rutgers (9-3) has a better profile than Syracuse (7-5), despite their identical 5-2 conference records. The Scarlet Knights also won the head-to-head matchup 23-15, although that seems to matter little in the selection process.
Now that the housekeeping is out of the way, here’s a look at the Belk Bowl. Click on the following links to get to previous installments on the Russell Athletic and Sun.
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Belk Bowl
** Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
** When: Dec. 27, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
** In ACC bowl pecking order: No. 5
** Hokies history at bowl: Never been
** Possible opponent: The Big East’s No. 3 selection. It looks as though it will come down to Rutgers, Cincinnati and Syracuse. The Russell Athletic Bowl gets the first pick of the trio as the Big East’s No. 2 selection. The Belk Bowl goes next. Who Charlotte goes with probably depends on the ACC choice. Like Orlando, it would avoid a Virginia Tech-Cincinnati rematch if those teams were still available. Figuring Rutgers goes to the Russell Athletic, that leaves Cincinnati and Syracuse. The Bearcats won the head-to-head matchup 35-24 – again, that doesn’t mean a whole lot — and should it beat UConn this week in its regular season finale, would finish with a 9-3 record to Syracuse’s 7-5 mark, making it a more attractive option.
** ACC competition: A lot depends on what happens ahead of the Belk. Georgia Tech, should it lose the ACC title game, can’t fall below the Sun, so it wouldn’t be an option here. That leaves whoever is left of N.C. State, Virginia Tech and Duke. All three are within easy driving distance of all three schools. N.C. State played in the game last year. Virginia Tech has made a trip to Charlotte in three of the last four seasons (two ACC championship games and a neutral-site game against East Carolina in 2008), so it’s probably not a hot destination for Hokies fans. It could be for Duke, which is bowl eligible for the first time since the 1994 season and has some forward momentum with its program for once. That’s not to say Blue Devils fans will travel in droves — it is basketball season, after all — but a drive of a little more than two hours seems like a favorable setup for fans who aren’t accustomed to the bowl experience.
** Pros for Virginia Tech: Charlotte’s close, so it wouldn’t be too hard for fans to zip down the interstate to attend the game. For a fan base that’s not particularly enthused about a postseason trip this year, a bowl that’s within driving distance might be the only thing that gets people to go. The Hokies have never played in the bowl, so the Belk folks might love to have them for a first time.
** Cons for Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech fans are very familiar with Charlotte, so the quick drive might not be a selling point. If Cincinnati is the bowl’s choice from the ACC, there’d be little desire to see a rematch in a bowl game (even though the Hokies likely wouldn’t mind some payback).
** Flight price (leaving Dec. 25, coming back Dec. 28, per Orbitz): From Roanoke — $482 (just drive, man!), from Norfolk — $285, from Newport News — $296, from Lynchburg — $496 (seriously, just drive); from Richmond — $261, from D.C. — $218, from Greensboro — (yeah, I’m not even listing this)
** Roadtrippin’ it? 173 miles from Blacksburg to Charlotte. Two hours and 41 minutes, according to Google maps.
** Tourist attraction of note: NASCAR Hall of Fame
** Beat writer happiness level: Low. Nothing against Charlotte — it’s a fun town — but the beat has been there, done that. It’d be a pretty easy trip, one that we could probably navigate around Christmas and New Year’s. The matchup against the Big East’s No. 3 team isn’t too exciting. Virginia Tech plays Big East teams all the time.
** Follow on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/belkbowl
November 30, 2012 - 9:12 AM
Duke will be in the Belk Bowl. The Hokies will be long gone before then. I think this might be a decent game to watch, Duke vs Big East whoever. Cincinnati would be good for that one.
the Hokies vs Rutgers in Orlando, eh? Since the ACC is becoming Big East South, that would be like old times. Join the ACC & play Syracuse, Pitt, BC, Miami, and all those other traditional ACC powers. You couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried a decade ago.
Any chance to go to Charlotte is a blessing because then you get to visit Uptown Cabaret, one of the hidden gems in this country. The fact it is not your number 1 tourist attraction is a travesty as well.
Duke is also among smallest schools in FBS football & alums are scattered nationally. Traditionally part of their attendance problems, besides bad football. Still, drought has been so long that Belk would be good option for them.
RUMOR: GT to Big 10??
The Hokies in the Sun Bowl against USC, that is the most likely scenario.
Sun Bowl! Best Steaks on Planet! Visit Juarez and run like hell! Cowboy boots and stockyards!
Whats not to love?
What does GT bring to the B10?
Why would GT have voted FOR the increase in exit fee ($50+M) if it had plans to bolt?
Nonsense, to that rumor.
Hokies to the Sun Bowl was likely right up until Debbie Yow fired Tom O’Brien. The Hokies will go to the Russell Athletic Bowl. GaTech goes to the Sun Bowl with their waiver in hand. State goes to Nashville, and Duke to Charlotte.
The Hokies will play Rutgers in Orlando. Rutgers has a rushing game almost as bad as Shane’s crew. They’ve got no passing game, either. The way Rutgers has turned in a very solid 9-3 season is by having a great defense that limits scoring and provides the Scarlet Knights a short field by creating turnovers. Sounds familiar, somehow. Expect a low scoring game, with Rutgers favored by probably 3-4 points.
Just like jimmy buffet , ” I want to go where it’s warm “!
Monte Kiffen is out as defensive coordinator at USC. Is Bud Foster on USC’s short list, or list at all???
BOB H: What about the Atlanta market?
GT’s win over FSU will send Hokies to Sun Bowl or Music City Bowl, probably the latter now. Hokies will have a chance to enjoy the Grand Ole Opry and Hank Williams Jr.
CR,
You left out another key way that “Rutgers has turned in a very solid 9-3 season” that “sounds familiar.”
How about a pathetically weak schedule (Sagarin’s SOS #92)?
B from I: Ga Tech over FSU ain’t gonna happen. Go Hokies wherever you go!
Andy, any word about coaching changes for VT?
Victor,
GT does not give the ACC the Atlanta market. What makes you think it will give the B10 the Atlanta market?
Ever been to a GT game there at Bobby Dodd? About 30,000 fans show up. GT was originally added to the league thinking it would add the Atlanta market and that the ACC tournament could be held at the Omni, etc.
Didn’t pan out. There is little passion for GT in Atlanta.
I fear the biggest change in the coaching staff will be that they are a year older. Hope I’m wrong.
Al I have heard, and this from TSL, that coaching changes will be announced after the bowl game. Of course that is what they heard from others in the know, so this not definite. Doubt we’ll hear anything more definite anytime soon. Fingers crossed!
This is from that web site, which is very reliable:
“From everything I have heard, and from who I’ve heard it from, I would be absolutely floored if some changes aren’t made.”
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There will be 3-4 probable changes in the offensive coaching staff. One depends on Shane accepting the GaState head coaching position. Then there will be one dismissal, one ‘retirement’, and one reassignment. The question is just how much freedom the new personnel will be given by Frank Beamer. If it is the same amount as the current staff, then it will be pointless. If it is similar to the freedom given Bud, then it might be productive, depending on the selections.
The likelihood of all this occurring is very high. The reason? Big money donors are unhappy, and have spoken. As resistant as Frank Beamer is to any & all fan input, this is another one of those arm twisted moments for him. We’ll see just how stubborn he is in the face of those folks.
Though it won’t be announced until the BCS bowl pairings become official Sunday evening, Rutgers will play in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 28 in Orlando, Fla., where it is expected to face Virginia Tech, according to multiple sources familiar with the Big East’s bowl pecking order.
Kickoff at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium is slated for 5:30 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
I’ve said all along that Russell Athletic is a very likely destination, and VT folks have said as much to me in my discussions with them this week.
BUT, nothing can be finalized yet. If GT wins the ACC title game, the Chick-fil-A and Russell Athletic bowls will be required to take FSU and Clemson in some order. The league can’t do anything until that game’s outcome is decided.
This is the beauty of it all, those Big Least folks are assuming that FSU is going to squash the Ramlin Wreck but tell me it ain’t so Alphie. The Jackets will sting!!!!
There are only two people who can convince Beamer he needs coaching changes: Shane, his son, the voice of reason, and Steger, the voice of reality.
Sad to hear the the Russell Athletic Bowl is the likely one. A USC-VT matchup in the Sun Bowl would be a decent game with some national interest.
Just read where Georgia State hired Trent Miles of Indiana State as their new head coach. Looks like Shane will be sticking close waiting for his coronation after all.
There is about as much chance of Shane becoming Head Coach at Tech when Frank retires as it is of Meyer or Kelly winding up at Tech! Get Real!
Barrr-rrry…Barrr-rrry
How about them Seminoles Barry?