"Answer me this: VT constantly knocked down for inexperienced defense, yet nobody bats an eyelash...

"Answer me this: VT constantly knocked down for inexperienced defense, yet nobody bats an eyelash at 'Bama being No. 1 despite 9 new starters"

Our boy Josh, on The Twitter. It's an excellent point. Alabama is the preseason No. 1 replacing nine starters while people are questioning our ability to win the Coastal because we have six new starters on D. It has a lot to do with the Tide being the defending champs, but its hard enough to repeat and nearly impossible to do it with nine new starters on D. The Hokies shouldn't be counted out just because they have to replace six guys.

over 1 year ago furrer4heisman 8 comments 0 recs |

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the difference being

SEC vs ACC

ESPN loves Bama and the SEC so they get the benefit of the doubt. Oklahoma is up there despite them losing everyone as well. Florida lost 7 guys on defense and I am not sure how many they lost on offense.

by hokiewolf on Aug 11, 2010 6:12 AM EDT reply actions

All I need to know about UF

is that they’ve looked futile without Football Jesus in the backfield, offensively. SEC, I think, is looking at a down year. But the media will dub it “parody” while the ACC’s gauntlet will be dubbed weak because we have “no national title contenders”.

I write stuff From the Rumble Seat.

by BirdGT on Aug 11, 2010 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Bama won't repeat.

I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Glory favors the bold. Chance favors the prepared mind. Luck, well i have that too. University of Utah goes to the Pac-12 conference in 2011. I expect them to compete immediately for the conference CG. Brock Lesnar will defeat Cain Velasquez. Womens MMA, the next big thing in sports. 3 weeks till the first game of college football. UTAH vs Pitt. September 2nd 2010.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Aug 13, 2010 3:30 AM EDT up reply actions

I always find it curious that

ESPN will poo-poo Va Tech, saying that they don’t have any “strength of schedule” but will make excuses for Miami, lauding their “strength of schedule”.

(hypothetical ESPN conversation . . . Golly Gee Beav, you would think with that cream puff schedule VA Tech would be undefeated, except of course for that game they dropped to unranked Eastern State Central, who by the way look really good now to go all the way with their defeat of the over-rated Hokies. And, what a shame that Miami just can’t seem to get it together this year. But really, we should give them a bit of a pass because they must have one of the hardest schedules of any football team this century.)

Since Va Tech and Miami are both ACC teams, that means with the exception of 4 games per year their schedules are very similar. I know, I know, Miami plays Florida. Nevermind that Va Tech over the past few years have played USC and Alabama. Those teams just don’t hold water in the “strength of schedule” conversation when comparing to Miami, because after all, Miami plays Florida. (Oh wait, I said that . . must be channeling the hypothetical ESPN conversation again. Sorry!)

But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.

-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

by McDammit on Aug 11, 2010 2:39 PM EDT reply actions

If you mean Florida A&M, South Florida or FSU

Then you are correct. The Canes haven’t played the Gators since 2008.

by SlicesRight on Aug 11, 2010 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions

FSU is an ACC team as well

What I am saying is that if Va Tech’s lack of strength of schedule keeps them from doing better in the poles, then how does someone justify Miami receiving credit for having a stronger strength of schedule? Both are ACC teams, therefore any disparity between the “strength of schedule” for Va Tech and Miami should rest in the non-conference games. When I have this conversation with someone they always reply with “well, Miami plays Florida”. So, I used Florida in my example, (and now I know I can correct them :) ) and well, Florida is an in-state rival for Miami and is an SEC team.

Since FSU is also an ACC team, they would not factor into my argument because I am only comparing non-conference games. In my opinion, non-conference games are the only variable when comparing/contrasting “strength of schedule” of teams which play in the same conference.

And since neither Florida A&M (MEAC) nor South Florida (Big East) belong to the SEC, or any of the other top-tier conferences that all the talking heads can’t talk enough about, then they really shouldn’t affect the strength of schedule as it relates to the non-conference games either.

But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.

-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

by McDammit on Aug 12, 2010 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions