The weekend was full of excitement with all the football games being played, especially when it comes to the NCAA.
There were a lot of close calls where one team wins the game in the final minutes. The University of Michigan, for example, was trailing Indiana University with only a few minutes left in the game. But they put together a drive that eventually led to the Game-winning touchdown to put them ahead. There was also the University of Notre Dame who was trailing the University of Purdue with less than a minute to play by about four points. They, too, put together a drive and pulled out a win.
There were also the one-sided affairs that weren’t even close. The University of Oregon was one such team who layed a licking to the University of California-Berkley by a decisive score of 42 points to their 3 points; it is also notable to add that unranked Oregon was an underdog against the sixth ranked bears of California, making the result all the more shocking. There was also the second-University of Texas playing the University of Texas-El Paso and absolutely crushed them by a score of 64 points to their 7 points.
There were also top teams that were defeated by underdog opponents. For example, as mentioned above, No. 6 California was handily defeated by Oregon. No. 5 Penn State was defeated at home by the University of Iowa, failing to avenge a loss they suffered against Iowa last year. There was also my school, No. 11 Virginia Tech, silencing the critics and beating the University of Miami, ranked ninth and undefeated.
It’s just something I wanted to share because I’m a huge College Football fan.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
VT's chance to prove themselves worthy
Yesterday, the Hokies of Virginia Tech football team defeated the Hurricanes of the University of Miami in a torrential downpour at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Aside from the game played between Pennsylvania State University and the University of Iowa, which was covered by ESPN’s College Gameday, the game played between Virginia Tech and Miami was arguably the biggest NCAA football game played this weekend. It was a titanic matchup between two teams looking to take control of the Coastal Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Miami was ranked ninth in the nation in the Associated Press Poll rankings while Virginia Tech was ranked eleventh. The winner would take the top spot and would almost certainly be in the top ten in the AP rankings that come out after all the games are played. Based on these facts, both teams put a lot of importance in this game.
The previous week, Virginia Tech had narrowly defeated the University of Nebraska (16-15) in a game filled with numerous errors, turnovers, and penalties. Had it not been for a dramatic Touchdown pass made by Tech’s Quarterback, the Hokies might not have won against Nebraska. They were truly lucky to pull that one out of the fire. Throughout that game, they would struggle with their offense. One of their touchdowns came as a result of good field position after a good return on the opening kickoff of the game. They would struggle consisitently afterwards and would not have another important play until the final minute when Tech’s Quarterback completed an impressive pass that put the Hokies deep into Nebraska territory where they would eventually scorethe winning touchdown. Tech’s offense wasn’t the only problem in that game, their defense gave up huge amounts of yardage to the Nebraska running game (even though Nebraska only managed 15 points and never scored a touchdown). With all of these problems, Virginia Tech looked highly vulnerable against an increasingly resurgent Miami team.
Two days before Tech’s thrilling win over Nebraska, Miami played Georgia Tech University and won the game quite handily (33-17). After giving up a field goal early on in the game, the Hurricanes took control of the game and were never threatened for its remainder. They looked exceptionally well on both offense and defense and dominated in just about every phase of the game. Miami’s performance represented the days when Miami played that way on a consistent basis and won championships as if they were expected to. They looked well prepared to take on Virginia Tech.
With Miami’s increase in both their strength, speed, and confidence combined with Tech’s problems on offense and defense made the game between them appear as if it were a mismatch largely in favor of Miami. The experts and journalists were greatly impressed by Miami’s performance and favored them greatly over Virginia Tech. Almost all of them picked Miami to not only defeat Virginia Tech on Saturday but to also win the Atlantic Coast Conference. They had written off Virginia Tech and said that they would have no chance against Miami.
On Saturday, the day of the game, their was a steady and consistent rainfall, everyone walked to the stadium wearing poncho’s and carrying umbrellas. Some people did not go to Lane Stadium and watched the game in their dorm (like me). Despite what everyone said about Tech and Miami, the game unfolded quite differently than they had expected. Tech’s defense forced Miami to fumble the ball which led to a Hokie touchdown a play or two later. Tech’s offense also showed great improvement as they scored on a long touchdown pass. Not only was the offense and defense running well for Tech but their special teams play also had an important role in the game as well. They blocked a Miami punt in the second quarter in which a Tech player scooped the ball up and took it in for a touchdown. Miami would score a touchdown in the third quarter but it would be too late, they had fallen too far behind and Tech had all the momentum on their side. Tech would score another field goal as well as another touchdown to complete their rout of Miami. The Hokies dominated the Hurricanes by a decisive score of 31 points to Miami’s 7 points.
The victory not only silenced Tech’s doubters and other prognosticators but it also changed the rankings of the two teams as well. Miami has fallen from being ranked ninth in the country to being ranked seventeenth in the country with a record of two wins and one loss. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, has risen from being ranked eleventh to sixth with a record of three wins and one loss. The win also puts tech at the top of the division where they control their own destiny in the conference race. It was a great game for Tech, not only because they won but also because they proved that they could play well and make up for poor performances. It will be interesting to find out where these two teams go from here.
Aside from the game played between Pennsylvania State University and the University of Iowa, which was covered by ESPN’s College Gameday, the game played between Virginia Tech and Miami was arguably the biggest NCAA football game played this weekend. It was a titanic matchup between two teams looking to take control of the Coastal Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Miami was ranked ninth in the nation in the Associated Press Poll rankings while Virginia Tech was ranked eleventh. The winner would take the top spot and would almost certainly be in the top ten in the AP rankings that come out after all the games are played. Based on these facts, both teams put a lot of importance in this game.
The previous week, Virginia Tech had narrowly defeated the University of Nebraska (16-15) in a game filled with numerous errors, turnovers, and penalties. Had it not been for a dramatic Touchdown pass made by Tech’s Quarterback, the Hokies might not have won against Nebraska. They were truly lucky to pull that one out of the fire. Throughout that game, they would struggle with their offense. One of their touchdowns came as a result of good field position after a good return on the opening kickoff of the game. They would struggle consisitently afterwards and would not have another important play until the final minute when Tech’s Quarterback completed an impressive pass that put the Hokies deep into Nebraska territory where they would eventually scorethe winning touchdown. Tech’s offense wasn’t the only problem in that game, their defense gave up huge amounts of yardage to the Nebraska running game (even though Nebraska only managed 15 points and never scored a touchdown). With all of these problems, Virginia Tech looked highly vulnerable against an increasingly resurgent Miami team.
Two days before Tech’s thrilling win over Nebraska, Miami played Georgia Tech University and won the game quite handily (33-17). After giving up a field goal early on in the game, the Hurricanes took control of the game and were never threatened for its remainder. They looked exceptionally well on both offense and defense and dominated in just about every phase of the game. Miami’s performance represented the days when Miami played that way on a consistent basis and won championships as if they were expected to. They looked well prepared to take on Virginia Tech.
With Miami’s increase in both their strength, speed, and confidence combined with Tech’s problems on offense and defense made the game between them appear as if it were a mismatch largely in favor of Miami. The experts and journalists were greatly impressed by Miami’s performance and favored them greatly over Virginia Tech. Almost all of them picked Miami to not only defeat Virginia Tech on Saturday but to also win the Atlantic Coast Conference. They had written off Virginia Tech and said that they would have no chance against Miami.
On Saturday, the day of the game, their was a steady and consistent rainfall, everyone walked to the stadium wearing poncho’s and carrying umbrellas. Some people did not go to Lane Stadium and watched the game in their dorm (like me). Despite what everyone said about Tech and Miami, the game unfolded quite differently than they had expected. Tech’s defense forced Miami to fumble the ball which led to a Hokie touchdown a play or two later. Tech’s offense also showed great improvement as they scored on a long touchdown pass. Not only was the offense and defense running well for Tech but their special teams play also had an important role in the game as well. They blocked a Miami punt in the second quarter in which a Tech player scooped the ball up and took it in for a touchdown. Miami would score a touchdown in the third quarter but it would be too late, they had fallen too far behind and Tech had all the momentum on their side. Tech would score another field goal as well as another touchdown to complete their rout of Miami. The Hokies dominated the Hurricanes by a decisive score of 31 points to Miami’s 7 points.
The victory not only silenced Tech’s doubters and other prognosticators but it also changed the rankings of the two teams as well. Miami has fallen from being ranked ninth in the country to being ranked seventeenth in the country with a record of two wins and one loss. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, has risen from being ranked eleventh to sixth with a record of three wins and one loss. The win also puts tech at the top of the division where they control their own destiny in the conference race. It was a great game for Tech, not only because they won but also because they proved that they could play well and make up for poor performances. It will be interesting to find out where these two teams go from here.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
A step in the right Direction: Miami routs Georgia Tech 33-17.
Last Thursday night, the University of Miami’s football team showed it was taking a gigantic step forward in its pursuit to return to their elite status that they had once held before.
In the 1980’s, the University of Miami was a dominant power when it came to college football. They appeared in the top ten numerous times, demolished their competition, and won 3 NCAA championships in a span of 7 years (’83,’87, and ’89). They continued that success into the mid-1990’s, winning a share of another national championship (’91 with the University of Washington) as well as playing in two other championship games (’92 and ’94). Miami would temporarily fall off the radar for the remainder of the 90’s, however, failing to win 10 games in a season from 1995-99, including one losing season (they achieved a record of 5 wins and 6 losses in the 1997 season). They would, however, undergo a brief period of renaissance in the early 2000’s, winning 4 conference titles from 2000-03 and played in two national championship games (’01 and ’02), winning one of them (’01); they also won at least 11 games in a season during this four year stretch. Since moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference, however they have yet to produce such results, once again failing to win 10 games in a season, suffering another losing season (a record of 5 wins and seven losses) in the 2007 season), and getting humiliated by the University of Virginia in their last home game in the Orange Bowl by a demoralizing score of 48-0.
That atmosphere changed last Thursday as they took the field to play a home game against Georgia Tech University. That night, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were ranked 14th in the nation with a record of two wins and no losses. The Miami Hurricanes was ranked 20th in the nation and sported a record of 1 win and no losses. After winning a thrilling game against their heated rivals, Florida State University, Miami was ready to take the next step. The game started with Georgia Tech receiving the ball first in which they executed their offensive plays quite well. They marched deep into Miami territory before being stopped and having to settle for a field goal. That was the only time Tech would lead as Miami took control of the game, leading by as much as 33-10 in the fourth quarter. Despite giving up a late touchdown, Miami had successfully shut down Tech’s offense, an offense that was said to be one of the best in the country. The Hurricanes were the victors in this match-up by a decisive score of 33-17. They are now ranked 9th in the nation with a record of 2 wins and 0 losses and will play my school, Virginia Tech (ranked 11th with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss).
Winning this game clearly shows that Miami is becoming a force to be reckoned with. There are other big games in this season where they will be able to prove themselves including games against the University of Oklahoma and Virginia Tech. At least one win against those teams could show how far they’ve come and how high they will soar. That’s just my guess, we just have to wait and see what happens.
In the 1980’s, the University of Miami was a dominant power when it came to college football. They appeared in the top ten numerous times, demolished their competition, and won 3 NCAA championships in a span of 7 years (’83,’87, and ’89). They continued that success into the mid-1990’s, winning a share of another national championship (’91 with the University of Washington) as well as playing in two other championship games (’92 and ’94). Miami would temporarily fall off the radar for the remainder of the 90’s, however, failing to win 10 games in a season from 1995-99, including one losing season (they achieved a record of 5 wins and 6 losses in the 1997 season). They would, however, undergo a brief period of renaissance in the early 2000’s, winning 4 conference titles from 2000-03 and played in two national championship games (’01 and ’02), winning one of them (’01); they also won at least 11 games in a season during this four year stretch. Since moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference, however they have yet to produce such results, once again failing to win 10 games in a season, suffering another losing season (a record of 5 wins and seven losses) in the 2007 season), and getting humiliated by the University of Virginia in their last home game in the Orange Bowl by a demoralizing score of 48-0.
That atmosphere changed last Thursday as they took the field to play a home game against Georgia Tech University. That night, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were ranked 14th in the nation with a record of two wins and no losses. The Miami Hurricanes was ranked 20th in the nation and sported a record of 1 win and no losses. After winning a thrilling game against their heated rivals, Florida State University, Miami was ready to take the next step. The game started with Georgia Tech receiving the ball first in which they executed their offensive plays quite well. They marched deep into Miami territory before being stopped and having to settle for a field goal. That was the only time Tech would lead as Miami took control of the game, leading by as much as 33-10 in the fourth quarter. Despite giving up a late touchdown, Miami had successfully shut down Tech’s offense, an offense that was said to be one of the best in the country. The Hurricanes were the victors in this match-up by a decisive score of 33-17. They are now ranked 9th in the nation with a record of 2 wins and 0 losses and will play my school, Virginia Tech (ranked 11th with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss).
Winning this game clearly shows that Miami is becoming a force to be reckoned with. There are other big games in this season where they will be able to prove themselves including games against the University of Oklahoma and Virginia Tech. At least one win against those teams could show how far they’ve come and how high they will soar. That’s just my guess, we just have to wait and see what happens.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
A memorable game...
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team were anything but dull, despite what transpired in the first 59 minutes of their game against the university of Nebraska; there is no doubt about that. The Hokies put on a show that Tech fans will remember for weeks, if not months, to come.
The game between these two teams was one of, if not the, biggest games of the weekend, being the only game that showcased two teams ranked in the AP Top 25 playing against each other. It pitted Virginia tech (ranked 13th in the country with a record of one win and one loss) against the University of Nebraska (ranked 19th in the country with a record of 2 wins and no losses). Virginia Tech came representing the Atlantic Coast Conference (in the Atlantic Division) while Nebraska represented the Big Twelve Conference (in the Big XII North Division). It was not only a game of mere sport but a game of opportunity as well. Virginia Tech wanted to win because they wanted to redeem itself from a disappointing loss at the hands of the University of Alabama; a win would prove that they can play against the good teams from major conferences. Nebraska wanted to win because it was in the process of retaining the elite stations it had attained from the early 1970’s to the early 2000’s.
These two teams had only played each other twice before this meeting. The first was in the Fed-ex Orange bowl in the 1996 post-season. Nebraska won that game by a decisive score of 41 points to Virginia Tech’s 21 points. During that time, however, Nebraska was among the elite teams, perennially competing for the NCAA nation championship and much stronger than the current Nebraska Team. The second meeting took place last year in Lincoln, Nebraska (Nebraska’s home turf). That game was decided mostly by turnovers, special teams plays, and numerous penalties. The game was close, with Virginia Tech emerging as the victor by a score of 35 points to Nebraska’s 30 points.
The crowd at Lane Stadium was whipped into a frenzy as they cheered and jumped up and down to the song, “Enter Sandman”, by Metallica as the Hokies took the field. Virginia Tech started the game off strong by returning the ball via kickoff-return deep into nebraska’s territory. A couple of plays later, they scored a touchdown. From then on, their offense would struggle through the next 58 minutes of the game. Nebraska would control the tempo of the game, scoring 15 points by the means of 5 field goals while Virginia Tech scored only 3 points. Nebraska had a chance to put the game out of reach with a drive going as far as the 6 yard line of Virginia Tech. However, the drive would stall due to several big penalties that pushed them back to the 40 yard line, forcing them to punt. Late in the fourth quarter, Tech turned the ball over on downs. Nebraska would get the ball back, but to no avail; Tech’s defense came up to the challenge and forced them to punt, giving Tech one last chance to win the game. The first one or two plays were not impressive, giving Tech little or no gain in yardage, as they had played all throughout the entire game. What occurred next, however, will probably be talked about by Tech fans for months. Virginia Tech’s quarterback threw a long pass to one of his receivers who successfully caught it and reached Nebraska’s two yard line with less than a minute to play. Three plays later, the Tech QB completed another pass, this time for another touchdown; that score would put the Hokies In the lead with 20 seconds or so to play. Virginia Tech would wind up being the victor in this brutal, defensive slugfest, chalking up a win that was well fought and well memorable.
The win puts Virginia Tech at a record of two wins and one loss and drops Nebraska to the same number of wins and losses.
The game between these two teams was one of, if not the, biggest games of the weekend, being the only game that showcased two teams ranked in the AP Top 25 playing against each other. It pitted Virginia tech (ranked 13th in the country with a record of one win and one loss) against the University of Nebraska (ranked 19th in the country with a record of 2 wins and no losses). Virginia Tech came representing the Atlantic Coast Conference (in the Atlantic Division) while Nebraska represented the Big Twelve Conference (in the Big XII North Division). It was not only a game of mere sport but a game of opportunity as well. Virginia Tech wanted to win because they wanted to redeem itself from a disappointing loss at the hands of the University of Alabama; a win would prove that they can play against the good teams from major conferences. Nebraska wanted to win because it was in the process of retaining the elite stations it had attained from the early 1970’s to the early 2000’s.
These two teams had only played each other twice before this meeting. The first was in the Fed-ex Orange bowl in the 1996 post-season. Nebraska won that game by a decisive score of 41 points to Virginia Tech’s 21 points. During that time, however, Nebraska was among the elite teams, perennially competing for the NCAA nation championship and much stronger than the current Nebraska Team. The second meeting took place last year in Lincoln, Nebraska (Nebraska’s home turf). That game was decided mostly by turnovers, special teams plays, and numerous penalties. The game was close, with Virginia Tech emerging as the victor by a score of 35 points to Nebraska’s 30 points.
The crowd at Lane Stadium was whipped into a frenzy as they cheered and jumped up and down to the song, “Enter Sandman”, by Metallica as the Hokies took the field. Virginia Tech started the game off strong by returning the ball via kickoff-return deep into nebraska’s territory. A couple of plays later, they scored a touchdown. From then on, their offense would struggle through the next 58 minutes of the game. Nebraska would control the tempo of the game, scoring 15 points by the means of 5 field goals while Virginia Tech scored only 3 points. Nebraska had a chance to put the game out of reach with a drive going as far as the 6 yard line of Virginia Tech. However, the drive would stall due to several big penalties that pushed them back to the 40 yard line, forcing them to punt. Late in the fourth quarter, Tech turned the ball over on downs. Nebraska would get the ball back, but to no avail; Tech’s defense came up to the challenge and forced them to punt, giving Tech one last chance to win the game. The first one or two plays were not impressive, giving Tech little or no gain in yardage, as they had played all throughout the entire game. What occurred next, however, will probably be talked about by Tech fans for months. Virginia Tech’s quarterback threw a long pass to one of his receivers who successfully caught it and reached Nebraska’s two yard line with less than a minute to play. Three plays later, the Tech QB completed another pass, this time for another touchdown; that score would put the Hokies In the lead with 20 seconds or so to play. Virginia Tech would wind up being the victor in this brutal, defensive slugfest, chalking up a win that was well fought and well memorable.
The win puts Virginia Tech at a record of two wins and one loss and drops Nebraska to the same number of wins and losses.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The game between OSU and USC
My topic for the week is on the football game played by the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Trojans from the University of Southern California. Yes, this is my second time writing about an NCAA football game but there was no other topic interesting enough for me to cover. College football is my most favorite sport, by far, to watch and enjoy and the games played this Saturday received my attention. With that being said, let’s move on to discussion.
The games that were played on Saturday received my attention. There were the blowouts that weren’t even close such as when my school (Virginia Tech) completely dismantled Marshall University by a decisive score of 52 points to their 10 points as well as the top-ranked University of Florida doing the same against the University of Troy by a score of 56-6. There were the upsets that took all viewers by surprise such as the University of Houston defeating the fifth ranked Cowboys from Oklahoma State University or the University of Central Michigan beating Michigan State on a last-second field goal. There were close calls from teams who were nearly upset such as Florida State University nearly losing to Jacksonvile State University or the University of Maryland needing overtime to defeat James Madison University. There was, however, also the game between the University of Southern California (USC) and Ohio State University (OSU), the game of the week and considered by many to be one of the biggest games of the college football regular season.
The game was nearly a year removed from the last meeting between these two teams. That game was played on the home turf of the USC and that game was too considered one of the biggest games of the year. That game was also a chance for OSU to prove itself after being humiliated in the national championship games of the last two seasons (to Florida in 2006 and LSU in 2007). In the end, however, OSU couldn’t keep up with the Trojans’ extraordinary talent and they ultimately lost by a lopsided score 35 points to 3 points. It was a game that haunted OSU for the remainder of the 2008 season and well throughout this past offseason. This game was seen as a chance for redemption for OSU and to show that they could win games against elite teams like USC.
Ohio State is said to be one of the stronger teams in the conference that it plays in (The Big Ten Conference). However, OSU does not receive much respect as the Big Ten can be considered as one of the weakest major football conferences in the nation. Their teams do not have the talent or the competitiveness of some of the other conferences such as the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Twelve Conference (BigXII), and the Pacific Athletic Conference (or Pac-10, as there are ten members). There are only two or three good teams in the big ten, the rest are also-rans or flat-out punching bags. As a result, the conference winner usually doesn’t have to put up with a lot of competition and that is why OSUhas received a lot of heat for the past 2 or 3 years. They have been named the Big Ten conference champions or co-champions for 5 of the last 7 years, thus showing they are one of the better teams of the Big Ten. As a result, they find themselves pitted against a team far more talented than that of their own and are ultimately defeated by a large margin. This has happened quite a few times to OSU in recent years, which leads to critics saying that OSU cannot compete with the bigger teams.
USC, on the other hand, has been the dominant force in their conference (the Pac-10) as well, winning the conference title (or at least a share of it) for the past 7 years and have been picked to win it again this year. They have always done well against non-conference opponents, never having lost to one since the 2002 season. This, as well as the memories of the crushing defeat of OSU, proved to be intimidating and ominous for OSU. Many people thought that OSU could not keep up with a high-powered USC team that had dealt with them thoroughly last season.
The circumstances this year, however, were quite different than those of last year’s game. Last year, USC, which had a solid defense and a talented backfield, was ranked first in the country and had a week to rest up for the game. OSU did not have a week off before that game; they had to play another opponent with whom they struggled. To make matters worse, their top running back had injured himself and wasn’t eligible to play in the game against USC. On top of that, their players weren’t as talented and USC’s were, giving USC a clear advantage in the game. This year, however, the roles were reversed a little despite the fact that USC gets the better recruits and reloads with talent every year. This year, USC was without their best defensive players and their quarterback decided to leave a year early for the NFL which left them searching for a new quarterback. OSU had a quarterback with experience and was considered a key player for OSU that game. Their chance of defeating USC would be much better than they were last year. USC and OSU both played a game last year which meant that USC didn’t have an extra week to practice more, making the preparation time between the two teams equal. Nonetheless, USC, having more talented players at most positions, was still seen as the better team despite OSU’s improvements.
The game started ominously for OSU as their quarterback threw an interception after only a few plays which led to a USC touchdown. Unlike last year, however, OSU would not back down and bow out. They responded with a score of their own to tie the game up. They went on to pressure USC into making mistakes and took control for most of the game. Unfortunately for OSU, it wasn’t meant to be. USC put together a final drive in the waning minute with just over a minute to play in the game. OSU tried to make a comeback but it was too late, they turned the ball over on down and USC won in dramatic fashion. Even though they lost, OSU performed remarkably better than they did against USC last year. It shows that even though they lost, they were closing the gap on the bigger teams.
The games that were played on Saturday received my attention. There were the blowouts that weren’t even close such as when my school (Virginia Tech) completely dismantled Marshall University by a decisive score of 52 points to their 10 points as well as the top-ranked University of Florida doing the same against the University of Troy by a score of 56-6. There were the upsets that took all viewers by surprise such as the University of Houston defeating the fifth ranked Cowboys from Oklahoma State University or the University of Central Michigan beating Michigan State on a last-second field goal. There were close calls from teams who were nearly upset such as Florida State University nearly losing to Jacksonvile State University or the University of Maryland needing overtime to defeat James Madison University. There was, however, also the game between the University of Southern California (USC) and Ohio State University (OSU), the game of the week and considered by many to be one of the biggest games of the college football regular season.
The game was nearly a year removed from the last meeting between these two teams. That game was played on the home turf of the USC and that game was too considered one of the biggest games of the year. That game was also a chance for OSU to prove itself after being humiliated in the national championship games of the last two seasons (to Florida in 2006 and LSU in 2007). In the end, however, OSU couldn’t keep up with the Trojans’ extraordinary talent and they ultimately lost by a lopsided score 35 points to 3 points. It was a game that haunted OSU for the remainder of the 2008 season and well throughout this past offseason. This game was seen as a chance for redemption for OSU and to show that they could win games against elite teams like USC.
Ohio State is said to be one of the stronger teams in the conference that it plays in (The Big Ten Conference). However, OSU does not receive much respect as the Big Ten can be considered as one of the weakest major football conferences in the nation. Their teams do not have the talent or the competitiveness of some of the other conferences such as the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Twelve Conference (BigXII), and the Pacific Athletic Conference (or Pac-10, as there are ten members). There are only two or three good teams in the big ten, the rest are also-rans or flat-out punching bags. As a result, the conference winner usually doesn’t have to put up with a lot of competition and that is why OSUhas received a lot of heat for the past 2 or 3 years. They have been named the Big Ten conference champions or co-champions for 5 of the last 7 years, thus showing they are one of the better teams of the Big Ten. As a result, they find themselves pitted against a team far more talented than that of their own and are ultimately defeated by a large margin. This has happened quite a few times to OSU in recent years, which leads to critics saying that OSU cannot compete with the bigger teams.
USC, on the other hand, has been the dominant force in their conference (the Pac-10) as well, winning the conference title (or at least a share of it) for the past 7 years and have been picked to win it again this year. They have always done well against non-conference opponents, never having lost to one since the 2002 season. This, as well as the memories of the crushing defeat of OSU, proved to be intimidating and ominous for OSU. Many people thought that OSU could not keep up with a high-powered USC team that had dealt with them thoroughly last season.
The circumstances this year, however, were quite different than those of last year’s game. Last year, USC, which had a solid defense and a talented backfield, was ranked first in the country and had a week to rest up for the game. OSU did not have a week off before that game; they had to play another opponent with whom they struggled. To make matters worse, their top running back had injured himself and wasn’t eligible to play in the game against USC. On top of that, their players weren’t as talented and USC’s were, giving USC a clear advantage in the game. This year, however, the roles were reversed a little despite the fact that USC gets the better recruits and reloads with talent every year. This year, USC was without their best defensive players and their quarterback decided to leave a year early for the NFL which left them searching for a new quarterback. OSU had a quarterback with experience and was considered a key player for OSU that game. Their chance of defeating USC would be much better than they were last year. USC and OSU both played a game last year which meant that USC didn’t have an extra week to practice more, making the preparation time between the two teams equal. Nonetheless, USC, having more talented players at most positions, was still seen as the better team despite OSU’s improvements.
The game started ominously for OSU as their quarterback threw an interception after only a few plays which led to a USC touchdown. Unlike last year, however, OSU would not back down and bow out. They responded with a score of their own to tie the game up. They went on to pressure USC into making mistakes and took control for most of the game. Unfortunately for OSU, it wasn’t meant to be. USC put together a final drive in the waning minute with just over a minute to play in the game. OSU tried to make a comeback but it was too late, they turned the ball over on down and USC won in dramatic fashion. Even though they lost, OSU performed remarkably better than they did against USC last year. It shows that even though they lost, they were closing the gap on the bigger teams.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Tech v. Alabama, the long awaited Game
I would like to discuss the game played between Virginia tech and the University of Alabama. This was a game that had been talked about for months leading up to its opening kickoff. It was a clash of conference titans; one, Virginia Tech, being from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the other, Alabama, from the Southeastern Conference. Analysts, journalists, news reporters, and sports broadcasters all covered this event. It is evident that this match-up clearly had major ramifications for both the teams playing in the game as well as the conferences that they represent.
Virginia Tech comes from a conference that has taken a massive beating when it comes to football. The Atlantic Coast Conference stance is relatively weak compared to conferences like that of the Southeastern Conference and its record versus quality opponents thus proves the point. Virginia Tech was beaten handily by the LSU Tigers (Louisiana State University) by a score of 48-7 early in the 2007 NCAA football season as was Clemson University when it was beaten by Alabama by a score of 34-10 in the opening week of the 2008 season (and that was a game where Clemson was ranked higher than Alabama.).
Alabama, on the other hand, comes from a strong, respectable and well-rounded conference with a lot of football prestige. Each one of its 12 members, including Alabama, has gone to at least one post-season game (bowl) in the last ten years (including Vanderbilt which, last season ended a bowl drought that goes way back into the 1980’s). At least half of its members have played in a new years day bowl or better in the last four or five years with two of them winning the National Championship the last three years (University of Florida in 2006 and 2008 and LSU in 2007). They seemingly dominate their non-conference opponents year in and year out, especially teams that hail from relatively weak conferences such as the Big East Conference, the ACC, and conferences that don’t have a tie-in to a major New Years day bowl.
The reputations of these two conferences clearly gave the University of Alabama the advantage and Virginia Tech the disadvantage. Most people picked Alabama based on those facts as well as many others. Alabama had a strong, solid defense while Virginia Tech had a young and inexperienced offense. One of their only running backs with playing experience from the previous year, a young man named Darren Evans, tragically tore his ACL during practice, causing him to miss the entire football season. This gaffed Virginia Tech’s already shallow depth significantly, forcing them to rely on their talented, but still inexperienced, freshmen running backs. This made the task of going up against Alabama’s tough defense far more daunting than it already was. Quarterback strength was an issue as well. Alabama’s Quarterback was pretty talented with armstrength and accuracy but, other than that, there was not much more that could be said of him. Virginia Tech’s situation was somewhat the opposite. Their quarterback was very mobile and dynamic; he could run when he couldn’t pass and scramble for the needed yards when he had to. However, his throwing ability has been disappointing and he always finds himself in trouble when he s in a passing situation. These facts did not bode well for Tech, a team hoping to attract the national spotlight and restore credibility to its conference.
The significance of this game was magnified by the fact that both teams were ranked in the preseason top ten. Alabama was ranked fifth in the nation while Virginia Tech was ranked seventh in the nation. Both were, and still are, considered strong favorites to win their division within their conference. It is said that the winner of this game would have a strong chance of making it into the national championship game at the end of the season. This was an especially important game for tech as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference. It was an opportunity to show the nation that their conference was not weak, that they could play with the better and more powerful teams. It was also an opportunity for the Southeastern Conference to assert their dominance over the smaller-name conferences like that of the Atlantic Coast Conference. It also showcased two of the greatest coaching minds in NCAA football: Frank Beamer, who has been coaching Tech for over 20 years, and Nick Saban, a coach who won a share of the national championship for LSU in the 2003 season and also led Alabama to a 12-0 start and number one ranking for a greater portion of the 2008 season. This all made it evident that the game between these two teams was a titanic match-up and a must-see.
When the day of the game finally arrived, the fans came by the thousands. Many attended the pre-game festivities in Atlanta, Georgia where the game was being held, including College Gameday, a show on ESPN where football analysts visit the site of the week’s top game to analyze, dissect, and discuss it as well as the other games. Behind those prognosticators and football analysts were the many fans of both Alabama and Virginia Tech as well as a few fans from other teams that were playing that day too. Many of the experts picked Alabama to win the football game, much to the chagrin of many Virginia tech fans and delight to the Alabama fans; Tech fans booed and Alabama fans cheered as they made their selections.
The game itself was fairly competitive throughout its duration. Alabama stopped Virginia Tech’s offense twice and kicked a couple of field goals only to see Tech take a kickoff return for a touchdown and find themselves falling behind slightly. After a couple more scoring exchanges, Tech found itself leading by one point at halftime, despite some offensive struggles. In the second half of the game, Alabama regained the lead and would not trail for the remainder of the game. Tech made a valiant effort to match Alabama punch for punch but the speed, strength, and depth from Alabama’s team was too much to conquer. Alabama would win against Tech by a score of 34-24 despite careless errors and idiotic penalties that would usually prove to be costly for a team.
There are a lot of lessons that can be learned from this game. For starters, Alabama is for real and have a good chance of winning many games in the season. As for Tech, even though they lost in the end, this game can be seen as a mark of progress for them and their conference. They and the rest of the ACC found themselves on the business end of a blowout many times to teams like Alabama, ultimately humiliating themselves in the process. From Tech’s 41 point margin of defeat to Alabama to Clemson’s 24 point margin against Alabama to only a 10 point margin this time around for Tech. It shows that while the ACC is not ready to compete with the bigger conferences, they are getting close. It will not be long before they are standing amongst the best of the best, it’s just going to take a little more time.
Virginia Tech comes from a conference that has taken a massive beating when it comes to football. The Atlantic Coast Conference stance is relatively weak compared to conferences like that of the Southeastern Conference and its record versus quality opponents thus proves the point. Virginia Tech was beaten handily by the LSU Tigers (Louisiana State University) by a score of 48-7 early in the 2007 NCAA football season as was Clemson University when it was beaten by Alabama by a score of 34-10 in the opening week of the 2008 season (and that was a game where Clemson was ranked higher than Alabama.).
Alabama, on the other hand, comes from a strong, respectable and well-rounded conference with a lot of football prestige. Each one of its 12 members, including Alabama, has gone to at least one post-season game (bowl) in the last ten years (including Vanderbilt which, last season ended a bowl drought that goes way back into the 1980’s). At least half of its members have played in a new years day bowl or better in the last four or five years with two of them winning the National Championship the last three years (University of Florida in 2006 and 2008 and LSU in 2007). They seemingly dominate their non-conference opponents year in and year out, especially teams that hail from relatively weak conferences such as the Big East Conference, the ACC, and conferences that don’t have a tie-in to a major New Years day bowl.
The reputations of these two conferences clearly gave the University of Alabama the advantage and Virginia Tech the disadvantage. Most people picked Alabama based on those facts as well as many others. Alabama had a strong, solid defense while Virginia Tech had a young and inexperienced offense. One of their only running backs with playing experience from the previous year, a young man named Darren Evans, tragically tore his ACL during practice, causing him to miss the entire football season. This gaffed Virginia Tech’s already shallow depth significantly, forcing them to rely on their talented, but still inexperienced, freshmen running backs. This made the task of going up against Alabama’s tough defense far more daunting than it already was. Quarterback strength was an issue as well. Alabama’s Quarterback was pretty talented with armstrength and accuracy but, other than that, there was not much more that could be said of him. Virginia Tech’s situation was somewhat the opposite. Their quarterback was very mobile and dynamic; he could run when he couldn’t pass and scramble for the needed yards when he had to. However, his throwing ability has been disappointing and he always finds himself in trouble when he s in a passing situation. These facts did not bode well for Tech, a team hoping to attract the national spotlight and restore credibility to its conference.
The significance of this game was magnified by the fact that both teams were ranked in the preseason top ten. Alabama was ranked fifth in the nation while Virginia Tech was ranked seventh in the nation. Both were, and still are, considered strong favorites to win their division within their conference. It is said that the winner of this game would have a strong chance of making it into the national championship game at the end of the season. This was an especially important game for tech as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference. It was an opportunity to show the nation that their conference was not weak, that they could play with the better and more powerful teams. It was also an opportunity for the Southeastern Conference to assert their dominance over the smaller-name conferences like that of the Atlantic Coast Conference. It also showcased two of the greatest coaching minds in NCAA football: Frank Beamer, who has been coaching Tech for over 20 years, and Nick Saban, a coach who won a share of the national championship for LSU in the 2003 season and also led Alabama to a 12-0 start and number one ranking for a greater portion of the 2008 season. This all made it evident that the game between these two teams was a titanic match-up and a must-see.
When the day of the game finally arrived, the fans came by the thousands. Many attended the pre-game festivities in Atlanta, Georgia where the game was being held, including College Gameday, a show on ESPN where football analysts visit the site of the week’s top game to analyze, dissect, and discuss it as well as the other games. Behind those prognosticators and football analysts were the many fans of both Alabama and Virginia Tech as well as a few fans from other teams that were playing that day too. Many of the experts picked Alabama to win the football game, much to the chagrin of many Virginia tech fans and delight to the Alabama fans; Tech fans booed and Alabama fans cheered as they made their selections.
The game itself was fairly competitive throughout its duration. Alabama stopped Virginia Tech’s offense twice and kicked a couple of field goals only to see Tech take a kickoff return for a touchdown and find themselves falling behind slightly. After a couple more scoring exchanges, Tech found itself leading by one point at halftime, despite some offensive struggles. In the second half of the game, Alabama regained the lead and would not trail for the remainder of the game. Tech made a valiant effort to match Alabama punch for punch but the speed, strength, and depth from Alabama’s team was too much to conquer. Alabama would win against Tech by a score of 34-24 despite careless errors and idiotic penalties that would usually prove to be costly for a team.
There are a lot of lessons that can be learned from this game. For starters, Alabama is for real and have a good chance of winning many games in the season. As for Tech, even though they lost in the end, this game can be seen as a mark of progress for them and their conference. They and the rest of the ACC found themselves on the business end of a blowout many times to teams like Alabama, ultimately humiliating themselves in the process. From Tech’s 41 point margin of defeat to Alabama to Clemson’s 24 point margin against Alabama to only a 10 point margin this time around for Tech. It shows that while the ACC is not ready to compete with the bigger conferences, they are getting close. It will not be long before they are standing amongst the best of the best, it’s just going to take a little more time.
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