Greetings fellow Hokies!

Though the Gobblers had a week off, there was still plenty of exciting college football played this past weekend. That’s where I come in. While I am a HUGE Virginia Tech fan, I am also a fan of the game in general. I wanted to give the Hokie Central faithful the opportunity to catch up on the NCAA scene from a unique prospective…not an "expert analyst" or an Associated Press columnist…just your regular, couch-sitting, beer-drinking, ref-hating sports fan. If you are reading this right now, Will has been generous enough to give me the benefit of the doubt with a trial run. I hope you enjoy it! Please don’t be shy with any comments/criticisms/suggestions. So, without further ado….

Overview…

Although the Gators turned the football over a dismal five times, they still managed to pull out the victory. Quarterback Doug Johnson helped the effort by connecting on two TD passes with a total of 343 yards in the air. Impressive numbers…though they were slightly tainted by three interceptions. The Florida defense was able to bail him out - led by Alex Brown’s five sacks, the Gators held the Vols to 278 yards on offense.

"The Swamp" continues to be a place of frustration for the Volunteers (and the rest of Florida’s opponents, for that matter). The victory marked the 30^th straight home win for Steve Spurrier’s squad.

Tennessee had its fair share of opportunities to spoil the streak. With five minutes left in the contest, Jamal Lewis capped off a 97-yard drive with a touchdown run to cut the Gators’ lead to two. Luck seemed to be in the Vol’s favor, as they had one last shot at scoring following another Johnson interception. Luck ran out, however, and the stingy Florida defense stopped Tennessee on a fourth-and-three sweep. Earnest Graham’s rushing efforts were enough to allow the Gators to run out the clock.

My Take…

I watched this game in a noisy sports bar that just so happened to be the Atlanta Gator Club Headquarters. Obviously, I was subjected to some pretty biased (not to mention obnoxious) opinions. I was not too impressed with either team…the Volunteers offense was sluggish, Florida’s performance was marred by turnovers, and it seemed as if penalties were involved in every other play. I will give some credit to the Florida defense…they looked pretty damn good. If the Gators want a shot at the title game in New Orleans, they have a lot of work to do. Steve Spurrier (who I despise) has to discipline his team a little better and cut down on the number of penalties (they gave up 112 yards on 10 infractions). Quarterback Doug Johnson needs to get his act together as well…three interceptions in such a big game is inexcusable. Of course, Tennessee isn’t out of the title hunt, though one loss in a tight top 25 field makes the outlook grim.

Overall performance:
Florida:  C+
Tennessee:  C

My Take…

Florida State retains its spot as the best team in college football with an impressive win against NC State. I questioned the defensive talent of the ‘Noles after they gave up so many points to Georgia Tech last week. Their performance on Saturday erased many of those doubts, limiting the Wolfpack to 238 offensive yards and scoring two touchdowns. I will keep in mind that this was NC State…not exactly an offensive powerhouse. Wolfpack QB Jamie Barnette had a miserable afternoon…throwing four interceptions and losing two fumbles. There really isn’t too much more for me to discuss on this one…FSU was bound to win big after their embarrassing loss to the Wolfpack last season.

Overall performance:
FSU: A-
NCSU: C-

My Take…

What an ugly game. Of course, I was rooting for the ‘Canes to pull out a huge victory for the BIG EAST, but I couldn’t help but smile when Kelly threw two interceptions at the end of the contest. Both teams looked terrible, in my eyes. Defenses were sloppy and the offenses were inconsistent. After seeing the Lions the past two weeks, I think they are overrated. And Miami doesn’t scare me as much as they should.

Overall performance:
PSU:  B-
Miami:  C

My Take…

Add Michigan to my list of overrated teams. Not to take anything away from the ‘Cuse (see "Awards" below), but a top five team should score more than 18 points against an unranked rebuilding squad. As far as I’m concerned, you can write off the Wolverines as a title contender.

Overall performance:
Michigan:  C-
Syracuse:  B-

My Take…

Whoever had Arizona pre-season ranked top-ten ought to be publicly flogged…what a disgrace.

It’s nice to see that the Hokies aren’t the only team that has problems against the Bearcats…it amazes me that Ron Dayne ran for well over 200 yards and those Cheeseheads still couldn’t pull out a victory.

Alabama just plain stinks.

Oh yea…Notre Dame football is a joke. Maybe after their third loss, the screwy AP voters will knock the Irish out of the top 25 (where they never deserved to be in the first place).

Not an overly impressive win for the Huskers

I really don’t know…is Tulsa that bad or are the Aggies that good? I’m keeping an eye on this team…

With a loss already and a tough schedule ahead of them…I think the Buckeyes are done.

Joe Hamilton and the Ramblin’ Wreck have a great team this year…they’ll have a top ten finish for sure.

This team is awfully talented…they deserve a little more respect and a better ranking.

Quote of the Week:
"We’re either going to get better or fade off into the sunset" – Notre Dame coach Bob Davie. Hey, Bob…I’ve got news for you…there isn’t much left to fade.

Best Overall Performance – Offense:
Vinny Sutherland – Purdue: Sutherland had a punt return for a touchdown, 134 receiving yards, and 30 rushing yards, helping the Boilermakers blow out the Chippewas.

Best Overall Performance – Defense:
Alex Brown – Florida: Brown had five sacks, a forced fumble, an interception, and a pair of deflections.

Best Performance in a Losing Effort:
Ron Dayne – Wisconsin: Catching up with Ricky Williams, Dayne ran for 231 yards on 28 carries

Best Supporting Cast:
Georgia Tech Offensive Line: Helped the Jackets gain over 300 yards rushing. Said Heisman Candidate Joe Hamilton, "You just look into the guys’ eyes, and they just want to drool because they want to dominate so badly."

The LaVar Arrington Sportsmanship Award:
LaVar Arrington – Penn State: There is just something about punters…LaVar got in another shoving match with the Miami kicker. The guy is a great athlete, but his temper and terrible attitude speak very poorly of him. Pick on someone your own size, punk!

Most Likely to Give Tech a Tough Game(Besides Miami):
West Virginia. Kidding…I mean, how can you get blown-out and held scoreless against the Twerps? I’m all for respecting our fellow BIG EASTers, but give me a break. Bulger threw four interceptions, helping Maryland match its win total from last year.

Seriously, I fear The ‘Cuse. They were a quiet 2-0 and gave Michigan a helluva game. I hope the Hokies don’t take them lightly. Good news is their offense stinks…

Best Hit:
Tennessee RB Jamal Lewis colliding with Florida’s Marquand Manuel. Lewis hit Manuel so hard that his helmet flew off. Adding insult to injury, the Gators were penalized because Manuel’s bandana was consequently exposed. Is it just me, or is that a DUMB rule? I can’t understand of the logic behind that one. If anyone has a clue to why this rule exists, please enlighten me.

Final Thoughts:

After seeing the upsets and poor performances by college football’s "elite", I feel even more confident about Tech’s chances for a spot in the Sugar Bowl. Of course, there is a looooooooooong road ahead for everybody…but I don’t foresee too many teams being able to run the table.

That about does it from my end. I’ve got to go sit on the couch, drink a few beers, and yell at some refs as my beloved "Dirty Birds" make a special appearance on Monday Night Football.

Take care y’all…and as always….