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VT Grill Cover $49.95 The bold VT logo looks great on this heavy-duty, reinforced vinyl grill cover. Show your friends and neighbors your Hokie pride by displaying this high-quality grill cover on your deck or porch. Heavy-duty reinforced vinyl with flannel blacking. Weather resistant. Resists cracking even in the colder weather. Adapts to fit most large cart-style grills. Drawstring bottom to ensure secure fit. Size: 59" x 19" x 42". Click here to order

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This week, the Big East media picked the Hokies to finish third in the league in 2003. That breaks a string of four straight second-place predictions for Virginia Tech, from 1999-2002.

A couple of years ago, we ran an "Inside the Numbers" article in TSL Pass, which was called TSL Extra at the time, about the accuracy -- or perhaps lack thereof -- of the annual BE media predictions.

At the time, we found that VT was historically the most underrated team by the BE media, by a rather large margin. The media had picked VT to finish, on the average, just over third in the league -- 3.13, to be exact.

The Hokies had finished, on the average, exactly second in the league, meaning that they had been underrated by an average of 1.13 spots. Pitt was the second-most underrated team, by an average of 0.38 spots per year.

The most overrated team? The Miami Hurricanes, who were overrated by an average of 0.63 spots per year. The Canes were overrated primarily because they were picked to finish first almost every year, and they had not lived up to that expectation most years. At the time of the 2001 article, the Canes had been picked first six times, but had only finished that high three times.

BC was also traditionally overrated by 0.63 spots, tying the Canes.

Since that article, two more Big East seasons have come and gone. The Hurricanes, the most overrated team, have been picked first twice and have brought home the trophy twice. VT, the most underrated team, has been picked second twice and has finished third and fourth, so they're not as underrated as they used to be, when you throw the last two years into the calculations.

Here are VT's updated numbers, through 2002, for preseason pick and final finish.

VT, the Commissioner's Trophy, and the Directors' Cup
by Kevin Cuddihy, 7/25/03, 10:20 am
With Virginia Tech's entry into the ACC, much has been made of the Hokies' paltry standing in the Directors' Cup (formerly the Sears Cup), especially as it compares to their ACC brethren. As I'm sure many of you have seen written, the Hokies finished 112th in this year's Directors' Cup, while the lowest ACC team, Georgia Tech, was an impressive 52nd.
in TSL Pass

Hokies Picked to Finish Third in Big East
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 7/24/03, 12:30 am
At Big East Media Day Wednesday at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, the Big East media picked the Hokies 3rd in the Big East, behind #1 Miami and #2 Pittsburgh.
in News and Notes

Big East Media Day Today
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 7/23/03, 12:30 am
Coverage of the 2003 VT football season officially kicks off today, as the Big East media descend upon the Meadowlands in New Jersey for the annual Big East Media Day ... the last one for the Big East as we currently know it.
in News and Notes

Football Economics 101
by Lee Cannon, 7/22/03, 9:50 am
Bill Finley of the New York Times stated the obvious when he wrote in a June 28th article that it was money that drove ACC expansion. Despite the claims of the ACC’s marketing representative, Dean Bonham, that expansion was not driven by economics, Finley observed that it was about "football—and football money."
in Voice of the Fan

Diamonds and RUTs
by Jim Alderson, 7/21/03, 3:30 pm
I don’t imagine the music of Joan Baez is often used as inspiration for a sports column. That was the case, however, as my favorite classic rock station played her ‘Diamonds and Rust’ as I read discussions as to whether the series between Virginia Tech and West Virginia should and would continue.
in TSL Pass