Virginia at Florida State is the Champs Sports Bowl Game of the Week
This season, pick who you think will win the Champs Sports Bowl Game of the Week and WIN! Answer the question on the Capital One Bowl Facebook page before Saturday’s game. If you pick correctly, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win two tickets to the Capital One Bowl on January 2, 2012!
Virginia Tech leads series 5-3-0 (Last meeting: Nov. 4, 2010: Virginia Tech 28, Georgia Tech 21)
ACC power Virginia Tech clashes with conference rival Georgia Tech Thursday in a matchup of Coastal division leaders. Since the ACC moved to 12 teams in 2005, only the Hokies and Yellow Jackets have represented the Coastal division in the conference title game. Although Virginia still controls its own destiny, the winner of this weekend’s “Battle of the Techs” should have the inside track at yet another appearance in the ACC Championship Game.
Despite struggling against Duke two weeks ago, Virginia Tech set a school and ACC record with its 11th-straight conference road victory in Durham. The teams combined for six turnovers in the Hokies’ sloppy 14-10 victory. Virginia Tech’s lone bright spot was all-conference running back David Wilson, who ran for 148 yards on the day. Wilson leads the ACC in rushing, averaging more than 130 yards per game. Quarterback Logan Thomas’ inconsistent year was epitomized last week against a Blue Devils’ defense ranked second-to-last in the conference. The first-year starter threw two interceptions versus one touchdown and completed 17 of 28 passes for 190 yards.
Georgia Tech is also coming off a bye week after overpowering then-undefeated Clemson 31-17 in Atlanta. The win ended a two-game losing streak for the Yellow Jackets. Tevin Washington, who completed only four of nine pass attempts, set a school record for a quarterback by rushing for 176 yards. The Ramblin’ Wreck outrushed the No. 5 Tigers 382 to 95 and never trailed again after scoring on a 1-yard run late in the first quarter. Georgia Tech scored all four of its touchdowns on the ground, holding the ball for almost twice as long as Clemson. The Yellow Jackets’ defense forced four Tiger turnovers and allowed only one offensive touchdown.
Extra point:
* The winner of the head-to-head matchup each season has gone on to play for the ACC title.
*Georgia Tech was 2-29-1 at home against top-10 ranked teams from 1967 to 2008, head coach Paul Johnson’s first season. The Yellow Jackets are 2-0 at home against top-10 teams since, beating No. 4 Virginia Tech in 2009 and No. 5 Clemson Oct. 29.
EXPERT PICKS
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Michel Champagne currently serves as Chairman of Florida Citrus Sports, where his duties include leading Team Selection Committee. He is the Vice President of Operations and General Manager, Orlando Region for Bright House Networks. |
| Pick: Virginia Tech Season Record: 11-5 |
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Greg Warmoth spent 11 years as the weekend sports anchor for WFTV Channel 9 in Orlando before switching to the news desk in 1997. He currently anchors Eyewitness News Daybreak, Eyewitness News This Morning on TV-27 and Eyewitness News at Noon. |
| Pick: Virginia Tech Season Record: 9-7 |
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Marc Daniels hosts The Beat Of Sports on ESPN 1080 AM in Orlando every weekday morning from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Daniels has over 20 years of experience on the air and is most well known as “the Voice of the UCF Knights” for all football, men’s basketball and baseball games on the UCF ISP Sports Network. |
| Pick: Virginia Tech Season Record: 10-6 |
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Jerry Greene spent 33 years as a sportswriter at Florida Today, the Pensacola News Journal and the Orlando Sentinel before retiring in 2009. He now co-hosts The Beat of Sports with Daniels and contributes to ESPN.com’s Page 2 section. |
| Pick: Georgia Tech Season Record: 7-9 |