A Guest Blog by Fanspeak Contributing Writer Brian Murphy

The 2011 Orange Bowl on January 3 will be one of the best of this bowl season.  It features two of the nation’s hottest teams and two of the best quarterbacks in college football.  Stanford is 11-1 with its only loss coming to Oregon in early October.  The Cardinal have won seven straight since.  ACC Champions Virginia Tech started the season 0-2 in five days and since have reeled off 11 straight wins and the nation’s 4th-largest active winning streak.

The quarterback match-up in this game is going to be highly entertaining and fun to watch.  Andrew Luck of Stanford, the Heisman runner-up, is projected by some to be the #1 overall NFL draft pick.  The junior has thrown for 3,051 yards with 28 TD’s and 7 INT’s.  Maybe the most underrated part of Luck’s game is his running ability as he has rushed for 438 yards and 3 TD’s.  Speaking of quarterbacks that can run, VT’s Tyrod Taylor has rushed for 637 yards and 5 TD’s, while throwing for 2,521 yards with 23 TD’s and only 4 INT’s.  Taylor is one of the most underrated players in the nation and would like nothing more than to prove the nation of his ability and how good the Hokies are on a national stage.

The defenses will definitely have their hands full with these two high-powered offenses.  In addition to Taylor’s talent, the Hokies have three great running backs to keep things rolling.  Ryan Williams was the main guy until hamstring injuries slowed him down this year, but he will look to run like the 1,655 yard, 21 TD freshman of last year.  Darren Evans has picked up most of the carries this year, running for 817 yards and 11 TD’s.  Keep an eye out for the electric, high-energy freshman David Wilson who is a deep threat from the RB and WR positions.  Stanford has one main RB who carries the brunt of the rushes named Stepfan Taylor (1,023 yards, 15 TD’s).  They also boast very talented WR’s in Baldwin, Whalen, Owusu, and Fleener.  The Hokies have two main WR’s in Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale.

In terms of defense, Stanford has better overall numbers and have looked like one of the best in the nation.  The Cardinal defense is ranked 11th nationally in points against (17.8) and have given up 20+ points in only 4 games this season.  The Hokies always take pride in their defense under Bud Foster.  This year they have improved as the season progressed and are ranked 16th nationally in points against with 19.1.

The key to this game will be the time of possession for Virginia Tech.  If they can move the ball on the Cardinal defense efficiently while keeping Andrew Luck off the field, they have a shot.  Virginia Tech’s defense will have trouble slowing down Luck and the Cardinal offense, but will make the adjustments in the second half by their veteran coaching staff to keep the game close.  Not too many people are picking Virginia Tech in this one, but I am going with the underdog as they are making their 3rd Orange Bowl appearance in 4 years and is arguably the hottest team in college football right now.

Prediction: Stanford 31 Virginia Tech 34

By Guest Blogger Brian Murphy:

As a senior at VT, I think it is worth while writing about the remarkable season that the Hokies had this year.  It all started in the highest-rated college football game ever vs. Boise St. at FedEx Field in Landover, MD.  Virginia Tech came back from down 17-0 to take the lead in the fourth quarter.  Then, they simply tried to “not lose” instead of “win” by just handing the ball off until they punted and gave Boise St. the ball with a minute and change left down by 4.  We all know how this turned out.  After this, one of the worst upsets in college football history occurred in the Hokies’ backyard at Lane Stadium.  James Madison University, an FCS team, upset the Hokies’ when Darren Evans fumbled late in the game in Dukes’ territory.  Was this simply a scheduling blunder since it was only 5 days after the Boise St. game?  Was it simply that the Hokies’ were still devastated from losing that heart-breaker and weren’t “up” for what should have been a pushover?  No one will know, but what the Hokies did the next 11 games makes it easy for all Hokies to forget about.

Before their next game against ECU, the turning point of the season occurred.  The seniors called a players-only meeting and each senior stood up to talk about how hard they have worked in their years in Blacksburg and how they need to turn this season around.  Since then, Virginia Tech has not lost.  They actually went down 10-0 to ECU early but then showed a lot of heart by blowing up offensively and winning 49-27.

Virginia Tech then went up to BC and shut out the Eagles 19-0 in their first ACC game.  They then traveled to Raleigh to face a hot, ranked NC St. team.  This was definitely their most exciting game as they overcame a 17-0 deficit and won in the fourth quarter 41-30.  Next, VT beat their last out-of-conference opponent Central Michigan 45-21 and then reeled off 6 straight ACC wins, including wins over Georgia Tech, @ UNC, and @ Miami, to become the first ACC team since FSU in 2000 to go undefeated in ACC league play.  Speaking of those Seminoles, the Hokies took it to them in the ACC Championship last weekend in Charlotte 44-30.  The Hokies dominated the whole game and senior QB Tyrod Taylor continued one of the best seasons by a QB in ACC and VT history.  This gave the Hokies four ACC titles in the 7 years they have been in the conference — talk about domination!

Offensive MVP: Tyrod Taylor.  The ACC Player of the Year leads the ACC in passing officiency and will leave VT as the winningest QB in school history.  With his outstanding elusiveness and ability to keep the play alive, Taylor was a nightmare to opposing defenses.  He is currently passing at 60.6% with 2,521 yards and 23 TD’s to only 4 INT’s.  Rushing he had 637 yards with 5 TD’s.

Defensive MVP: Jayron Hosley.  The sophomore cornerback had a break-out season leading the ACC with 15 passes defended with a league-high and national-leading 8 interceptions.  He leads the nation with .73 interceptions per game and is one pick away from owning the school record with 9.

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech got the automatic bid to the 77th Orange Bowl, marking it their third Orange Bowl in 4 years.  Their opponent is #4 Stanford Cardinal from the Pac-10.  This should be one of the best bowl games this year, as Virginia Tech is one of the hottest teams in the country with their 11-game win streak, and Stanford is 11-1, having only lost to potential national champion Oregon.

Virginia Tech became the only school in the FBS to have 7-straight 10 win seasons.  They are the first team in FBS history to start 0-2 and then win 11-straight games.  They are the only ACC team ever to beat 9 conference opponents and, as mentioned earlier, they are the first ACC team since 2000 to go undefeated in league play.  Not a bad season for a team that doesn’t get much love from ESPN and the media, huh?  I am so glad that Auburn and Oregon didn’t slip up so no “what if” scenarios can occur.  Like, if the Hokies didn’t blow it against Boise St. (not to mention that “minor” week 2 loss).  See you in Miami for the Orange Bowl!

By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Geoff Nelowet:

The Atlantic Coast Conference has been known as a basketball power for decades, and year after year, Duke and North Carolina take center stage. Either the Blue Devils or Tar Heels has won the ACC regular season title over the last six seasons, but this could be the first year in a long time that neither of the perennial powers wins the conference.

This year, parity is abundant, as Maryland, Virginia Tech and bottom-feeder Virginia are in the top four of the conference with Duke in second. Maryland is now 4-1 in conference play, and they have won against ACC foes by an average of over 17 points.

Senior guard Greivis Vasquez, who is averaging 17.8 points and 6.2 assists per game, leads Maryland. He is a frontrunner for ACC player of the year, and he is a shoe-in for the All-ACC team. Senior forward Landon Milbourne has also chipped in scoring almost 15 points per contest.

The Terps got off to a shaky start this season in non-conference play. Although four of their five losses came against proven opponents in Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Villanova and Wake forest, they also have a home loss to William & Mary, which instilled a lack of confidence of the team’s potential early in the season. Maryland has bounced back winning four of five conference games to sit alone in first place in the ACC.

The Virginia Cavaliers have also found good fortune this season, as they won their first three conference games – a feat UVA has not accomplished in 15 years. The Cavaliers are led by sophomore shooting guard Sylven Landesberg, who is averaging over 17 points a game. Junior forward Mike Scott has also played a major role averaging over 13 points and 7 rebounds per game.

The Cavaliers rely on their strong defense to win games, and at times their scoring ability can be problematic. When Landesberg is on the bench, the Cavs lose a noticeable dimension to their attack, and they have gone long stretches appearing inept with the ball in their hands with Landesberg off the court.  Virginia has now lost two straight ACC games. They are still fourth in the conference – just behind Virginia Tech, who they lost to at home this past Thursday night. The young Cavs will have to prove that their wins over ranked and ACC opponents were not a fluke.

Virginia Tech, now third in the ACC, is 16-3, and they have won three ACC games. They have played a relatively weak non-conference schedule, which brings into question how they will fair as they get into the thick of their conference schedule, as they are still virtually unproven. Junior guard Malcolm Delaney has dominated this season, and he leads the ACC in scoring at 19.9 points per game.

This may be an anomaly of a year in the ACC with surprises atop the conference and UNC falling back to the middle of the pack. Teams such as Virginia, Virginia Tech Maryland should look to take advantage of essentially a down year in the ACC with the conference title open to all takers.

By contributing Fanspeak writer Geoff Nelowet:

11^th-ranked Virginia Tech travels to Dolphin stadium this weekend to take on the 9^th-ranked Miami Hurricanes. The Hokies are coming off a come-from-behind home victory over Nebraska in which they extended their non-conference home winning streak to 32 games. The ‘Canes made a statement last week in handling then-ranked (14) Georgia Tech. Miami is 2-0, and both wins have come against ranked opponents.

As Techsideline.com points out, this rivalry could not be any more even. Since 1987 the teams are 9-9, and they have both scored 391 points against one another. With that in mind, this should be a very close game. Both teams are extremely talented on both sides of the ball. At this point I would give the edge to Miami. They’ve simply been more impressive than Virginia Tech this season.

Miami is led by Jacory Harris – a bona fide Heisman Trophy candidate. He embarrassed Florida State and Georgia Tech, whose defenses are not necessarily inferior to Virginia Tech’s. The Miami offense should find its stride against a physical defense, and they will put up a surprising number of points.

The biggest question mark heading into the game is Virginia Tech’s offense. The Hokies can run the ball, and they have a tandem of talented running backs in Ryan Williams and David Wilson. Tyrod Taylor is also a dynamic runner from the quarterback position, but his arm could be what dictates the game. His paltry 444 passing yards this season are nearly eclipsed by Harris’ 386 yards just against Florida State. In short, Miami can put eight men in the box because they are confident that Taylor won’t beat them with his arm. If Taylor finds a way to make big plays in the passing game, the Hokies have a much better chance in this game.

Miami’s explosive passing game is what separates these two teams: Miami can set up the run with the pass, whereas Virginia Tech maintains predictability in their run game. The key to this game, like every game for Virginia Tech, is the play of Tyrod Taylor. Taylor needs to step up and lead his team, and he will have to do it through the air. Miami is absolutely talented enough to score in excess against a stout Hokie defense, and they are good enough on defense to keep Virginia Tech in check. Based on the last few weeks – both will happen.

Final score: Miami 28 Virginia Tech 16

By contributing Fanspeak writer Geoff Nelowet

1. Virginia Tech Hokies

Why They Will Contend: The Hokies have a stingy defense every year. Tyrod Taylor is blossoming into a game-breaker, and Frank Beemer and Bud Foster are two of the best coaches in the ACC. The Hokies could run the table in the ACC and contend for a national title.

Why They Won’t Contend: Tech’s star running back, Darren Evans is out for the season with a torn ACL. Beyond Tyrod Taylor, the Hokies don’t really have any serious offensive threats. The Hokies could be an injury away from handing Georgia Tech the ACC crown.

Offensive Player to Watch: QB Tyrod Taylor. Any Quarterback that rushes for 738 yards is worth watching.

Defensive Player to Watch: DE Jason Worilds. Worilds recorded eight sacks last season, which was fourth best in the conference.

2. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Why They Will Contend: This is a talented team. Jonathan Dwyer is the best running back in the ACC, and he will have no problem shouldering the load for the Yellow Jackets. A 1,500-yard season is not out of the question for Dwyer. Morgan Burnett and Derek Morgan are two of the better defenders in the ACC.

Why They Won’t Contend: They can be one-dimensional on offense. They only averaged 16.3 points per game last season, and they run a triple-option that is not a great fit for quarterback Josh Nesbitt. The Yellow Jackets also lost three of their starting defensive linemen from a year ago.

Offensive Player to Watch: QB Josh Nesbitt. Everyone is already watching Dwyer. If Nesbitt can produce like a top-tier quarterback, Georgia Tech will be very scary.

Defensive Player to Watch: S Morgan Burnett. Burnett was an All-American last season as a sophomore.  He led the team in both tackles (93) and interceptions (7). He is easily the best athlete on the team.

3. Clemson Tigers

Why They Will Contend: Clemson is talented on both sides of the ball. They are continually one of the most talented teams in the ACC, and with C.J. Spiller returning on offense, they should be a potent unit. Willy Korn and Kyle Parker were both top-ten recruits at the quarterback position, so there is no drop-off in talent at the most critical position. Clemson also returns one of the best linebacker corps in the conference.

Why They Won’t Contend: They may be talented at quarterback, but they are inexperienced. They have problems pressuring the quarterback on defense, and their offensive line struggled all last season. Clemson may have great talent in key places, but they have major holes on both lines.

Offensive Player to Watch: RB C.J. Spiller. Spiller will contend with Dwyer this season as the best back in the ACC. He led the conference in all-purpose yards a year ago.

Defensive Player to Watch: LB Kavell Conner. Conner had 125 tackles last season, and he recorded 11 against Nebraska in the Gator Bowl. He is one of the Tigers’ most consistent players.

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

Why They Will Contend: Butch Davis has built an excellent defense in Chapel Hill, and this may be the best unit in the conference. T.J. Yates is back at quarterback, and he will foster both poise and experience. The Tar Heels were 8-4 last season, and that was a slight disappointment.

Why They Won’t Contend: The Tar Heels lost their three best receivers to the NFL. Their offense in all likelihood will be underpowered and underwhelming, and with the loss of guard Calvin Darity and tackle Garrett Reynolds, the Heels may have huge issues moving the chains.

Offensive Player to Watch: RB Shaun Draughn. With Hakeem Nicks gone, the offense might lean on Draugn a bit more. After an 866-yard campaign a year ago, Draugn could break out this year.

Defensive Player to Watch: LB Quan Sturdivant. Sturdivant had 122 tackles last season. Expect more of the same.

5. Florida State Seminoles

Offensive Player to Watch: QB Christian Ponder. Ponder, a junior, has shown flashes, but he’s been inconsistent, which can be attributed to inexperience. Ponder could be one of the best in the conference this season if he continues to develop and gain consistency.

Defensive Player to Watch: S Myron Rolle. Rolle, a Rhodes Scholar, is clearly a very smart player, but don’t sleep on his talent. Rolle could easily be an all-ACC selection at the end of the season.

6. Miami Hurricanes

Offensive Player to Watch: QB Jacory Harris. Harris had a strong freshman season, and he has all the tools to be an excellent college quarterback. His skill set is reminiscent of former Ohio State QB – and Heisman trophy winner – Troy Smith.

Defensive Player to Watch: LB Arthur Brown. Brown switched to inside linebacker near the end of last season, and it made a huge difference. He was heavily recruited across the country out of high school, and with the switch inside, his game should elevate to an entirely different level.

7. North Carolina State Wolfpack

Offensive Player to Watch: QB Russell Wilson. He was first-team ACC a year ago, and he led the conference in pass efficiency.

Defensive Player to Watch: LB Nate Irving. Irving recorded 80 tackles last season as a sophomore, and he did it in only ten games.

8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Offensive Player to Watch: WR Marshall Williams. Williams is filling big shoes with D.J. Boldin (All-ACC) graduating. Williams has the speed to be a productive wide out, and his development may be pivotal to the success of QB Riley Skinner and the offense.

Defensive Player to Watch: DT Boo Robinson. Robinson led the team with five sacks last season.

9. Boston College Eagles

Offensive Player to Watch: RB Montel Harris. Expect BC to rely on Montel Harris to carry the offense with inexperience at Quarterback. Harris racked up 900 yards last season with five touchdowns.

Defensive Player to Watch: DE Jim Ramella. Ramella recorded four sacks last season for the eagles. BC was crushed on defense when star linebacker Mark Herzlich was diagnosed with bone cancer. Best wishes to Herzlich.

10. Virginia Cavaliers

Offensive Player to Watch: QB Vic Hall. This will be Hall’s first year at quarterback, but in UVA’s new wide-open spread offense, Hall could be a major playmaker in the ACC with both his arm and his legs.

Defensive Player to Watch: CB Ras-I Dowling. Dowling was second in the ACC with 11 pass breakups. Dowling is one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC today.

11. Duke Blue Devils

Offensive Player to Watch: QB Thaddeus Lewis. Lewis made it onto Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List.

Defensive Player to Watch: DT Vince Oghobaase. Oghobaase had six sacks last season, and he was a force in the middle. Duke is lucky to have him this season, as he nearly chose to leave for the NFL.

12. Maryland Terrapins

Offensive Player to Watch: RB Da’Rel Scott. Scott amassed over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Expect him to compete with Dwyer and Spiller as best back in the ACC.

Defensive Player to Watch: LB Alex Wujciak. As a sophomore, Wujciak led the Terps with 133 total tackles. Wujciak is a potential All-American candidate.