Thursday January 29, 2009

The Biggest Game of the Year

The Biggest Game of the Year
In sports we always seem to sensationalize a game, player or coach. We seem to always look forward to the next “biggest game ever.”

Here goes nothing…In my opinion tonight’s game at Virginia Tech is the biggest of the season so far for the Tigers. When Clemson was in the process of making its great start to the season everyone wanted to point to glamour games with Wake Forest, North Carolina and Duke. Those programs are traditional powers and those schools have been ranked number-one this season and have been mainstays inside the top six in the country. But Tech tonight is just as big if not bigger.

Virginia Tech is one of the strangest teams in the ACC each year because of how pathetic they look in November and December but how terrific they look in January and February. The Hokies lose to the likes of George Washington, Richmond, George Mason, Radford, Virginia Commonwealth, Hampton, VMI, Danville High School and the women’s team at Virginia every year. They are about the fifth best team in the state of Virginia each November and December. When the conference season starts they are the ones that knock off Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest. This year the Hokies lost to Georgia and went on to beat top-ranked Wake Forest on the road. Go figure.

Tech has won nine of its last ten including a four-game winning streak in the conference. The Hokies have already won at Wake and at Miami. They are one of three teams on the league to have only one conference loss.

Clemson and Virginia Tech are trying to finish in the top four of the league which gives you a first-round bye in the ACC tournament. In this format I think it is almost impossible to win four games in four days. In some seasons it can be done but I am not sure anyone could do that in this particular season.

And did I mention that tonight’s game is in Blacksburg, one of the toughest environments in the ACC?

Huge is not the word to describe tonight’s contest. We can’t sensationalize this matchup enough. The winner jumps into the race for the ACC regular season title. The loser is behind the lead group but ahead of FSU, Miami and Boston College. Stakes are high tonight in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In my opinion the ACC is currently a four tier league. The top tier is teams among the best in America. Those are national title type of programs. The second tier is solid NCAA teams that should have good seeds going into the NCAA tournament. Third are the NCAA bubble type of teams and the fourth tier is the have-nots of the league.

You can jump up a notch or fall a notch or two throughout the season. Upsets happen and road wins in the league are hard to come by. In the next ten days we will approach the half-way mark of the ACC season, let’s look at each tier and who has a chance to move up or down:

Tier One
Wake Forest(4-1)-The Deacs are as talented as any team on America and have wins over Duke, North Carolina and Clemson. The most difficult part of Wake’s schedule is behind them. The Deacs travel to Duke but the rest of the schedule is manageable. They are finished with North Carolina and Virginia Tech and have Clemson at home.
Remaining Home Games-Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, NC State, Clemson.
Remaining Road Games-Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, Duke, Virginia, Maryland.

North Carolina (4-2)-The Tar Heels have two losses but their schedule eases up now. UNC has two games with Duke and a road trip to Blacksburg but few other potential slip ups.
Remaining Home Games-Maryland, Virginia, NC State, Georgia Tech, Duke.
Remaining Road Games-NC State, Duke, Miami, Maryland, Virginia Tech.

Duke (5-1)-Of the top three teams on the league, Duke has the most difficult remaining schedule. Two games with North Carolina and home game with Wake and trips to Clemson and Virginia Tech make for a difficult task. Duke could slip to fourth in the league if Clemson and/or Virginia Tech get on a roll.
Remaining Home Games-Virginia, Miami, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Florida State.
Remaining Road Games-Clemson, Boston College, Maryland, Virginia Tech, North Carolina.

Tier Two
Clemson (3-2)-The Tigers have a tough two game stretch with tonight’s tilt at Virginia Tech and a home game with Duke. But the schedule gets favorable. Clemson gets Virginia twice. Two games with FSU will be a difficult matchup too. Ten or 11 wins is needed to jump a tier and Clemson could do it if it gets at least a split in the next two games.
Remaining Home Games-Duke, Florida State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Virginia.
Remaining Road Games-Virginia Tech, Boston College, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Wake Forest.

Virginia Tech (4-1)-Tech is finished with Wake Forest but has home games with Clemson, Duke and UNC. The Hokies road schedule looks pretty manageable and they have two road wins already. Tech must win at home to jump into the top three.
Remaining Home Games-Clemson, NC State, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Duke, North Carolina.
Remaining Road Games-Boston College, Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Florida State.

Tier Three
Florida State (3-3)-Florida State is athletic and their home schedule is favorable. However, it would be difficult to move up because the road schedule includes Clemson, Wake, Virginia Tech and Duke. Coaching hurts the Noles chances of climbing a tier.
Remaining Home Games-Georgia Tech, Virginia, Miami, Clemson, Virginia Tech.
Remaining Road Games-Clemson, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Duke.

Miami (3-4)-I think the Canes will have a hard time getting to 8-8 in the league. With four losses already, they have home games with Wake and North Carolina and have to go to Duke and FSU. This is a team that can beat anyone but is so inconsistent especially on the road. Home losses to Clemson and Virginia Tech hurt.
Remaining Home Games-Wake Forest, North Carolina, Boston College, NC State.
Remaining Road Games-Maryland, Duke, Florida State, Virginia, Georgia Tech.

Boston College (4-3)-No one has a more difficult remaining home schedule with Virginia Tech, Clemson, Duke and FSU coming to Chestnut Hill. However, with the exception of Wake, the road schedule is not too difficult. I think it will take nine or 10 wins to get to the next tier and I can’t see BC jumping Clemson or Virginia Tech.
Remaining Home Games-Virginia Tech, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech.
Remaining Road Games-Virginia, Wake Forest, Miami, NC State.

Tier Four
NC State (2-4)-Five games against the top half of the league are difficult. State’s home loss to FSU hurt their chances of moving up.
Remaining Home Games-North Carolina, Wake Forest, Virginia, Maryland, Boston College.
Remaining Road Games-Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Miami.

Maryland (2-4)-The Terps two conference wins have come against GT and Virginia. You can’t lose to Boston College at home if you are Gary Williams.
Remaining Home Games-Miami, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest.
Remaining Road Games-North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Clemson, NC State, Virginia.

Virginia (1-4)The Cavs are young and inexperienced. Spoiler may be their role in 09.
Remaining Home Games-Boston College, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, Wake Forest, Maryland.
Remaining Road Games-Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, NC State, Clemson.

Georgia Tech (0-6)-The Jackets have lost some close ones but their point guard situation kills them. I don’t think they will go winless in the league but am not sure where the wins will come from.
Remaining Home Games-Wake Forest, Maryland, NC State, Clemson, Miami.
Remaining Road Games-Florida State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Boston College.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover-was born Wednesday, January 14 several weeks pre-mature and was 2 lbs. 15 ounces. She is doing well but like all pre-mature babies she will have to get through several issues over the next few weeks.

Mrs. Kathleen Bowers

Larry in Naples, FL. Larry is currently being kept sedated in ICU and has acute pancreatitis. Larry is going to be transferred this week to Shands in Gainesville, FL for surgery on his pancreas. The doctors are saying that there is a 40% mortality rate with this surgery and if successful, there will still be a very long recovery. Larry is a great guy and a wonderful husband/father. Larry is 32 years old.

RTG-Pawsitive Tiger

Kaitlyn L-4 year old girl in TN who has seizures and a brain lesion that may be a slow-growing tumor. She will likely have a biopsy in February.

Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter)

Sandy Wright

Jo Ann Bachman

Frank Taylor

Kenneth Bryant

Pruitt Martin

Got igers and his family

David Rowland

Leonard Gillespie and his family

Jim S

Christine Hepfer

Daniel Rosborough-4-year old Inman, SC who will have a kidney transplant 1/14/09 in Charleston

Special Prayer Request from Peggy Lesley at Brookwood Church .

I am starting a signing for my son's best friend who has cancer (Hodgkin's Lymphoma). He is 11 years old and is not doing well at all. He was diagnosed with this cancer 2 weeks ago and the tumor is next to his jugular vein and entwined in it...has moved his wind pipe over a inch making it hard for him to breathe. The tumor is the size of a large eggplant and is sitting right above his heart. This little boy needs all the prayer he can get. I would like you to sign this and pass it on to as many people as you can. Once we get to a thousand people can you please send this back to me at: 1volsgirl@bellsouth.net When I get the 1000 people that have signed it...I am going to print this up for my sons best friend and show him how many people care and how many people are praying for him to get better. If you have a heart at all, you will all do this for me. I love this child as though he is my own and we really need all the prayers!

Thanks,
Peggy

Amy Murphey - diagnosed with ALS, pray for healing

Jack Huffman

Nancy Winkler

Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan

Ronnie Queen

Creighton McCallum