ACC Game Of The Week

This week’s ACC game of the week takes place in Atlanta where the second annual Chic-Fil-A Kickoff Classic gets underway pitting the Hokies against the Alabama Crimson Tide. A year ago this game had a devastating effect on the ACC’s overall national perception and rightfully so as the Clemson Tigers were blitzed by Nick Saban’s Alabama squad. Not only do the Hokies need this game to start their ’09 season off on the right foot, the league needs Beamer’s team to show the nation that it’s much improved from last years beat down.

Most Intriguing Storylines: Redemption and Distraction

Distractions

For the Hokies the biggest distraction has been answering questions concerning star running back Darren Evans’ torn ACL. The teams best player in 2008 and Orange Bowl MVP Evans was expected to tote the rock heavily for the run reliant Hokies.

Most programs would be reeling from this loss; however, Frank Beamer is not most leaders. His reaction was, in short, I’ve got more players on the bench than I’ve got on the field. The stoic, no nonsense coach will rely on three talented young guns to pick up the slack; Ryan Williams being the most dynamic with David Wilson and Josh Oglesby helping out.

On the Bama side distractions are also abound. Terrence Cody and several other Alabama players were stricken with Swine Flu, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones recently emerged from amidst a fishing trip scandal and most recently defensive end Brandon Deaderick was the victim of a robbery/shooting in his apartment complex.

Nick Saban, the master of focus and blocking out distraction gets Ingram and Jones back into the line up, the swine flu appears to have left Tuscaloosa just Deaderick remains unresolved. With Saban’s new contract, the slap on the wrist from the NCAA plus the aforementioned issues there’s no doubt Saban has circled the wagons.

Redemption

Twice in the Georgia Dome the ACC was embarrassed lasts season; opening the season when Clemson got steamrolled by Alabama and closing the year out with LSU’s drubbing of Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech not only needs this game to kickoff their 2009 campaign but they need to show the nation that the ACC is better than the 72 – 13 margin of last season’s whippings.

The onus is on the Hokies in the spotlight to carry the torch for the ACC against a very nasty Alabama squad.

Match Ups To Watch

Stephan Virgil and Kam Chancellor vs Julio Jones

The two Hokies are the best players in the secondary for Bud Foster’s defense and they will face their toughest test of the season in containing world beater Julio Jones. Jones diced up LSU (128 yards), Georgia (94 yards) and Florida (124 yards) just a season ago and looks to build on his stellar freshman campaign. Virginia Tech’s defense is known for their stout play in the back end and Chancellor, one of the nation’s premier safeties, will get a chance to prove his worth against Jones, the nation’s top receiving talent.

Mount Cody vs Hokies Offensive Line

Terrence Cody, coming off the swine flu is still listed at a stout 354 lbs by Alabama. The Mount spent his junior year at Alabama proving double teams inadequate and dominating the line of scrimmage. The Hokies have an experienced offensive line featuring guard Sergio Render, one of the nation’s elite interior linemen.

At 319 lbs Render is still outweighed by the Alabama behemoth but the All-ACC guard is a dominating road grader in his own right. Look for Render, along with fellow mates RG Jaymes Brooks and C Beau Warren, to force the big man to battle cut blocks, double teams and trap blocks to keep him from getting that big body moving forward.

Key to the Game: Quarterback Play

Both teams will come out looking to run the football; Bama with Ingram and Virginia Tech with Williams, Wilson and Oglesby. Both teams will come out looking to stuff the box and shut down the other teams’ ground game. Both teams feature coaches that are cut from the hardnosed, no nonsense, no gimmick school of pure football. The parallels between the two teams are truly remarkable.

With an abundance of similarities the divergence is where the game will be won. The most obvious difference is the quarterback situation. VT features Tyrod Taylor, while the Tide trots out Greg McElroy. Experience versus Inexperience. Dual Threat versus Game Manager. 10-3 record in 2008 as a starter versus 11 total pass attempts in 2008.

The quarterbacks could not be more different and here lies the key to this Saturday evening match up. Taylor’s experience in big games and dual threat ability will come in handy against an Alabama defense that is chomping at the bit to atone for their last two outings that ended in embarrassing fashion. Saban’s got a heck of a defensive mind but due to Taylor’s scrambling capability and the talent to extend plays with his legs the Tide defense will be forced to play a passive defense that contains Taylor rather than attacks the junior.

On the other hand, McElroy is an inexperienced quarterback walking into his first major battle against Bud Foster’s highly vaunted defense. The Hokies, with an experienced secondary and defensive line, will throw confusing pre-snap looks, difficult zone blitzes and complicated pressure schemes to discombobulate the first year starter.

As the teams are so evenly matched this game boils down to McElroy’s ability to make plays with his arm against Foster’s defense.

My Pick: Virginia Tech