Virginia Tech’s Not Quite There Yet

Virginia Tech can almost smell the chicory coffee in New Orleans, yet there is work to be done before the Hokies can book that Sugar Bowl trip.

Virginia Tech has to first dispose of Boston College, one of this season’s surprises. If not for Hawaii’s June Jones, Boston College’s Tom O’Brien might be the runaway national coach of the year.

Consider this: Had it not blown a lead at Temple and squandered a 28-0 cushion at home against Miami, Boston College would be 10-0 entering this game and angling for a BCS bowl berth.

Also, as much as it needs to beat Boston College, Virginia Tech needs Boston College’s record.

Despite beating lowly Temple last week, 62-7, the Hokies lost 1.77 points in the BCS computer to idle Nebraska.

Virginia Tech leads Nebraska by only .63 in the BCS for the coveted No. 2 spot. Only the top two teams in the BCS rankings advance to the Jan. 4 Sugar Bowl for the BCS national title.

No. 1 Florida State has already clinched one spot.

The battle between Virginia Tech and Nebraska is shaping into a race against the computer.

And while Virginia Tech lost ground by beating Temple, it should be able to make up computer points with a victory over Boston College, a quality opponent.

The Hokies also got a break this week when the BCS decided not to compute upcoming Division 1-AA playoff results in the BCS computer.

This impacts James Madison, a Virginia Tech opponent. Wins against Division 1-AA opponents don’t count in the BCS rankings, but losses do, meaning a James Madison playoff loss would have cost the Hokies in the strength-of-schedule component.

Can the Hokies hold off the Cornhuskers?

It’s too close to call. Nebraska’s ranking figures to improve with victories against 6-4 Colorado today and No. 7 Texas on Dec. 4 in the Big 12 title game.

* Line: Virginia Tech by 24.

RATING THE TV GAMES

**** Whoa, Nellie

*** Fix the car tomorrow

** OK to watch golf infomercials

* For WWF scouts only

Today

*** No. 7 Texas (7-3) at No. 24 Texas A&M;(7-3), 8 a.m., Channel 7.

Traditional rivalry game turns solemn in wake of bonfire tragedy.

* Line: Texas by 2 1/2.

** Ohio (5-5) at No. 12 Marshall (10-0), 8:30 a.m., FSN.

Thundering Herd should knock the stuffing out of this MAC leftover.

* Line: Marshall by 25 1/2.

*** No. 3 Nebraska (10-1) at Colorado (6-4), 11:30 a.m., Channel 7.

Cornhuskers need to win and run up the score.

* Line: Nebraska by 14 1/2.

** Southern Methodist (4-5) at Texas Christian (6-4), noon, FSN.

Memo to SMU: the TCU tailback ran for 406 yards last week.

* Line: TCU by 11 1/2.

Saturday

** Vanderbilt (5-5) at No. 6 Tennessee (8-2), 9 a.m., Channel 2.

As we’ve been saying, Vanderbilt wasn’t built in a day.

* Line: Tennessee by 23 1/2.

* Pittsburgh (5-5) at West Virginia (3-7), 9 a.m., ESPN.

A good season for Pitt but the pits for the Mountaineers.

* Line: Texas by 2 1/2.

** Arizona (6-5) at Arizona State (5-5), 10 a.m., Channel 7.

Arizona reduced to playing for spot in the Sugar (cane) Bowl. Winner advances to Aloha.

* Line: Arizona by 1 1/2.

** Grambling State (7-3) vs. Southern (9-1), 11 a.m., Channel 4.

Maybe NBC should dump Notre Dame for one of these quality SWAC teams.

* Line: No line.

** Air Force (6-4) at New Mexico (3-7), 11:30 a.m., ESPN2.

Game promo you won’t see: schools have combined to lose seven of last 10 games.

* Line: Air Force by 12.

** Oklahoma State (5-5) at Oklahoma (6-4), noon, FSN2.

Geez. Can’t we get Oklahoma-Nebraska back for Thanksgiving weekend?

* Line: Oklahoma by 13.

** Syracuse (6-4) at Miami (6-4), 12:30 p.m., Channel 2.

CBS was banking this would be for the Big East title. It isn’t.

* Line: Miami by 10 1/2.

** Wyoming (7-3) at San Diego State (4-6), 4 p.m., ESPN.

Wyoming needs the win if it wants a saddle in big bowl rodeo roundup.

* Line: Wyoming by 1 1/2.

** Notre Dame (5-6) at Stanford (7-3), 5 p.m., Channel 7.

Not even Keith Jackson’s return to prime-time can save the Irish’s season.

* Line: Stanford by 6.

FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Paths to the national title game: If Virginia Tech beats Boston College and Nebraska loses one of its last two games, Virginia Tech plays Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. If Virginia Tech loses, and Nebraska beats Colorado and Texas, the Cornhuskers go to the Sugar Bowl. If Virginia Tech loses Friday and Nebraska loses one of its final two games, the second spot would be a fight between Tennessee and the SEC title-game winner, Florida or Alabama.

2. An uprising in the “Little Apple.” Last year, Kansas State not only lost a spot in the national title game with a crushing double overtime defeat to Texas A&M; in the Big 12 title game, the Wildcats were bounced from a $12-million BCS bowl all the way to the Alamo Bowl. Looks like K-State is about to get the shaft again. Despite the Wildcats’ 10-1 record, the BCS boys are leaning toward taking two-loss Tennessee and Michigan as the two at-large teams. The bowl business is about star power, and K-State still doesn’t have it.

3. An uprising in Lansing, Mich. What gives? If Michigan State and Michigan both are 9-2, both qualify for a $12-million bowl with nine wins and a top-12 BCS ranking, how can the BCS take Michigan over Michigan State? Michigan State beat Michigan, 34-31, in October. How? Michigan is Michigan. This can’t help Michigan State’s inferiority complex.

4. An inquisition. Let’s see: No. 1 Florida State went to Gainesville last week and beat No. 3 Florida in the Swamp, arguably the most difficult place to win at in the nation. Yet, one genius in this week’s ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll took away his No. 1 vote for Florida State. Hmmm. Any idea who that coach might be, Steve Spurrier?

5. A tribute. It’s a dog gone shame but Uga V, the Georgia Bulldog mascot famous for yapping at Auburn receiver Robert Baker when he strayed too close at a 1996 game, died this week of congenital heart failure. “It’s a loss for our football program and the university,” Georgia Coach Jim Donnan said. Uga V retired last year with a record of 69-41-1 record and was succeeded by his son, Uga VI.