I’m getting that same warm-fuzzy feeling that I had during the 1999 season and I don’t think that there is a Hokie alive that can’t remember or ever will forget that magical season unless…well, we’ll just see what takes place this year.

The Penn State loss to Minnesota on a last second field goal in ’99 was repeated, almost to a tee, when the then #1/2 Florida Gators dropped their game with Auburn this past weekend on a last second field goal. (I don’t know about you but it gave me chills!) The giants seem to be falling and the Hokies are more than rolling. Here’s a look at what the Hokies need to have happen to make that trip to the "Granddaddy of ‘em all" this January:

1. We need to be undefeated.
   So far, so good! The coaches, the players, and us as fans are doing a great job in making sure that the goose egg in the L column stays there. The rest of our schedule helps also with Syracuse and Miami coming to ‘The Rock’. (Man do I wish the Miami game was a night game. One of my favorite memories of the ’99 season was hearing the Marching Virginians chant, "Hey! Miami! We’re running out of fireworks!")
   
   
2. We need Miami to be undefeated when they visit on December 1^st.
   Should be a given. Miami looks very good! ‘Nuff said!
   
   
3. We need our opponents to win.
   For those that don’t know, this will help our strength of schedule. Our opponents could be better this year (understatement) but the ones we have had could be doing worse (no Rutgers comments please).
   
   
4. And here’s the main one: We need those above us to fall!
   I’m going with the unofficial BCS rankings here:
   1) Oklahoma (3.54)
   2) UCLA (6.34)
   3) Nebraska (7.48)
   4) Oregon (14.08)
   5) Virginia Tech (14.36)
   6) Miami (14.96)
   
   I’ll start at the bottom.
   
   Miami: We can take care of this ourselves. I like it that way!
   
   Oregon: They will take care of this one their selves. I like it that way also! The Ducks have a suspect D, plus they have to visit an undefeated Washington State team (Don’t you just love college football?) on October 27^th, and then visit UCLA on November 10^th. The might get by the Cougars, but no way on the Bruins. I’m actually not sure if they will take Stanford this week! Here’s the remainder of their schedule:
   
   O20 Stanford
   O27 @ #18 Washington State
   N3 Arizona State
   N10 @ #6 UCLA
   D1 Oregon State
   
   Nebraska: The ‘Huskers do not have Texas on their schedule this year, so there goes our automatic loss with them. But as our great buddy Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend!" Nebraska has the Sooners visiting on October 27^th and man is that going to be a game. I’m not even going to call a winner on that one but here’s the kicker. I want Nebraska to win because I think Colorado will take them when they host Nebraska on November 23^rd, and don’t forget the Big XII Championship Game! Here’s their remaining schedule:
   
   O20 Texas Tech
   O27 #2 Oklahoma
   N3 @ Kansas
   N10 Kansas State (What in the world happened here?)
   N23 @ #17 Colorado
   D8 Big 12 Championship Game
   
   UCLA: Look who learned how to play defense in the off-season! The Bruins look terrific! They have two key games coming up that could be their slip-up points: November 3^rd @ #18 Washington State and on November 10 when #5 Oregon visits Pasadena. Notice that those games are back-to-back…hmmmm. There is a slight possibility that Stanford could do the job at home on October 27^th. I just don’t know if UCLA is going to lose at all this year. That’s fine though…bring ‘em on! Their remaining schedule:
   
   O20 Cal
   O27 @ Stanford
   N3 @ #18 Washington State
   N10 #5 Oregon
   N17 @ USC
   D1 Arizona State
   
   Oklahoma: The only defense that I have seen that has the speed and power and players that the Hokies have. (Sorry Miami, but FSU was able to run on you guys like crazy. If they didn’t have to ditch the run to play catch-up you would have been hurting. This Hokie is drooling over that fact!) Their safety, Roy Williams, is a stud…PERIOD! The Sooners have three games coming up that could pose a problem (They should consider themselves lucky that they do not play Colorado! But then there is always the Big XII game.) They visit #3 Nebraska on October 27. Please see my notes on this game in the Nebraska section above. Then on November 10^th they host Texas A&M. I personally do not see the Aggies beating OU in Norman, but I’ve been wrong before! Then there is the Big XII Championship Game. **Special Note: Coach Stoops might have a QB controversy brewing and we know what that can do to a team! Their remaining schedule:
   
   O20 Baylor
   O27 @ #3 Nebraska
   N3 Tulsa
   N10 Texas A&M
   N17 @ Texas Tech
   N24 @ Oklahoma State
   D8 Big XII Championship Game

Every one keeps saying that if the Hokies finish the regular season #1 in the human polls then there is no way that they would be left out of the big one, but I would really like to see exactly where that is written down. The good news is that the dominoes are in place for us to make it to Pasadena, and if that doesn’t happen this year, with the guys that we have coming back and our schedule next year, if we run the table our SOS will definitely be good enough to not have to sweat this stuff out!

So coaches and players keep doing what you do so well, and we fans will do what you need us to do! GO HOKIES!!!