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Hokie NCAA Stats Rankings Halfway Through
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com

It's now halfway through the college football season (yeah, I know, it's sad), so let's take a look at where Hokie players and the VT team rank in the latest NCAA football statistics.

To view all of the NCAA's football statistics, click here.

First, we'll take a look at player rankings.

It's interesting to see that the Big 3 of the 2001 recruiting class -- DeAngelo Hall, KJ, and Bryan Randall, who were all featured on the cover of the Hokie Huddler and ranked 1-2-3, in that order -- have all landed high in the NCAA stats rankings so far this season.

Now, let's take a look at VT's team rankings.

It's amazing that the Hokies are ranked in the top 20 in so many major team categories. You see that, and it's understandable why they are ranked #3 in the nation and have beaten their first six opponents by a score of 273-89.

But, as we've been saying, the road gets tougher from here on out.

The ACC Divisions

With BC being added to the ACC, it's now clear what the likely divisions will be for the new 12-team league. Published reports previously listed the Hokies in a six-team division with Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, UNC, and Virginia. The other division will consist of Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, NC State, and Wake Forest.

From a football scheduling standpoint, each team will play the five teams in their division every year, plus three teams from the other division. One team in the other division is assigned as a "permanent rival," and will be played every year (meaning that six out of eleven opponents will be played every season). The other five teams in the other division will be played on a "rotating basis," which is open to interpretation at this point.

Here's how that looks from a divisional standpoint. In the following table, each team is listed across from their "permanent rival" in the other division -- so VT's permanent rival, for example, will be BC.

I have included my own divisional names in the table, and I hope that the ACC chooses to adopt them.

What I like:  The Hokies get to play UVa and Miami, their big rivals, every year, plus take on Georgia Tech every season, as well, without having to tangle with FSU every year. And VT gets a chance to annually take on UNC, a program which the Hokies have faced just once since the 1940's, a 42-3 blowout loss in the Gator Bowl following the 1997 season.

There's some bad blood between VT and the Tar Heels. In 1983, a VT team that featured Bruce Smith and would wind up 9-2 had a chance to be Peach Bowl bound. But UNC accepted a Peach Bowl bid with one contingency -- they refused to play Virginia Tech (source: Doug Doughty's Hoos N Hokies: The Rivalry, page 136). UNC went to the Peach Bowl, the Hokies sat home for the holidays, and VT fans have been looking for revenge -- and not finding it -- ever since.

What I don't like: Not playing Clemson, NC State, and Maryland every year, and the fact that Hokie fans won't get to travel to Wake Forest's Groves Stadium -- which I call L'il Lane, because of the architectural similarities between it and VT's Lane Stadium -- every other year.

Vote for Jessica -- AGAIN

We're not sure how long this Athlon Spirit Contest is going to go on -- some are calling it the endless poll -- but let's keep doing our part. Here's a reprint from the last TSLMail:

A Hokie cheerleader needs your help in an online poll. Athlon Sports is having an online Sports Sideline Spirit Contest, and it's a simple concept: you vote online for your favorite cheerleader, out of a group of six. VT cheerleader Jessica Clem is involved in the latest round of voting, which is round 2.

As of the time I'm writing this, Jessica is in a heated battle with a Nebraska cheerleader, leading (updated numbers) 25,597 to 25,455. I don't usually get involved in these silly online polls, but for some reason, the thought of just getting ... out-voted ... annoys me.

So help Jessica out with a vote, Hokie fans! And unlike most online polls, you're not restricted to just one vote -- you can vote every day. So, as the old joke goes, vote early and often!

Click here to keep Jessica in first place!

This Week in Recruiting
by Chris Horne

Here are updates in recruiting from the last week. To access these links, and for updates and information on all these players and more, subscribe to TechSideline Pass. Information on how to subscribe follows.

Deep Creek RB Makes Triumphant Return
After missing three games with a foot injury, Deep Creek (Chesapeake, VA) running back Antwain Carey made a successful return to the gridiron versus Hickory. In the 37-3 win, Carey rushed for 104 yards including a 54-yard touchdown scamper on his second carry of the year. Carey lists Virginia Tech as his favorite. He has set up an official visit to Virginia for this weekend and Virginia Tech for November 22^nd (Boston College game).

Commitment Profile: Justin Holt
Tech Head Basketball Coach Seth Greenberg kept the momentum rolling this week, receiving a commitment from Tacoma Community College (Tacoma, WA) small forward Justin Holt. Holt, a 6-6, 220 pound small forward, chose Virginia Tech over Tennessee. He committed after making his official visit last weekend. Holt will have three years of eligibility remaining once he gets to Virginia Tech.

HD Woodson: Developing a Pipeline
Check out this feature article on HD Woodson High School in Washington, DC. The Woodson program sent Roland Minor to Virginia Tech last year and feature more potential Hokies including verbal commitments CB Theodore Miller and DE William Wall.

Emanuel Willis Set for First Visit
Hargrave Military Academy power forward prospect Emanuel Willis not only looks like Kenyon Martin, but he has the same unbelievable athletic ability. The 6-7½, 220 pound Willis will take an official visit to Martin’s alma mater, the Cincinnati Bearcats, this weekend. Virginia Tech, Virginia, Southern California, and South Carolina join Cincinnati as Willis’ top five schools.

Bell Sets Decision Date
Outstanding Jack Britt High School (Fayetteville, NC) running back George Bell will announce his collegiate decision next Thursday, October 23^rd during a press conference. Bell will likely choose between NC State, Virginia Tech, and Michigan. He was supposed to visit Virginia this weekend, however the visit is in doubt. UNC is still under consideration here, but look for one of the top three schools to get the commitment.

Shuman Continues Fork Union Success
Coach John Shuman continues his success at one of the best prep schools in the country. Fork Union boasts some great athletes this year that the Hokies are keeping an eye on, including LB Maurice Reevey (scholarship offer) and WR Josh Morgan (evaluating).

Leader for Kecougtan Star?
Jerod Mayo said if he decided today, he would choose Virginia. That’s good news for Cavalier fans. The bad news is…he’s not deciding today. Mayo has scheduled official visits to NC State for December 5^th, Virginia for December 12^th, Purdue for December 19^th, and Virginia Tech for January 30^th. Tennessee, UNC, and Clemson are vying for the final official visit slot. Mayo indicated he is going to make all of his official visits before announcing his decision sometime around Signing Day.

Hicks Sets First Official Visit
Kent Hicks, the outstanding safety prospect from Culpeper High School in Culpeper, Virginia, will make an official visit to Virginia this weekend. His top five consists of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Maryland, and Tennessee. Look for him to make all five officials before deciding.

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-- Will Stewart

Wide Right: "I Do"
by Jeff Cockey, 10/16/03, 10:25 pm
Could I have been more excited for this past Saturday? Could I have? Well, I will tell you a little story. Years ago, I was born, many things happened – yada yada yada – and then on October 11, 2003, I had to be at a family wedding in Michigan. Check your calendar, that was this past Saturday.
in Voice of the Fan

The Numbers -- and Questions -- Behind the LSU Switch
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 10/15/03, 11:35 am
VT's recent decision to move the 2004 LSU road game out to 2007 and replace it with a seventh home game in 2004 angered a lot of Hokie fans, and one of the statements by VT Athletic Director Jim Weaver that really stood out, at least to me, was the statement that VT "needed" that seventh home game to meet the 2004-05 budget.
in TSL Pass

Hokie Hotline Notes for October 13, 2003
by Wayne Clevenger, 10/15/03, 9:40 am
Bill Roth kicked off the broadcast with the following announcements: DeAngelo Hall was named the Big East Special Teams Player of the Week after his 3 TD performance against SU, the VT -Boston College game is now sold out, and the VT – LSU game for next season has been postponed until 2007. Roth also noted that Hall is the first VT player ever to return 2 punts for touchdowns in a single game.
in Hokie Hotline Notes

Better Them Than Us
by Jim Alderson, 10/14/03, 10:30 am
It was a poignant scene at midfield of Lane Stadium last Saturday afternoon. Following Tech’s easy 51-7 pounding of Syracuse, Frank Beamer and Paul Pasqualoni met and embraced. These two adversaries whose battles, sometimes epic and with each winning six of the last twelve games in what was the Big East’s best and most competitive rivalry, spoke at length after what was likely to be the final matching of wits between the two.
in TSL Pass

2003 Syracuse Game Analysis
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 10/13/03, 3:45 pm
It is trendy to see a VT game like the Hokies' 51-7 demolition of Syracuse, which featured special teams, defense, and the running game, and pronounce it "Beamerball." People say, "That’s Beamerball!" or "The Hokies just Beamerballed Syracuse!" While it's good to have a catchy phrase or nickname to give you identity, I prefer to think of this game as a team simply firing on all cylinders.
in TSL Pass

Small Pleasures: Syracuse
by Kevin Cuddihy, 10/13/03, 10:40 am
Welcome back to another Small Pleasures, after a huge victory over the Syracuse Orangemen to start the Revenge Tour 2003 foursome off on the right foot. Small Pleasures takes a look beyond the long quarterback keepers or multiple special teams scores to highlight the supporting plays, players, and events that can be the cornerstones to success, or sometimes just fun to notice. Everyone stands and cheers for the big plays; by noticing the Small Pleasures you too can increase your already saturated enjoyment of Hokie football!
in Voice of the Fan

Hall, Hokies Dominate Syracuse, 51-7
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 10/12/03, 12:45 am
Blacksburg, VA - A game that was supposed to be Virginia Tech's first test of the season proved to be no test at all, as the fourth-ranked Hokies got two punt returns for touchdowns from DeAngelo Hall and two touchdown runs from Kevin Jones to bury Syracuse, 51-7.
in Football

Big East Farewell Tour, Part 2 of 7: Syracuse
by Tom Stecher, 10/10/03, 11:55 pm
Since the start of the Big East round robin football schedule in 1993, Tech and Syracuse are both 5 up and 5 down against each other. The final game in what could be called the “See-Saw Series”, (Tech wins, Cuse wins, Tech wins 2, Cuse wins 2), is this Saturday in Lane Stadium. The winner/whiner takes all.
in Voice of the Fan

VT Recruiting War Room: Defense
by Chris Horne, 10/10/03, 3:05 pm
We're back with the latest VT War Room update, concentrating on the defense and highlighting the changes and the updates since the last War Room article.
in TSL Pass

The Evolution of a Winning Program
by Bill Glose, 10/10/03, 1:00 pm
Once again Virginia Tech finds itself perched near the top of the college football world, ranked nationally in the top five for the fifth straight year. Elite recognition is now familiar territory for the Hokies, but it was all but unimaginable a decade ago. Students strutted around campus in their favorite team’s T-shirts, which were rarely maroon and orange, and home football games were nothing more than an opportunity to get loaded at noon on a crisp fall day.
in TSL Pass