“There is a destiny That makes us brothers: None goes his way alone: All that we send into the lives of others Comes back into our own.”-- (Edwin Markham).
College football is often a collage: a September victory changes over the course of the fall depending on how they play. Although the gridiron doesn't have an RPI per se; the transitive property of winning and losing takes different shades from Labor Day to Thanksgiving. A few recent examples? One week after allowing 56 points to Clemson, Maryland fans woke up to see the Tigers put 59 on the board against a 5-2 North Carolina team. Two weeks after coming oh so close to upsetting unbeaten Georgia Tech the Terps realize the Yellowjackets could be had bigtime after they lost to Virginia and Miami in less than stellar fashion. Virginia Tech's loss to Clemson doesn't seem that bad... while Virginia needing a missed extra point in overtime to nip a 1-6 Idaho team gives fans plenty of concern.
Alma Mater Update-- still basking in the afterglow of a serious smackdown of West Virginia. SU's 26-point victory over a ranked opponent comes after four wins by a combined 20 points over the likes of Wake Forest, Toledo, Rhode Island and Tulane. Unfortunately the Texas State Armadillos had to cancel? All of a sudden, the Orange find themselves thinking Big East championship (1-1 in league play does that to a school that hasn't been a factor for some time).
Maryland (2-5) fell behind early against Florida State... and after CJ Brown went down to injury rallied against the Seminoles behind Danny O'Brien before falling 41-16. The margin of error for reaching the postseason gets ever so smaller; three road games remain and the combined record of their final four opponents is 17-11. Terrapin Triumphs-- a turnover free day on offense... while two wide receivers had stellar Saturdays: Quentin McCree notched 9 catches for 177 yards, and freshman Marcus Leak tallied 8 grabs in his first career start. Terrapin Troubles-- seven penalties. The defense allowed 5 yards a carry and over 10 yards per pass attempt. Kickoff disparity (over 10 yards) between returns and coverage is a silent killer... 80 extra net yards for the Seminoles. Next Up: Saturday against 1-6 Boston College.
Virginia Tech (7-1) fell behind Boston College in the first quarter before rallying past the hapless Eagles 30-14. One wonders not so much how good VT will be this fall... but how low BC will fall. Hokie Highlights-- David Wilson tallies 134 yards rushing while Danny Coale notches 8 catches for 118 yards. The defense holds the Eagles to 91 yards rushing and 13 of 30 passing. Plus two in the turnover margin. Hokie Humblings-- is anyone concerned about the slow starts the last two seasons? It's almost getting comical watching VT cough up early leads before rallying. Perhaps they should stay away from the smoked turkey leg as a pregame meal-- with that tryptophan thing and all. Next Up: Saturday at Duke.
Virginia (4-3) lost whatever momentum it gained from topping Georgia Tech by slipping at home to winless- in the ACC North Carolina State 28-14. Kippy and Buffy chose a bad week to make the switch to red wine for their tailgating... a Chateau O'Brien Cabernet Franc may be a local offering (exit 18 on I-66)-- but the brie was left outside and sadly went bad. Cavalier Congrats-- two interceptions by the defense and only three penalties on a less than stellar afternoon. And that's it. Cavalier Concerns-- four turnovers... 11 of 35 passing while averaging just over 11 yards per completion... 5 if 17 on third down...
Next Up: Thursday at Miami.
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