Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- hoop season's like a box of chocolates...

Valentine's Day for me always had a measure of danger-- would I wind up happy or heartbroken? You think you've played your cards right and have made the right decision--only to find you've made the worst mistake possible--bad chocolate choice. Nothing's worse than choosing wrong when eating from a box of Chocolates -- you can't leave a half-eaten piece where you found it (at least once you turn ten years old). Area hoop fans open their respective boxes this weekend--hoping for coconut or caramel and dreading "Rummed Pear".

Georgetown's margin of error shrunk with last weekend's loss to Cincinnati. The elements present in the Hoyas swoon were evident again--poor shooting (0-8 in OT) and an inability to rebound. A 4-7 Big East mark means the team likely needs to win five of its remaining seven games to solidify NCAA consideration. John Thompson III's team visits Syracuse this weekend...a place where they've lost the last two seasons--despite having the better team.

Maryland picked up a huge road ACC win at Georgia Tech Sunday despite shooting 36 percent from the field...thankfully they were able to turn over the Yellowjackets 24 times. Unfortunately that's the last they'll see of Paul Hewitt's team in the regular season. The Terps host Virginia Tech Saturday--last year the Hokies took both tilts...including a game in Comcast where one of their players vomited on the court.

George Mason's road woes continue with losses at James Madison and Delaware...two games where the Patriots shot 5 of 26 from three point range and 21 of 42 from the free throw line. The good news is three of GMU's final four CAA games are in Fairfax; they also face a Northeastern team that's cooled off somewhat (Huskies have dropped two of three).

George Washington missed a chance to move into a tie for twelfth place in the Atlantic Ten...slipping against La Salle 68-57 despite 20 points from Damian Hollis. GW gets another chance Saturday--facing current 12th place Charlotte in what will be the first of two games against the 49'ers...can't wait for the return game at the Smith Center.

American's the hottest team in the Beltway with five straight wins...AU's 2 point victory at Bucknell saw the Eagles' defense hold the Bison to 30% shooting. Coach Jeff Jones' team appears to be on a collision course with Holy Cross for the Patriot League title...before the two teams tangle a week from Saturday the Eagles host Colgate and Army (combined 16-30 record this winter).

Howard has gone from the MEAC cellar to a five way tie for fourth place thanks to four straight wins...the latest a 59-43 thumping of Delaware State where the Bison held the Hornets to 29% shooting. The challenge for Eugene Myatt (still the best beltway player nobody knows about) and company is--now that they've joined the conference's middle class, can they stay there? Four of the six remaining MEAC games are against schools tied for fourth with Howard; the other two are against league-leader Morgan State and second place Hampton.

Presidential Separation--a Preston's Perspective Classic...

initially appearing last year...

Hope everyone has a fun Presidents' Day planned-- the holiday brings a very pressing matter to mind: Just one holiday for 43 people? I'm all for honoring our nation's leaders-- but does James Buchanan deserve equal billing with George Washington? Did Benjamin Harrison have the same impact as Franklin Roosevelt?

I believe it's completely unfair; we as a country place a premium on being a successful chief executive but then honor everyone with the same 1/43 share-- that's 2.33%. Thomas Jefferson brought us the Louisiana Purchase, and gets less than a 3% tip?

The solution: create a Presidents' Day Weekend. Separate the wheat from the chaff and honor those who don't make the cut on Friday afternoon/evening, followed by "Super Presidents' Day" on Monday.

Who exactly is a "Super President"?
1--Must be deceased-- (sorry Bill)...

2--Mount Rushmore-- If you are chiseled into the side of a hill-- you qualify. That means Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.

3--Money-- You get consideration if you're on a coin or a dollar bill-- but it's not automatic. Sorry Grant, Cleveland and McKinley--congratulations FDR, Wilson and Jackson.

4--Veterans Committee-- An alternating honoree from the 19th and 20th centuries--two highly underrated chief executives: James K. Polk is my 1800's choice for this year; Harry Truman my 1900's representative for 2010.

5--Partisan Picks-- Let's throw a bone to each party by adding Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy--as each respective party is looking for the next Reagan or JFK anyway. There you are-- ten super presidents honored together the third Monday of February-- while the other 33 share a happy hour at Tchotchkies (Grant would love that).

Beltway Basketball Bonanza... who'll make March memorable?

February is a transition month--for the first time since July there's no football urgency and we're still a ways away from Grapefruit and Cactus League games...as previously mentioned in this space I like to look at this month through the college basketball lens -- titling it "February Fever"...much like October in college football, this operates as a "moving month" where schools try to be in position...to be in position for the big dance. Unfortunately most of the area schools are dancing like Ronald Miller ("it's the African Anteater Ritual") without the benefit of once dating Cindy Mancini.

Georgetown stopped a five game losing streak by beating Rutgers--a 57-47 grinder that won't win style points with anyone...another game where the Hoyas got hot from three point range (7 of 18) but got outrebounded (28-25). The next few games represent a somewhat of a breather in Cincinnati, Syracuse and South Florida (a combined 13-16 in conference play) before back to back tilts against heavyweights Marquette and Louisville. Conventional wisdom is the Hoyas need to finish 9-9 in the league to have a shot at the NCAA's...they're five wins away with eight games remaining.

SB XLIII thoughts--what have we done to deserve another thrilling finish? For the fifth time in nine years what used to be called the "Super Bore" has given fans fourth quarter heroics... the new hit this year was Nikki's corn-bread...which I consumed in between the buffalo chicken dip (pregame only)...and the butter bars (after the first half). Also, Larry asked me only 12 times if I was having a good time. Thank goodness the game wasn't a rout.

Maryland played well over the last week, getting an emotional win over Miami at home (nobody fist-pumps like Gary Williams) before falling at North Carolina...with a surreal "vote of confidence" from Athletic Director Debbie Yow sandwiched in between. All the right things were said, although it had the feel of a Liza Minnelli-David Gest press conference. The Terps can crawl back into the ACC's middle class with wins against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. How they'll do it with an underachieving frontcourt and an inconsistent backcourt is anyone's guess.

Alma Mater update--SU's early top ten prospects have dimmed somewhat...although they had a nice victory over a gritty West Virginia team. On the bright side, I'm still able to watch every game at a downtown DC location where the wings are 25 cents apiece while the game's in progress...unfortunately one of my fellow alums didn't understand and downed four Bloody Mary's during the team's loss to Louisville on an empty stomach. He then had to call his parents to pick him up; adding that the only reason he drove into DC was because he didn't think he'd be drinking. Hello? You went to A BAR!

George Mason bounced back from a heartbreaking loss at Old Dominion (I thought the game tying shot was going down instead of rimming out) to smack Hofstra 78-54. John Vaughan's recovery from the concussion continues...the senior tallied 16 points and 7 rebounds in the win over the Pride. Yes, that's right--Hofstra's nickname is "the Pride"...although I heard "Dignity" was the runnerup. The Patriots have a showdown with Northeastern coming up on Valentine's Day--but first have to take care of James Madison and Delaware; both games are away from Fairfax and GMU is 2-3 on the road in the CAA.

24 musings--it's always weird seeing 90210-castoffs on 24 (in season two Jack drugged the guy who took Brenda to the senior prom--Luke Harangody's lookalike)...the newest one is Gil (the senior journalism teacher Andrea had a crush on) as the "bad secret service agent". Glad we've given up on the whole mole thing, people.

American stands tied atop the Patriot League with the only blemish on their conference mark being a loss at co-leader Holy Cross. While Garrison Carr (17ppg) and Brian Gilmore (42% from three-point range grab the bulk of the headlines, Derrick Mercer's improvement in directing the offense and Jordan Nichols' gritty rebounding represent the glue the Eagles will need to hold things together for a late-season drive. Next up: road trips to Lehigh and Bucknell.

Girls Hoops? Congratulations to Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt for posting her 1,000th career victory...and enduring Bob Knight referring to her sport as "girls' basketball". Reminds me of when I announced Ball State women's games in the late 90's and my analyst referred to them as "gals"--one step above "chicks" or "babes" on the evolved male scale. A note to Bob Knight: whether or not you enjoy the sport, give the women their due and title them properly... and good luck if you get the boys' job at Georgia.

George Washington's having the worst winter since Valley Forge; and even those colonials had Pepperpot Stew (my mother made it every Feb 22). GW has dropped eleven straight (insert Spinal Tap remark here)--with the last six coming by ten points or less. Coach Karl Hobbs' team can still make the A-10 Tournament: they play 12th place Charlotte twice and host 13th place Fordham this weekend. Next up: tomorrow against the Rams (9-29 combined record on the Smith Center floor)...

Howard won back to back MEAC games over North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State; the league's Saturday-Monday travel arrangement makes two game swings all the more prevalent. Eugene Myatt (AKA the best beltway player nobody knows about) is getting some major help of the bench from Randy Hampton (23 points over 40 minutes in the Bison's two victories). Next up: back to back home games against Maryland-Eastern Shore and Delaware State (combined 5-11 conference mark)...

PRO File...Felix and Oscar, havin' a good time and where's that Guy?

The NFL season wraps up this weekend (forgive me for ignoring the Pro Bowl)...and that means a sixty minute game in the middle of ten hours of programming...(apologies for pilfering the late Johnny Carson's Oscar jab)...it also means five sentences of actual content spaced over nine paragraphs of drivel.

For me it also means a trip to my friend Larry's for his annual SB party. There will be plenty of food--my favorite dish there is a "Buffalo Chicken Blue Cheese Dip", consisting of chicken puree, wing sauce and blue cheese dressing...it looks horrible but tastes great. There will also be "Butter Bars" available for dessert--75% butter, 30% sugar and 18% shortening. There will be gambling--Larry's friend we will not name breaks out squares on everything from first commercial to length of National Anthem. There unfortunately will also be "Are you havin' a good time?" Larry as host always wants people to enjoy themselves--and the first time I went he asked me multiple times if I was "havin' a good time"...I was but the frequency of that question increased with each drink he consumed--by the end of the game I was being asked if I was having a good time after every play. Larry, I would be having a great time if I didn't have to answer every five minutes the question if I was having a good time. So without further ado, musings and more...


Will Jack Klugman be handling the coin-toss? These the two teams tangling for the title couldn't be any more completely different. Pittsburgh has been a bastion of stability with three head coaches in 40 years, an ownership group respected in the league and a community that bleeds black and gold--while Arizona's had fourteen coaches in that span (albeit a pair of interim head men), an owner compared with the Irsays and Frontieres and a region that until their new stadium was built had yet to warm up to the team. This is truly an Odd Couple matchup. Hey, by the way, are you havin' a good time?

Pro Bowl thought--it has been reported that this will be the final year for the all-star game in Hawaii and starting in 2010 the exhibition will be moved to the weekend before the Super Bowl...I couldn't agree with this potential move more. It's already an afterthought and the absence of players from the two conference champions wouldn't dim the shine off the game that much (as it happens, more than enough players beg out of it--especially from the SB squads). Keep the game in Hawaii to serve as a nice carrot for the players, but make it a sorbet before my main course rather than keep it as an unwanted piece of cheesecake after I've gorged on SB for multiple hours. What did you think of that riff--and are you havin' a good time?

QB quandry--the old axiom is trust the signalcaller who's won it before...in matchups involving a SB winning QB against one who hasn't won the big one, previous winners are 12-3. For just the fourth time in the history of the game both teams will be starting quarterbacks who have won it all [previous matchups were SB X & XIII...(Steelers-Cowboys)...and XVII (Raiders-Redskins)... two classics and a blowout]. Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger are also products of what would be considered "small colleges" (Northern Iowa and Miami of Ohio). In fact, very few "football factory" schools produce championship quarterbacks. Terry Bradshaw attended Louisiana Tech, Roger Staubach went to Navy, John Elway and Jim Plunkett attended Stanford, Phil Simms played at Morehead State... and Joe Montana went to Notre Dame (the school has only sporadically played D-I football since the mid-90's). Have you tried the butter bars...it's pure butter! And are you havin' a good time?

Canton Class--last year Redskins Nation was rewarded with two players punching tickets to Canton--and I wish there were room for one more this winter. Russ Grimm was a standout player during the Skins era of dominance from 1982-91 and it's hard to imagine the most celebrated offensive line in league history not have a member in the Hall...is it that tough to go from HOG to HOF? Did you get that play on words?...and most importantly are you havin' a good time?

Hey, I'm not done on the Hall...how is Ray Guy not enshrined? Forget that he was a nine time All-Pro...Guy was the first extremely athletic punter in the modern era. Unlike the likes of Bobby Walden and Paul McGuire, Guy resembled players in the Pro Bowl and not pro bowlers. The Raider was so much better than the rest of his contemporaries...which two tidbits illustrate: at the 1976 Pro Bowl, Ray Guy became the first punter to hit the Louisiana Superdome video screen. Officials raised the screen from 90 feet to 200 feet. Also, he once punted the ball with so much hangtime that the opponents pulled the ball and had it tested for helium. Gentlemen at the gates of Canton, when somebody causes the periodic table of the elements to be brought into play-- you have to give him a Hall Pass.

I would also like to see a wing for "innovative and influential assistants"...just as the game on the field has become specialized, so has the game off the field. Bud Carson and Buddy Ryan weren't outstanding head coaches, but the Steel Curtain and 46 would not have come about without either of them...likewise with Joe Bugel as the pre-eminent offensive line coach of his generation. Hey, are you going to talk about the game? And are you having a good time?


Unstoppable Arizona against immovable Pittsburgh (apologies to the 1971 Sports Illustrated cover)...this will be a clash of Steeler power against Cardinal speed. The big question is which unsung unit will prevail, Mike Tomlin's offense or Ken Whisenhunt's defense? Give the edge to the Steelers with a plus for their special teams...and Troy Polamalu's hair.
Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 21.

Hey Dave, one last question--are ya havin' a ...

Thank goodness Super Sunday comes just once a year.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza...Dark days in and around the District...

These are the times that try basketball fans souls...with February Fever just around the corner there are nervous looks around the region--and it's not just about the first snow of the winter...


By the way, mad props to President Obama for calling out the DC area's lack of ability to adjust to snowfall and ice...as one of many in the region who grew up in a colder climate it's about time somebody pointed out the obvious. Although the area shutdown when winter gets bad means fewer people who can't drive in the snow on the roads.


What happened to the Georgetown team that ripped Syracuse 88-74? After a hard-fought defeat at Duke, three straight Big East losses have dropped the Hoyas to 3-5 in the conference...the last two teams lost a combined six league games. The offense has gone south--after averaging 70+ points per game the club has struggled to reach 60 the past few weeks...and a banged up DeJuan Summers is the last thing coach John Thompson III needs.
Next up--a Saturday matinee at 8th ranked Marquette (Golden Eagles are unbeaten in conference play)...


24 Update--shouting and shooting are the norm as the best show on television completes its first month back...and I'm glad they explained how Tony "dying" was "all part of the plan". The President's husband suddenly regaining control of his hands as he was about to be hung was thrilling yet hilarious at the same time...I'm not a fan of "FBI-90210" where the field director likes the redhead who's off with Jack while the computer guy nobody likes is married but having a fling with an analyst...co-starring Janeanne Garafolo as "Pseudo-Andrea"-- by the way, if they go to the Agency Commissary and Joe E. Tata is flipping hash...I'm out.


Maryland continues to hit new lows, only to find that there's worse. The loss to Duke (even though it was a blowout) is understood--but wasting an 11 point lead at home to Boston College represents another crater the Terps will try to climb out of. This team feels like Virginia last year, except the part of Sean Singletary is being played by Greivis Vasquez...only with more volatility. A lot has been said about the lack of talented recruits in the program--and I think it traces back to the departure of Billy Hahn as the top assistant back in 2001...followed by the seemingly annual turnover of assistants--creating little stability recruitingwise (which is a multi-year process not just with players but with their coaches). Next up: Saturday against Miami at Comcast (Terps lost a heartbreaker in Florida).

George Washington's season-long tumble continues...a tenth straight loss has the team looking at not making it's own conference tournament for a second straight season after three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. Rob Diggs and Damian Hollis just aren't getting enough help...Next up: a February 4th date with unbeaten in the Atlantic Ten Richmond...ouch.

George Mason was able to wipe out a two game losing streak by topping Delaware 78-55. The Patriots stand a game behind Northeastern in the CAA...and GMU gets the Huskies at home next month. Next up: a Saturday trip to always-tough Old Dominion.

American finds itself chasing Holy Cross after a tough loss in Worcester last weekend. Nice 68-67 thriller over Navy (28 points from Garrison Carr)...the Eagles are a half game behind the Crusaders as we near February. Next up: Lafayette Saturday...the Leopards are 2-4 in the league making this a must win home game.

Howard followed a weekend of back to back home wins by getting routed on the road by Morgan State and Coppin State...Next up: Saturday at home against North Carolina A&T.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza...

Conference play is in full swing...and January brings a nice refreshing wakeup after the positive buildup between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. More than a few area schools are finding out if they have the stuff to make a run in March...or if they'll be marching off to the NIT.

I saw Georgetown dismantle Syracuse 88-74 last week (hold on, I think the Hoyas just made another three)...Austin Freeman has stepped up into becoming a major perimeter weapon (19 points against SU while hitting 4 of 5 threes) while freshman Greg Monroe continues to improve beyond his years (despite getting an undeserved technical in the Duke game). The Hoyas will learn from their loss at second ranked Duke--but must stay focused against conference also-rans Seton Hall and Cincinnati on the road next week. First, John Thompson III's team must face a West Virginia team they barely beat last year (on a disputed Patrick Ewing Jr block at the buzzer).


Maryland won't have sunny thoughts regarding Florida for some time; the Terps blew a 17 point lead in Miami and came up short at Florida State in overtime--a pair of games where Greivis Vasquez shot 8 of 27 from the field and Eric Hayes hit 5 of 15 shots. Thank goodness a five-hundred Virginia team came into Comcast last night...and still the Terps struggled their way to an 84-78 win. One wonders when the 30+ minute nights will start to take its toll on Vasquez, Hayes, Landon Milbourne and Adrian Bowie (who's having a breakout month). Up next--a trip to Duke. Ouch. Can't wait to see Greivis jaw it up with the Cameron Crazies.


George Mason was in theory supposed to be rebuilding following the graduation of Follarin Campbell and Will Thomas; the Patriots have rebuilt their way into a 7-0 CAA start--including wins on the road (last years achilles heel). Darryl Monroe's back after redshirting last year and looks like he hasn't missed a step--while sophomore Cam Long benefitted from a year's apprenticeship. Tonight's tilt at second in the conference Northeastern will be huge; the big question is how well will the Patriots contain Huskies 6-4 swingman Matt Janning (15ppg).


American is also unbeaten in conference play; hold your breath though, it's only 3-0. Still, the backcourt tandem of Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer powers along mightily and Brian Gilmore's transition into the starting lineup has been relatively smooth. The Eagles will find out exactly how good they are over the next three games--their opponents boasting a combined 7-2 Patriot League mark. Saturday's battle with Holy Cross is a matchup of unbeatens.

George Washington remains in search of its first Atlantic Ten win...seven straight losses have turned a rebuilding season into a restructuring one. Rob Diggs and Damian Hollis continue to post solid efforts in dismal defeats--and one wonders when things will turn around. Next up? A trip to 16-2 Dayton. Ouch.


Howard snapped a fourteen game losing streak by taking back to back MEAC games over Winston Salem and South Carolina State; Eugene Myatt is having the best season around the Beltway nobody knows about (the senior recently reached the 1,000 point plateau)...next up for the Bison--a trip to Morgan State (the school that beat Maryland a few weeks ago).

Beltway Basketball Bonanza... and early 24 thoughts...

Hope everyone had a nice holiday season...best present was a Barnes and Noble gift card from my sister---purchased WAR AS THEY KNEW IT...about Michigan-Ohio State in the 70's--the rivalry that made me a football fan forever.


Thumbnail thoughts on the hardwood...
Nice bounceback win by Georgetown--it looks as though the young players are starting to click...but what a meat-grinder of a schedule for Coach Thompson's team.

Maryland minus quality big men this winter will ebb and flow on how well they shoot on a given evening--so be prepared for comebacks like Georgia Tech and head-scratchers like Morgan State.

George Washington is a work in progress...a young team in a league where there are wins to be had but where the road is very unforgiving like last year.

American looks to have another fantastic season in the Patriot League--it's a given Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer will produce; how well the Eagles fare will hinge on the supporting players.

George Mason doesn't rebuild--they reload...unstoppable at home and bolstered by Doc Nix and the best college pep band in the region.

Howard can at least hang its hat on being able to beat the brother in law of the president-elects team (Oregon State).



Early returns on 24...impressed with the action-- nice fight with Tony... I buy the new president much more than "Wayne Palmer"...gee, very surprised CTU I mean FBI has a computer specialist with limited social skills...and oh my--dissension in the Cabinet plus another mole working with the bad guys? I wish they named Janine Garofaolo's character "Eolhc" or something Chloe-esque... because that seems to be the part she's playing. Major stunner when the suspect was shot right before he gave Jack the information he was looking for.

Proposed subplot--bring Kim Bauer back as an undercover agent who is infiltrating a sorority house--the only way she can find the microfilm she's searching for is to engage the co-eds in a multi-hour pillow-fight.

Redskins Postmortem, a measly meal and a look around the league...

Another year of Redskins dreams dashed, another winter to wonder what if... despite the last-second win over Philadelphia this is a team that is going nowhere for the seventh time in nine years. From offseason expectations (all ten draft picks making the roster) to preseason disaster (the late August collapse that saw the Skins fall 71-6 over their last two exhibitions), from early season surprise (4-1 with road wins over Dallas and Philadelphia) to late season slip (the Cincinnati debacle), the 2008 campaign was nothing if not entertaining.

Where does this team go from here? Is the best case a win at San Francisco and a 9-7 finish or will it just foster a false sense of security that things are moving in the right direction? And even with a defeat and an 8-8 mark who says this team isn't on the right track?

As this team is currently built there are major needs on the offensive and defensive lines that need addressing--a good football team is like a nice meal, and for years the Skins have had incredible creamed spinach (Portis) as well as phenomenal Lyonnaise potatoes (Sean Taylor and now LaRon Landry)--but the steak (both lines) is far from prime...and sometimes borders on standard/substandard. Injuries and age are taking their toll while the team hasn't replenished either unit in the draft...with Derrick Dockery the lone top-95 offensive line selection since 2000. The last defensive lineman taken in the first four rounds? Try Kenard Lang in 1997. In each of the last two seasons covering the draft I was surprised at the lack of attention given to bolstering both units.

Receiver revisionism...the second round triumvirate of Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly and Fred Davis never got in gear after Davis overslept an alarm in OTA's before Thomas and Kelly suffered injuries in training camp. But should this be a surprise? In a pre-draft press conference, coach Jim Zorn talked about the learning curve facing rookie receivers and how it was a challenge for them to be productive immediately--which made the selection of three receivers so high such an intriguing decision.



Looking around the league:

AFC surge reverses trend...last year for the first time since the late 90's, the NFC actually won as many interconference games as the AFC (32-32) and throughout September it appeared as though the NFC would dominate-- but over the last few months the AFC has actually taken a 32-29-1 lead...meaning once again the National Football Conference is once again looking up at their rivals.

NFC Beast? Never before has a division boasted four teams with winning records--although the NFC East's last place squad finished 8-8 last year (Philadelphia). This fall we could have two divisions where every team is over .500 (if New Orleans and Washington both win) and two where the division champ is .500...more on them in a moment.

Divisions of Depression? No chance of an east-coast bias; both the NFC and AFC Wests were putrid this past fall...the only question is which was the worst division in pro football. Although the AFC West has a better cumulative record (by one game) added with Arizona's collapse (1-4 since Thanksgiving night) plus St. Louis's free fall (nine straight losses), I can't deny the AFC West as the worst---a division led by a team that can't play defense (Denver), followed by one that is being coached well under its talent (San Diego) plus two massive disasters--one short-term (Carl Peterson's era in Kansas City concluding with a thud) and one with a feeling of forever (or at least until Al Davis lets someone else run Oakland).

College Football Corner...bowling for brackets...

Welcome to the NCAA College Football Tournament...kicked off by overall number one seed Oklahoma against Cinderella Buffalo in the Motor City Bowl Friday December 12th followed by seven games over twelve hours on a very lucky December 13th--

Hold on, I'm waking up from my nap...makes me wonder how close we are to a true Division I-A postseason. I'd even be happy with a four-team bracket with games this weekend and a championship on New Years Day. The previous jigsaw system of conference tie-ins wasn't ideal, but at least you had the four or five contenders all playing within 48 hours. Having the BCS title game a full week after January first is akin to eating a bunch of appetizers...but then waiting seven days for your entree.

And I'm not for blowing up the bowl system--the 32 game postseason that allows for 7-5 and 6-6 schools to finish their years on a positive note can continue...but there's no reason to involve the bowls in a playoff skeleton. Would a playoff make the minor bowls obsolete? You could say the BCS makes the major bowls irrelevant.

I do know it would make for an incredible Saturday in December (quadrupleheader on ABC and ESPN family of networks for either a 16 or 8 team tournament...with the games staggered in a manner that would feel like March Madness). Here's the postseason bracket you won't see...with national semifinal games pitting the East-Midwest and South-West regional winners...:

EAST REGION:
Alabama-Virginia Tech winner plays the Texas Tech-Cincinnati winner in the Peach Bowl

MIDWEST REGION:
Oklahoma-Buffalo winner plays the Penn State-TCU winner in the Cotton Bowl

SOUTH REGION:
Florida-Troy winner faces the Utah-Ohio State winner in the Sugar Bowl

WEST REGION:
Texas-East Carolina winner plays the USC-Boise State winner in the Fiesta Bowl


VIRGINIA TECH faces Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl fresh off a 30-12 thumping of Boston College...giving the Hokies their third ACC title in five seasons (VT is 51-15 since leaving the Big East). Hokie Highlights--Darren Evans made fans forget Branden Ore with 114 yards and a touchdown capping off an 1112 yard season...Tyrod Taylor ran for two scores while the defense tallied four takeaways and returned one of them for a touchdown...Hokie Humblings--three giveaways...and a passing attack that averaged under eight yards per completion will give coach Beamer plenty to work on in between now and the New Year.

Presto's Pick--another Big East Final...in the ACC

The ACC journey mercifully ends this weekend...after a rollercoaster regular season where the lead in both divisions changed weekly and schools creeping into the top 25 were quickly exposed. Nothing quite says ACC football other than ...Boston College against Virginia Tech?

The Atlantic Coast Conference has dealt with more than its share of dominant eras...from Clemson in the 80's to Florida State in the 90's to what I guess now is an "era of Northern occupation" where former Big East schools run roughshod over the league. The Hokies and Eagles each repeat as division champs; VT won the league its first year in the ACC (by beating ex-Big Easter Miami) and advanced to the title game in 2005.

Both teams reach the threshold of the Orange Bowl thanks to plenty of grit and a little luck--the Hokies fell in Chesnut Hill earlier this year 28-23 in a game where the Hokies tallied two interception returns for touchdowns yet little else offensively (5 for 17 on third down). The offense hasn't improved that much--although Tyrod Taylor is coming off his best performance of the year (274 total yards and a touchdown toss against Virginia). He'll be tested against a BC defense that shut VT down earlier this year (and has allowed under 15 points a game during a four game winning streak).

The Hokie defense needs to contain a one-two punch on the ground that features Montel Harris (116 yards rushing against Maryland) and Josh Haden...and outside of Brandon Robinson the Eagles primarily throw the ball short.

Special teams? BC returned a punt for a touchdown in their October matchup that was decided by five. Beamerball has been somewhat quiet for most of this year--is it time for the kicking game to reach that championship gear? Hokies make another Miami reservation, 25-15.