I haven't made my NCAA football picks yet for the weekend. They'll be posted tomorrow. But there's a game that's close to my heart tonight in Atlanta between ACC
Coastal Division rivals Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. There's no doubt that
Tech will emerge victorious, but the question is which one. The visiting Hokies
have had pretty good success against Paul Johnson's triple option offense in
the past, thanks mostly to Bud Foster's defensive schemes and a secondary that
can take away the downfield passing option even though they need to keep seven
or eight players in the box to defense the run. With the exception of the first
half of last week's game against Marshall, Virginia Tech has exhibited a shut
down defense, even against top-ranked Alabama.
The big issue for the Hokies is on the offensive side of the
ball, specifically quarterback Logan
Thomas. His passing has been erratic and his decision making suspect. Despite
his incredible physical skills, he's failed to progress at all since his breakout
sophomore season. He played terribly against Marshall, missing pass after pass,
finally eking out the game with his legs and his size. But tonight, the Hokies
can't afford to give the Yellow Jackets a lot of possessions, so he needs to
find a way to keep his defense off the field with short passes that keep the
chains moving and the clock ticking. Frankly, from what I've seen this season,
I'm not overly confident of his ability to accomplish that.
All of that being said, I like the Hokies to pull what most
would consider an upset tonight. I think they'll deny the run with their front
seven and their always talented secondary will make enough plays to deny Georgia
Tech a consistent passing game. My prediction? Virginia Tech 23 Georgia Tech
20.
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