Boston College-Virginia Tech: Mitch's Pick ATS Week Six

(Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Boston College Eagles (4-1) at Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1)

College Football: Oct. 10, 2009 12:00 EST (GAMEPLAN)

The Line: Virginia Tech -13

Two teams who are very familiar with one another meet in Blacksburg as the Virginia Tech Hokies host the Boston College Eagles in an ACC contest. These two have met in the ACC title game the past two seasons, making this the sixth meeting in three years for these two teams.

Virginia Tech has been on a roll since their season-opening loss to Alabama, and they have been getting it done the same way they have gotten it done under Frank Beamer for his entire tenure coaching the Hokies.

Virginia Tech doesn't do a lot that is fancy; they play solid defense and special teams and put their offense in a position where they always have a chance to win the game. We have seen no better example of this than the Nebraska game, where QB Tyrod Taylor made a fourth down completion in the end zone for the win with 12 seconds on the clock.

The Hokies' special teams has been alive and well, creating scores against both Miami and Alabama.

Lane Stadium is a tough building, and it doesn't get any easier when the Hokies are running the ball effectively and tackling like the well-coached bunch they are.

Two games ago Boston College looked like a lost cause. They were coming off of their first loss of the season, a game where they had gained a total of 52 yards. However, two games later they are 4-1 and winners of back-to-back conference games.

Boston College has done it by going back to what is essentially their game. They use the power running game to control the ball and time of possession and use the run to set up the pass. Montel Harris had the monster game running against FSU, and against Wake Forest it was Josh Haden with 93 yards.

Boston College has gone through a few coaching changes over the past few seasons, but one thing remains the same: They recruit smart, fundamentally sound football players who understand the game and execute well. It's a simple formula that has produced long-term success.

Virginia Tech is 6-1 against the spread in their last seven against a team with a winning record but are just 3-8 against the spread in their last 11 home games. Boston College is 5-1 against the spread in their last six games against a team with a winning record but are just 1-5 against the spread in their last six road games.

Boston College has covered in eight of their last 11 games against Virginia Tech, including six of the last eight games in Blacksburg.

A few weeks ago I would have thought BC would be lucky to get 10 yards against Bud Foster's defense—what a difference a few weeks makes. Boston College generally covers against the Hokies because these teams are very similar in the way they go about things, and this makes for close games.

Mitch's Pick: Boston College +13

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