Boise St. vs. Virginia Tech: Can Hokies Silence Broncos' Hype Machine?
No. 8 Virginia Tech vs. No. 3 Boise State
Time: 8 p.m. EDT
Date: Monday, Sept. 6, 2010
Place: FedEx Field (91,704), Landover, Md.
TV: ESPN
The biggest game of the opening week is reserved for Monday night when the Boise St. Broncos take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in a game that already has national title implications.
BetMania has posted the odds on this game and the linesmakers have Boise St as two point favorites and the total at 50.5 points.
Boise St was, once upon a time, a Cinderella team that never got any respect from other teams in the country, the polls, or anyone outside of Boise for that matter.
Now that has all changed. They are now getting quality teams to face them on the schedule and they are ranked third in the country in the latest polls.
In fact, Boise St. is now one of the most hyped teams in college football. On Monday night they will be tested against Virginia Tech and the country will see if they are worthy of all that hype.
Virginia Tech will be out to quiet the hype machine that is Boise St. and here are several things that will help them get it done.
Home Field Advantage
1 of 5
Home Field Advantage
This game is being played at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. On paper that is a neutral field.
In reality, this is home field advantage for the Hokies. Boise St. is a very good traveling team and I would not be surprised to see up to 8,000 fans in the stadium backing the boys in blue.
However, this game is close to the Virginia Tech campus and the Hokies could see up to ten times that number, considering the stadium should be filled for the big game.
Clock Control
2 of 5
Clock Control
The Hokies have one of the best backfields in all of college football.
Ryan Williams and Darren Evans are a talented duo that can run the ball behind this big offensive line.
Williams will see the bulk of the carries and Evans will complement his playing style and get carries to offset the defense.
The Hokies do not want to get into a shootout with the high-octane offense of Boise State, so their best bet will be to keep the Broncos off the field. They will do this by running the ball early and often.
If they are able to run successfully, it will be frustrating for the Broncos.
Defensive Stand
3 of 5
Defensive Stand
The Broncos return 21 starters from last year’s squad and lost just five letter winners and will no doubt bring a very talented team, led by their offense into this game.
The Hokies had to replace plenty of key positions all over the filed, but especially on defense. That defense will be tasked with the demanding task of trying to shut down the Broncos offense.
In order to do this they will need to put plenty of pressure on Kellen Moore. This could be a tall order for a inexperienced Hokie defense.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Game Time Prediction
4 of 5
Game Time Prediction
Hokies Quarterback Tyrod Taylor might be the X-Factor in this game.
The Broncos will key on the run and stack the box and force Taylor to be the man on offense.
This actually could play into the hands of the Hokies. Taylor is a dual-threat signal caller who can score with his arm and his legs, and he should have the Broncos defense on their heels all day long.
The Broncos will get their points, but the Hokies defense will give them more than they bargained for.
Hokie Head Coach Frank Beamer will make sure that his team is ready for the big game on the big stage and knows that if they can play “Beamer Ball,” then this team will zoom up the polls by beating Boise.
Sorry, Boise, you asked for all the attention, and you now you got it.
Virgina Tech 33, Boise State 31
College Football Previews and Picks
5 of 5
Matt Regaw is the CEO and Head Writer at Bookie Blitz, the place for articles on sports, sports betting picks, reviews, and more!
Other College Football Articles
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
