Orange Bowl 2011: Stanford Struggles with Distractions against Virginia Tech

When the Stanford Cardinal faces off against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Discover Orange Bowl, they will have more on their mind than football.  The Cardinal has had to deal with traveling coast-to-coast and constant questions surrounding their head coach and their star quarterback. This could hurt them in game preparation for the Hokies.

The latest college football odds for this game have the Cardinal listed as three-point favorites. The streaking Hokies relish the underdog role and will be ready for Stanford on Monday night. While Stanford is concerned about off-the-field distractions, the Hokies are worrying about football—and Andrew Luck.

Andrew Luck is one of the best signal callers in college football, and if he decides to declare for the NFL draft, there is a good chance he would go No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers. While he has not openly announced his decision, the latest speculation is that he would stay at school another year. That could change if his head coach leaves town for a different opportunity.

If the recent reports are true, Jim Harbaugh will coach his last game at Stanford in the Orange Bowl. SI's Peter King reports that Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh will choose between the 49ers and the University of Michigan for his next job. This report will certainly make news in the Stanford locker room leading up to kick off proving yet another distraction for the team.  

If you consider the travel and the time zone change, Stanford will have plenty of hurdles to jump before the game even begins.

Virginia Tech has had some minor issues as running back David Wilson and safety Antone Exum will miss the first quarter of the game because they missed curfew on New Year's Eve. While this is a distraction, it is not nearly on the same level that Stanford is dealing with.

The one distraction they should be concerned with is Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech will have a noticeable edge in the fan base at the game with the shorter distance for fans to travel. The Hokies have rattled off 11 straight wins and still have a chip on their shoulder after losing to James Madison earlier in the year.  They have a pretty solid player under center as well in Tyrod Taylor.

Taylor can run and throw and is the reigning ACC player of the year. Taylor was responsible for 23 touchdowns on the year and has drawn comparisons to a former mobile quarterback in Michael Vick.

Virginia Tech is surging at the right time and will catch the Cardinal bothered by distractions, leading to a win in the Orange Bowl.

Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews and predictions. Feel free to contact Matt at [e-mail].