Pass the Tums, please

I was just doing a little strolling on espn.com and was somehow directed to this link, which shows the ESPN game lineup for 2010.  (Go ahead and bookmark it because it will be updated every week)

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4903371

I then got this horrible feeling in my stomach when I saw officially in writing that the Hokies are opening against Boise State.  Granted I think it's awesome that my little VT team gets to play this kick-ass game at FedEx field on Sept. 4, but I can't help but feel a little apprehensive.  Why is it that we always open our season against ranked teams?  Let's take a little trip down history lane...

2004 - Va. Tech vs. USC @ FedEx. Field.  Really Michael Vick?  We have to open against one of the strongest football teams in the country?  We lost.  It was a sad way to start the season.

      *Please Note: USC won the National Championship this year

2007 - Va. Tech vs. LSU @ Death Valley.  Oh really?  Tech drowned against the Tigers in this game (48-7...I just threw up in my mouth)  It was a sick way to start the season.

      *Please Note: LSU won the National Championship this year

2009 - Va. Tech vs. Alabama.  Okay, the Hokies actually had a chance in this one.   But the commentators quickly reminded everyone watching (over and over and over again) that "Virginia Tech can't keep up with the SEC."  Well no we can't if you don't have faith in us!  Jeeeeez!  I think we lost that one because everyone kept saying we would.  

     *Please Note: Alabama won the National Championship this year

Do you see a pattern?  Do you see why I'm walking around work looking for some Tums right now?  Someone find me some Xanax for this game. Starting another season opening to a Top 5 ranked team.  Go Tech, GO!

Richy Rich, Hail to the Victor

I tried everything in my power to not comment on the news of Michigan's self-imposed probation, but honestly...what kind of college football blogger would I be?

For those of you living under a rock, the University of Michigan has put themselves on 2 years probation for among all things: Having too many coaches involved in off-season conditioning and holding too long of off-season practices.  No need to worry though, most importantly the violations don't involve cash payments to players (suuuuuuuure), academic fraud (yeah RIGHT) or improper recruiting (doubtful).
Sorry, did my personal feelings just get in the way?  I'm interested to see how the NCAA responds.

Ohhhh Rich Rodriguez, I can't help but wonder what my mortal enemies (all Michigan fans) feel about you and what you've done to the program.  In 128 years Michigan has stayed clear of a lot of the controversery that is often associated with other schools (uhhh...Virginia Tech....Ohio State....) and after 2 seasons you've blown your chances beating Ohio State, haven't had a winning record and had more meetings with possible NCAA infractions than I can remember. 

Something tells me that annoying girl I saw last year holding up a poster that said, "In ROD we trust" should get her priorities straight.....

Calendar Girl

It's a pretty long and detailed process for me to figure out which games I'm going to see live every year.

It starts around April with me putting the Virginia Tech games into my planner in an Orange pen and the Ohio State games into my planner in Red pen.  Color coordinated obviously.

I then block out "Columbus day Weekend" in my work out of office calendar because every year my dad and I go to Columbus for the long weekend to see our "family" in Ohio, and celebrate me turning one year closer to being an old maid.  We've seen Ohio State play Wisconsin twice, Bowling Green (well, sort of), Kent State and Michigan.  This year we'll be there to see them take on the Indiana Hoosiers so all of our Columbus family who is reading this, be ready!

Next I figure out which Virginia Tech games I can get to.  I like to go to as many as possible but the most important deciding factor is whether or not Sable can go.  It's just not the same going back to Blacksburg for college weekend unless the girls that lived college with me can be there.  I'm not going to say it's easy to get 5 girls spread out over Virginia and New York back for the same weekend but we try and when we do, it's like we haven't missed a beat!

At this point, I try to start adding "addendum" games. 
Like, maybe I could get tickets to the VT opener against Boise State in Northern Virginia?
Or, Ohio State plays Miami (FL) at home that weekend too and that will be the biggest re-match of my life, so maybe I could get up to Columbus twice this year.
Can I make it back to Tech for Homecoming weekend?
Are there any close "away" games I can go to?
Which weekends have important enough games that I should stay home so I can watch multiple games?

One thing is for sure: If you could get frequent flyer miles for driving, I'd spend August to November banking miles. I think I'll start saving them up for a Road trip to Tempe....

Spring is in the Air

Although the East Coast is currently seeing temperatures in the 40's and 50's, Spring is in the air and I couldn't be more pumped!

For the last 2 - 3 weeks most schools held their annual "Spring Game."  This is a practice game held once Spring practice has begun to give the team a chance to hit the field.  It's a day filled with trying out new plays, trying out new quarterbacks and testing out the old grille that has been packed away since November.
Alabama took the lead of the unofficial crowd competition, with the largest crowd in Spring Game history -  91,312 total in attendance.

Last weekend I traded in my Game-face tattoo for a dress and horse races in Charlottesville.  I know....I missed going to Blacksburg to spend a weekend in Charlottesville - It's weird.  But all I could think about the whole way home was how Tyrod did on Saturday.  So before I continue...can someone please tell me????

It's ridiculous to think that there could be any sort of rankings out, but low and behold, there are.  Spring games must have a purpose other than tailgating, right?  According to my boys over at ESPN, they're cursing the Tide and must be looking for some sort of financial endorsement from me with their top 5. 

In all its glory - the "Way too early Top 5" of 2010:
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Boise State Broncos
4. Oregon Ducks
5. Virginia Tech Hokies

The Madness of March

I have to admit, there's a small part of me that gets a little jealous when March Madness rolls around.  As someone who only just recently realized that a basketball game only has 2 periods, I don't have a clue how to properly fill out one of those grids.  Wait...grid isn't the right word, is it?  What are they called again? 

In college football, we get the mess of the BCS choosing who goes to the best bowl games at the end of the season.  College basketball gets a properly run playoff.

For me, the best part of march madness is knowing that I'm a mere 5 months of warm weather away from Opening Saturday of MY sport. 

I'll watch the final four cheering on either the ACC or the Big Ten (depending on teams of course) and then it's full speed ahead to August for me!

Talkin' Smack

I'm the Queen of Smack Talk.  I mean, come on!  I'm a buckeye - it's in our DNA!

My sophomore year at Virginia Tech, there was a mad dash to the bookstore because VT had decided to discontinue making T-shirts like:
"Friends don't let friends go to UVA" and "The Good (Hokie Bird) The Bad (WVU) The Ugly (Cavalier)" because they wanted to drive a promotion to supportive competition. 
Cool. 
I stocked up before I couldn't get them anymore.

Then I discovered smackapparel.com and my life changed.  My first discovery was a t-shirt that said, "Beating UVA: So easy a caveman can do it"  Check, I'll take one in a size small.

I'm all about friendly competition between schools and conferences, but you can't get much better a shirt that says "I'm too pretty to go to Bama"

Here I am modeling my fave #5 Superman (aka Tyrod Taylor) shirt:

Now, go to smackapparel.com and stock up for August!

Super Bowl of Advertising

Every year when the Super Bowl comes around, everyone waits in anticipation for the commercials.  Sure, it's exciting!

This may be due to my copious hours of Olympics coverage viewing, but I think the Olympics are the new Super Bowl of Advertising. 

Without a doubt my favorite commercials are the VISA commercials.  You know the ones I'm talking about.  Morgan Freeman's soft voiceover comes on telling an inspirational story about an Olympic athlete, and everything they overcame to reach their dreams.  I may sound blase about this, but seriously, these are my favorite commercials on TV!

The newest one I've seen, which goes with one of my favorite Olympic stories (and of course movies) is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kJjP2liGv4

And, of course I have to stick to my roots...nothing can top this commercial by ESPN for College Football Rivalry week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5cVJUfjCqQ