| Virginia Tech Hokies College Football Picks 2009 |
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| Written by Steve Hastings | |||||||
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Friday, 04 September 2009
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Virginia Tech Hokies College Football Picks 2009: Virginia Tech finished off an impressive 2008 campaign by winning the ACC Conference Title and defeating Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl after many questions circled the campus about how good the Hokies would be. After proving that they were just fine last season, Virginia Tech is thinking National Champions in ’09. The college football picks experts at online sportsbook SBG Global has the Virginia Tech Hokies listed at +1700 odds to win the 2010 BCS National Championship Title. #14 VIRGINIA TECH2008 Season Record: 10-4 Coastal Division Champions 2008 Final Rank: 14 Returning Starters on Offense: 9 Returning Starters on Defense: 7 Pros: Key players are returning this season. Most of them are on the offensive side, which Virginia Tech needs to improve upon from last season. The defense was the Hokies strong suit in 2008, finishing in the top 10 nationally in total defense and scoring defense. Linebacker Cody Grimm, who led returning players with 61 tackles last season, along with recording six sacks, will anchor the defense again. The conservative offense of last season, has a year under its belt, and looks to improve. Tyrod Taylor captains the returning players on offense at quarterback. He will look to improve his 103.25 QB rating by completing more passes to some familiar faces. Receiver Danny Coale is returning after leading the Hokies with 36 receptions as a freshman, along with Jarrett Boykin who grabbed 30 catches for over 440 yards. Darren Evans, 1,000 yard rusher from last season will be returning as well, and will rack up the yards on the ground, along with Taylor who ran fro 738 yards along with his passing attack. Cons: Youth. The core of Virginia Tech is very young. Last season was a pleasant surprise for Hokie nation, after predicting that 2008 was going to be more of a preparation year for an impressive 2009 team. But with last season resulting in an ACC Championship and Orange Bowl Victory, expectations that have now been placed on them. The offensive line has also been an issue for the past two seasons. The unit has had a lot of problems protecting the quarterback, especially in the pocket, and players such as left tackle Ed Wang will need to deliver solid protection so the Hokie offense can improve its numbers from last season. The college football picks odds makers at SBG Global have the Virginia Tech Hokies +130 odds favorites to win the ACC Conference Title. Overall Outlook: The defense looks to be solid and among the top defenses in the ACC. As long as the Hokies can survive an opening day date against powerhouse Alabama, who went 12-1 in the 2008 regular season, they should have a decent chance at a BCS Bowl appearance. Virginia Tech will be in the competition for ACC Champions again and are probably the early favorites. However a lot of the Hokies in-conference wins last year were by small margins, so there is no guarantee that they will run away with a championship. Keys to Success: The offensive line. Yes the youth on offense may be an issue as well, but that is more of an issue with consistency. The offensive line has been bad and needs to be moderate this season. A good offensive line makes an entire offense better, and if they can muster up some protection for Taylor, Evans, and the receivers, they will all improve. The young stars were surprisingly good in 2008, so there may be potential sophomore slumps with players like Coale and Boykin, but progress is more likely than a fall off. The defense is nothing to worry about, keep an eye on protection for the quarterback which will affect points scored and turnovers created. Virginia Tech was 3-1 vs. ranked opponents in 2008. Virginia Tech recorded only one home loss in 2008. Virginia Tech has won the past two ACC Champion-ships. Virginia Tech has won three division championships since 2005. Online Sportsbook SBG Global has posted the following odds to win the 2010 BCS National Championship: Alabama +2200 Arizona St +7000 Arkansas +7000 Auburn +9000 Boston College +7500 California +2200 Cincinnati +8500 Clemson +7500 Colorado +8500 Florida +150 Florida St +4000 Georgia +7500 Georgia Tech +1200 Illinois +4500 Iowa +8500 Kansas +4500 Kansas St +8500 Kentucky +8500 Louisville +8500 LSU +3200 Miami FL +3200 Michigan +8500 Michigan St +1700 Missouri +8500 Nebraska +4500 Notre Dame +1200 Ohio St +800 Oklahoma +650 Oklahoma St +2700 Oregon +4500 Penn St +1500 Rutgers +4500 South Carolina +8500 South Florida+5000 Southern Cal +600 Tennessee +8500 Texas +650 Texas A&M +8500 Texas Tech +6500 UCLA +8500 Virginia Tech +1700 Wake Forest +8500 North Carolina +4500 West Virginia +6000 Wisconsin +6500 Field (All Others) +1200                        |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 04 September 2009 ) | |||||||