[Dfjay9]

Am I missing something? Why is Cincy a -2.5 favorite?

I have Va Tech winning by a field goal. Some injury I'm missing?

[Cougar Bait]

Cincinnati hasn't played a real team in almost 6 weeks. I'm on Va. Tech. That D is sick...and I think good enough to beat the Cincy spread.

[Dfjay9]

My thoughts exactly. So why is Cincy favored? Beamer's D shines tonight imo

[Cougar Bait]

My thoughts exactly. So why is Cincy favored? Beamer's D shines tonight imo

My guess is because they score a lot of points. They haven't scored less than 24 since October 25...but they put those points up against some mediocre competition. I mean, does a 28-20 win against Louisville mean anything? Or a 20-point thrashing of lowly Syracuse? They did beat Hawaii in Hawaii...but look what Fat Ass Weiss and co. did to them. I don't know. Seems obvious. I still think it will be a good game...but I like getting points with the better D.

[Dana4U]

Cincinnati is favored because they are ranking higher than Va Tech. But don't let the rankings fool you - Va Tech has been impressive in their recent outings. Va Tech is my play on this game ... albeit a smaller play than the other games today. Good Luck!

[$Bnizi]

Im on Va Tech, i think the wrong team is favored here. Just deciding whether or not to buy the 1/2 point

[ACCBball]

starting LB, DE and OT are out for VT...2 for injuries one for academics..thats why the line has gone up to 2.5. Still like tech though. Tyrod always causes trouble for Defenses.

[tbond10]

I'll be the contrarian here... Cincy -2.5

[Dfjay9]

I'll be the contrarian here... Cincy -2.5

Ok but why?

[MartinBlank]

I don't get this one either.

I said the same thing about the ND/Hawaii line.

Cincinnati is on their 5th or 6th QB, and this current one, Pike has played well. But. This is the first time they are playing on this stage. I like Tech's coaching, I like Tech's experience, and I like Tech's ability to play special teams.

I like Tech by 7-10.

[tbond10]

Cincy's 2 losses are to oklahoma and uconn while Va Tech has lost to ECU, Fl St, BC and Miami. Going to be an ugly game in my opinion determined by field position which Cincy has an edge in. I'll give up the 2.5 and win by 3

Just my .02

[sportsguy04]

Ill take Cincy -2.

[tbond10]

Ill take Cincy -2.

Go figure

Good luck SportsGuy!

[Tigers1230]

Taking under 41.5. ACC teams have always screwed me in the past. In games they should be pumped up about they get murdered, and vice versa. Think I will stick with the under.

[sportsguy04]

Go figure

Good luck SportsGuy!

Ha, yup, thats right Im on my Bearcats in this one. Everyone is Underestimating the coaching of Kelly and this team.

[tbond10]

I am with the minority and going UC -2.5

-3 at some books now. By the way, I'm somewhat ****ed up at the moment but your avatar made me laugh out loud for some reason! Very Nice! Good Luck on your Cincy bet!

[MartinBlank]

Ha, yup, thats right Im on my Bearcats in this one. Everyone is Underestimating the coaching of Kelly and this team.

Quite the contrary. I don't think anyone is "underestimating" Kelly.

Kelly hasn't won a single thing yet at this level. Yeah, yeah, he won the Big East. Yawn.

Kelly hasn't beaten a top 10 team yet.

Until he does that, the nod goes to Beamer in a game like this.

Take your Bearcat glasses off for a second.

Who has more big bowl game experience? Beamer or Kelly?

Who has a better defense?

Which team has made a living out of special team play?

Which team has played a tougher schedule?

Give me one advantage Cincinnati has here?

There is not "sure thing", so Cincinnati could very well win this game, but give me a reason why. Where do you see Cincinnati matching up against Tech and having an advantage?

[tbond10]

Quite the contrary. I don't think anyone is "underestimating" Kelly.

Kelly hasn't won a single thing yet at this level. Yeah, yeah, he won the Big East. Yawn.



Which team has made a living out of special team play?



Give me one advantage Cincinnati has here?

There is not "sure thing", so Cincinnati could very well win this game, but give me a reason why. Where do you see Cincinnati matching up against Tech and having an advantage?

http://www.700wlw.com/cc-common/news...rticle=4566319

Just in response to special teams. Also if you yawn at the Big East title don't you have to do the same for the acc title?

Edit: But I DO agree... I think special teams and field position will be the difference in this game. Hence why I took Cincy -2.5

[nysmoneyman]

(12) Cincinnati (11-2) vs. (21) Virginia Tech (9-4)


Thursday, January 1st, 8:30 p.m. (et)


The Sports Network

By Scott Haynes, Senior College Football Editor

GAME NOTES: The 75th edition of the Orange Bowl is set for Dolphin Stadium on New Year's Day, as the Cincinnati Bearcats take on the Virginia Tech Hokies.

The Bearcats will be playing in their first January 1st bowl since 1951 and posted a remarkable 11-2 overall record, while capturing their first-ever Big East title and subsequent BCS Bowl bid. Brian Kelly was named the Big East Coach of the Year as a result.

The 2008 season was one to remember for Cincinnati, which closed the year with six consecutive wins, including big wins over Big East powerhouses West Virginia, Louisville and Pittsburgh in a three week span in November. The Bearcats, whose lone losses on the year came at Oklahoma (52-26) and at Connecticut (40-16), registered 11 victories for the first time in school history.

Cincinnati is playing in its 11th bowl game all-time (6-4) and has been solid in the postseason of late, winning three straight bowl games, including last year's 31-21 decision over Southern Miss in the Papajohns.com Bowl.

Frank Beamer's Hokies are no stranger to the postseason (7-14) and major bowl games for that matter, as the team has played in three Sugar Bowls and two previous Orange Bowls. This will be the second straight appearance in the Orange Bowl, as Tech dropped a 24-21 decision to Kansas in last year's memorable event.
The Hokies (9-4 overall) repeated as ACC Champion this season thanks to a 5-3 ledger in conference play. Virginia Tech won three of its last four regular season games to capture the Coastal Division title and then topped Boston College in the ACC Title Game (30-12) to cap off a tough season in Blacksburg with another trip to the Orange Bowl.

"It was such a team effort," said Beamer. "Offensively, we did a heckuva job out there. Defensively, we did a heckuva job. Our special teams were solid, and we beat a really good Boston College team. I?m really proud of our players and coaches. This particular year especially because we?ve overcome so much. I?m really proud of that. We?re going to enjoy this for sure."

The Hokies are seeking their fifth straight 10-win season, a current streak only matched by Texas and Southern California.

These two teams have met eight previous times and the series is knotted at four games apiece. The last meeting took place in 2006, as the Hokies posted a 29-13 at home.

The Bearcats' ascension to the top of the Big East was a bit of a surprise, considering injuries turned the quarterback position into a revolving door. First, Ben Mauk's appeal for another year was denied, leaving the position to former starter Dustin Grutza. The veteran signal-caller went down early with a broken leg and was replaced by Tony Pike, who subsequently went down to injury himself (arm). Chazz Anderson, got a couple starts in relief as well, but the team was no worse for the wear, as Cincinnati managed to average a solid 254.1 yards passing when all was said and done. Grutza and Pike are both healed enough to play in the bowl game and both may see time under center. Regardless of who is throwing the ball, the general direction of the passes will be toward Dominick Goodman (78 receptions, for 977 yards, seven TDs) and Mardy Gilyard (74 receptions, 1,118 yards, 10 TDs). Goodman was a First-Team All-Big East selection, as was Gilyard, who established himself as the conference's top kickoff returner as well, averaging 28.0 yards per return and picking up All-American honors for his special teams play. Goodman is nursing a shoulder injury, but is listed as probable for this bowl game.

The ground game plays second fiddle on this team, with Cincinnati averaging just 121.2 yards per game, on a mediocre 3.6 yards per carry. Tailbacks Jacob Ramsey (4.3 ypc) and John Goebel (4.7 ypc) got the majority of the work this season and combined for nine TDs, seven of which came from Goebel.
Cincinnati did a solid job defensively this year, especially against some of the Big East's best offenses. The Bearcats limited foes to a meager 314.8 total yards, holding opponents to 102.7 yards rushing and 212.1 yards passing. In addition, the team allowed the opposition to convert just 30 percent of the time on third down, while recording 36 sacks and forcing 21 turnovers, including 16 interceptions. Up front, the team relies heavily on the play of Connor Barwin and Lamonte Nelms. Barwin (48 total tackles) led the team in both TFLs (15.5) and sacks (11), earning Big East First-Team honors. Nelms (53 tackles) finished second in both categories with 14.0 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. The emergence of Barwin along the defensive front has been a real pleasant surprise for coach Kelly, who moved the senior over from tight end this year.

"I think the most amazing part of this is that I've been a head coach for 18 years, and I don't think I've ever seen a guy go from one position to defense and get voted all-conference in his first year playing the position as a senior."

The secondary was extremely active this season as well, led by All-American (Third-Team) selection Mike Mikens, who finished the year with 65 tackles and four INTs, despite missing the last three games with a knee injury. Mickens holds the school record for INTs in a career with 14 and although he is still listed on the injury report heading into this game, he has been upgraded to probable. Brandon Underwood was also instrumental in the secondary, recording 60 tackles, three INTs and three fumble recoveries, en route to All-Big East Firt-Team honors.

The Hokies have had their own misfortunes under center this season and neither Tyrod Taylor nor Sean Glennon have played particularly well overall. The pair have combined for just over 1,600 yards passing, with five TD passes and 11 interceptions. Taylor gets the nod to start the bowl game, as he is the more athletic of the two signal-callers, ranking second on the team in rushing this year with 691 yards and six TDs. The real workhorse in the backfield though is young tailback Darren Evans, who has showed flashes of brilliance this year, en route to 1,112 yards rushing and 10 TDs. He picked up Freshman All-American honors for his efforts. With a passing game that managed a mere 128.2 yards per game, it is no wonder that the top receiver on the team was Danny Coale, who managed to haul in just 33 balls, for 356 yards. Jarrett Boyle (28 receptions) led the team with 413 receiving yards and was tied with Greg Boone (19 catches, for 237 yards) with a team-high two TD receptions each.

The Hokies have long been a defensive-led program and 2008 was no different, as Virginia Tech finished among the nation's elite squads, giving up just 17.5 ppg, on 277.1 yards of total offense. The team had equal disdain for the run (107.0 ypg) and the pass (170.1 ypg) and really made its mark recording big plays, with 34 sacks and 30 takeaways. The play along the defensive line was paced by Jason Worilds and Orion Martin. Worilds, who is listed as questionable for the Orange Bowl with a shoulder injury, led the team in TFLs (18.5) and sacks (8.0). Martin (13.0 TFLs, 7.5 sacks) also made his presence felt in opposing backfields, as did outside linebacker Cody Grimm (12.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks). The linebacking corps was also highlighted by Purnell Sturdivant (team-high 91 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks) and Brett Warren (86 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, two INTs), although Warren will miss this game due to a torn right ACL. The secondary is not short of playmakers either and is headlined by standout cover corner Victor Harris (44 tackles, six INTs) on one side and Stephan Virgil (40 tackles, five INTs) on the other. Harris picked up All-American honors this season.

The ACC has been cursed in BCS games of late, dropping eight straight major bowl games. The
conference's last win came in the 1999 national championship game, as ironically, Florida State topped Virginia Tech (then part of the Big East). The Bearcats are playing on the big stage for the first time and that coupled with Virginia Tech's stingy defense, should result in a win for the Hokies.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Virginia Tech 27, Cincinnati 21

[sportsguy04]

[quote=MartinBlank;1358798]

Kelly hasn't won a single thing yet at this level. Yeah, yeah, he won the Big East. Yawn.

- 21 wins in two seasons at UC. Id say thats pretty impressive from where UC was in the previous years.

Kelly hasn't beaten a top 10 team yet.

- Well I guess its a good thing UC isnt playing a top 10 team here tonight.


Who has more big bowl game experience? Beamer or Kelly?

Who has a better defense?
Vtech, but some key injuries and academic problems for them tonight.

UC has the better offense though.

Which team has played a tougher schedule?

Vtech SOS- 10
UC -16
Not much of a difference.

quote]

[WannabeWilly]

Martin, seems to me that Cincy has a much better offense. Va Tech has to create turnovers to score. Personally I'm laying low on this one other than betting the 'under'.

Sidenote: I've made a killing on Georgia, Vandy & LSU. The Bulldogs had me worried though. Good luck to everyone.

[MartinBlank]

Martin, seems to me that Cincy has a much better offense. Va Tech has to create turnovers to score. Personally I'm laying low on this one other than betting the 'under'.

Sidenote: I've made a killing on Georgia, Vandy & LSU. The Bulldogs had me worried though. Good luck to everyone.

Fair enough.

We will return to this game after it is over.

I be here to gloat or take my beating.

Good luck either way.

[Skanless1]

on T tech.. def too good.

[pinnacle212]

I tell you what. I have a parlay with Cincy as my last game. I usually always lose my last game in my big parlays. So I will be fading myself if USC pulls this off.
Iowa -3.5
Nebraska +2
USC -9
Ciny -2.5

[Husker36]

I tell you what. I have a parlay with Cincy as my last game. I usually always lose my last game in my big parlays. So I will be fading myself if USC pulls this off.
Iowa -3.5
Nebraska +2
USC -9
Ciny -2.5

USC will cover and I think VTech is the play tonight.

I'd put 60% on Vtech!

[jraines]

what do you guys think of the total in tonight's game?

[pimike]

Forget the total, just take VT +3 and VT ML

[GatorFan]

I'm going for Cincy -2.5 just simply they have the momentum of winning streak of 6 games at the end of season, plus Tony Pike keeps impressing me with 18 TDs/7 picks while VT's QB Tyrod Taylor thows only 2TDs but 6 picks.
In a tight game scenario I would lay my $ on the QB with the better hands. I will go with Tony Pike -2.5. Good luck with your bet guys.

[pinnacle212]

USC will cover and I think VTech is the play tonight.

I'd put 60% on Vtech!

If SC pulls it off. I would be going in to the VT/Cincy game with a payout of $887 if Cincy wins. So if i put 400+ on VT its a win win right yeah im new

[pimike]

well Im in line to lose a big one here unless I can get 3 str8 scores from penn. looking to go 6 units on vt money line to make up some ground

I just did it myself 3 +3 and 3 on ML

Lets cash this for once

[CBBPhenom]

Virginia TEch's big play, easy winner

[demize21]

VT is the play +3 is a bonus