Local football fans will be all revved up this week. Lots of big games
with enormous ramifications.
And, it all kicks off Thursday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium
for a nationally televised ESPN game as tenth ranked Virginia Tech
battles the Yellow Jackets. What's on the line? How about the ACC
Coastal Division championship and a trip to Charlotte to play in the ACC
Championship Game? A win doesn't guarantee that will happen, but it
makes it extremely likely. At the moment, the Hokies sit atop the
division with a 4-1 record in the ACC, 7-1 overall. Georgia Tech sits
right behind at 4-2 in the ACC and 7-2 overall. Virginia is still in the
picture at 3-2 and 6-3.
The victory last week over the then #5 ranked Clemson
Tigers gave the Yellow Jackets the chance they needed. Now, a win
Thursday night and they will be 5-2, moving ahead of the Hokies at 4-3.
The Jackets would still have to follow with a road win at 1-4 Duke, but
that seems like a slam dunk. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, has a
home game with North Carolina and road game at Virginia. So, VT seems
taken care of.
The only minor concern is Virginia. They have a
much tougher schedule. Duke visits this weekend. No problem, but then
they go on the road to an improving Florida State team, then host
Virginia Tech for the season finale. I think they lose two of those
three. If that scenario takes place, then they're gone as well. If, on
the other hand, they win out, that would make them 6-2, tying the
Jackets, assuming they win Thursday and at Duke. The first tie breaker
is head to head competition and, unfortunately, Georgia Tech blew a
close one on October 12 at Virginia 24-21. Winner of the ACC Coastal
Division would be the unlikely Cavaliers.
But, none of that calculating is necessary if the
Yellow Jackets don't take care of business Thursday night. If they do,
then, the odds are definitely in their favor for a possible rematch with
Clemson with the winner going to the Orange Bowl.
Now, let's look at the next huge game two days
later in Athens. Georgia started the season with a terrible 0-2 start,
losing at the Georgia Dome to #5 Boise State and to South Carolina, now
#13. Since then, however, they have led a charmed life. Seven straight
wins included a few patsies like Coastal Carolina and New Mexico State,
where the Bulldogs combined for 122 points against their 16. And, it
really wasn't that close.
Included in that streak was a big win in
Jacksonville. Helping that to happen was a floundering Gator team that
is the worst Florida has seen in years with a wounded quarterback who is
struggling to get back to normal after a month on the disabled list.
Part of the charmed life was the demise of the
Gamecocks. First, Steve Spurrier kicked starting QB Stephen
Garcia completely off the team on October 11. The next week,
their star running back Marcus Lattimore was lost to the season
with a sprained knee in the fourth quarter of South Carolina's win
against Mississippi State.
The team has played valiantly ever since, but
couldn't keep up with Arkansas on Saturday, losing 44-28. The team had
been tied with Georgia for the lead in the SEC Eastern Division with
both at 5-1. But, the Gamecocks had the tie breaker due to their win
earlier against UGA. This knocked them back to 5-2 and put the Bulldogs
in the driver's seat. 680 The Fan's John Kinkaid was squawking
about people using the phrase, "they control their own destiny" saying
it's impossible since destiny is predetermined. Makes sense, but they're
definitely in the driver's seat. No complaints with that phrase, I
think. He would find something, I'm sure.
All UGA has to do is knock off Auburn
Saturday at 3:30 in Athens, televised on CBS. Like Tech, the
championship is on the line as long as they take care of visiting
Kentucky the following week. Like Duke, the Wildcats pose no threat.
So, needless to say, everything is on the line
for Tech Thursday night and Georgia Saturday with great rewards to
follow is success is achieved.
But, like the TV pitchmen always seem to
say...there's more!
Still another enormous game follows on Sunday at
the Georgia Dome. It's always a big one with the Saints come to town.
But, even more so this season. For years, this has been a lopsided
rivalry. Either the Falcons were good and the Saints weren't or New
Orleans was on the rise while Atlanta sputtered.
Not in recent years. Both teams are among the NFL
elite and a first place spot in the NFC South is on the line for
Sunday's winner. When the Falcons clobbered the Colts Sunday, they moved
their record to 5-3. Prior to that, Atlanta was in third place behind
Tampa Bay. But, the Bucs didn't begin to look ready against Drew
Brees and company in a 16-27 loss in New Orleans. That loss moved
them behind the Falcons and kept the Saints a half game in first place.
Now, the Division Duel at the Dome. Thought
that sounded nice! A win here by the Falcons and they're at 6-3
with New Orleans at 6-4. Even more important, it gives the Falcons a key
win within the Division, usually a crucial tie breaker at the end of the
season and could determine whether Atlanta is the Division winner or a
Wild Card team.
The Falcons second half is much
easier than the first with five of the eight games at home, highlighted
by a second Monday Night Football game in New Orleans. But, apart from
that, they have home games against struggling teams like Tennessee,
Minnesota, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay. Road games at an improving
Carolina Panthers and a good Houston Texans mark the only real
challenges.
If they play like they did Sunday in
Indianapolis, they're on the way to the Super Bowl. But, apparently, no
one else is as bad as the Colts, at least if you judge teams by their
records.
So, Thursday on the Flats, Saturday
in Athens and Sunday at the Dome. Quite a week for rivalries and
ramifications.
Lots of football remains for both
teams...a whole second half, to be exact. But, what happens on Sunday
will lay the groundwork for a team advantage as the season continues.