College Football
Previews - NCAA Football Handicapping - Preview 2006 Betting
Virginia
Tech Hokies 2006 Preview
Online
Predictions By:
Matt Fargo Virginia Tech Hokies Football
Preview Matt Fargo remains the NUMBER
ONE handicapper in 2005 at the Professional Handicappers
League --- get
his premium plays here.
Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be
here before you know it so that means getting
an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season.
Knowing the teams now will save you time in August
and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp
of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from
worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.
Fargo’s Take
- Virginia Tech usually comes into the
preseason as a top 10 team since it is typically
loaded everywhere. That is not the case heading
into the 2006 season however as there are more
questions than answers on offense heading into
the campaign. If Marcus Vick actually had common
sense, he’d be entering his senior season
as starting quarterback and the Hokies would likely
be a top five team. Unfortunately, he lacked that
rationale and Virginia Tech could be in for a
long season on offense. The good news is that
the defense is so supreme that it can carry the
offense for a majority of the season. The Hokies
aren’t likely going to compete for a National
Championship or even an ACC Championship for that
matter but it is still good enough to get back
into a bowl game for a 14th straight season.
Returning Starters
on Offense – 5 With Vick getting
tossed from school, the quarterback duties belong
to sophomore Sean Glennon. Glennon did not throw
a pass last season as he was redshirted and tossed
only 11 passes in his freshman season in 2004
so experience is obviously a huge concern. The
top three receivers are back, led by senior David
Clowney, so that will give Glennon some comfort.
He will have a solid running back in Branden Ore
to hand off to that is if Ore can stay healthy.
However, the real concern that affects everyone
already mentioned is the offensive line that needs
to replace three starters from last season. This
was one of the best groups in the country last
year with four senior starters but expect some
growing pains early on this season.
Returning Starters
on Defense – 6 The Hokies finished
8th or higher in all four major defensive categories
last season including 1st in total defense, allowing
just 247.6 ypg. The unit will be stout once again
despite the loss of five starters. Three of those
are from the defensive line, the biggest loss
being end Darryl Tapp, but there was so much depth
across the line that there won’t be much
of a falloff. The linebackers will be arguably
the best group in the ACC and top five in the
country. Inside backers Vince Hall and Xavier
Adibi are both mentioned in preseason All-American
watch lists. The secondary loses consensus All-American
Jimmy Williams but three starters are back as
well as super sophomore corner Victor Harris.
The opportunistic defense is always good for a
few scores throughout the season and one of the
main reasons that even though the Hokies were
57th in total offense, they finished 17th in scoring.
Schedule
- It’s hard to fall back into the pack when
you schedule eight home games including three
non-conference laughers so the slate is what will
likely keep the Hokies afloat. Virginia starts
the season at home against 1-AA Northeastern followed
by two early ACC games at North Carolina and then
at home against Duke. Another non-conference home
game against Cincinnati is then followed by a
home ACC contest against Georgia Tech. Winnable
games against Boston College and Southern Mississippi
precede the biggest challenges of the season –
a home game against Clemson and a road game at
Miami. The end of the season closes with three
more easy games against Kent St., Wake Forest
and Virginia. Making the schedule even more favorable
is that Florida St. is no where to be found.
You can bet on…
The Hokies have overachieved in the past and it
is very possible that head coach Frank Beamer
can will his team once again. Obviously, it all
boils down to the success of the offense, namely
Glennon and how capable he is of running the show.
Put last year’s offensive line in front
of him and a lot of the pressure is gone but this
year’s version is somewhat disconcerting.
Virginia Tech schedules easy wins year in and
year out and it gets the job done, going 33-11
ATS since 1995 against non-conference foes. Expect
to see more blowouts this year as those out of
conference games are not challenging. They are
all at home this season where the Hokies are on
a 12-5 run against the number as home chalk.
•
Bodog.com - 10% Sign
Up Bonus
• MySportsbook
- 10% Sign Up Bonus
• Betus.com -
Up To 50% Bonus
• Sportsbook.com -
100% Reload Bonus
• Bookmaker -
10% Free Play on $300
FEATURED POKER ROOM PROMOTIONS
›
Bodog Poker - WPT Qualifying Online. More... › Sportsbook.com Poker - 100% Reload
Bonus Up to $650 More... › Full Tilt Poker - $25,000 Poker
After Dark Promo. More...
PICK OF
THE DAY : BETTING PICKS ONLINE
#1 Capper Al McMordie - 1 Week of Big Al's selections for all sports If you've never tried Al before, this package is for you. Get a week of service for all sports for just 175.00. Join today.
You'll learn what
you need to know about betting with an online sportsbook,
bonuses, promotions, plus how to choose internet sports books
online.
Best Sports Books >>
The online poker
room world is ever expanding its offerings. We list the best
online poker sites. Your best online Source For Poker Room
Ratings.
Best Poker Rooms >>
Bodog Casino &
MySportsbook.com Casino lead the way in our rankings of the
best online casinos. Gambling Ratings.
Best Casinos Offshore >>
MySportsbook.com
Racebook, Bodog Race Book + DSI lead the way in rating the
best internet horse betting sites. Racebook Ratings.
Best Race Betting Sites >>
U.S. CITIZENS PLEASE
NOTE: Advertisers listed are intended
for Non-American viewers that can legally wager with sites that
are regulated. Check your state and/or country laws to know if
you can gamble online. We don't accept bets from, nor do we place
bets for our patrons. Persons under 18 prohibited! Use of this
information in contravention of any law is prohibited. Privacy
Policy
