On one hand, you have the nation’s fouth-hottest team, trailing only national title game participants Oregon and Auburn and T.C.U., the latter fresh off a Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin. It’s been a long time since James Madison for Virginia Tech, winners of 11 straight games the owners of another A.C.C. crown, the program’s fifth since joining the conference in 2004. Along the other sideline lies the nation’s best one-loss team, a potent, explosive Stanford squad with a highly-touted quarterback and equally well-regarded coach. No, this hasn’t been the best bowl season of recent memory; however, one can’t help but look at this projected matchup — one of two hot, well-coached teams — and hope that it lives up to its immense billing.
Stanford (11-1,8-1)
Regular season in review Which star has the higher stock: Stanford’s coach or its quarterback? Both are set to entertain offers once the final whistle blows tonight — Andrew Luck from the N.F.L. and Jim Harbaugh from Michigan and the San Francisco 49ers, perhaps. Knowing that, one worries if this is it for the Cardinal, if the program could rebound from losing an all-time great quarterback and one of the nation’s best coaches. Those questions lie in the future — the very near future, unfortunately. For now, let’s reflect back on Stanford’s finest season in 70 years, since the Cardinal concluded a perfect 10-0 campaign with a win over Nebraska in the 1941 Rose Bowl. Eleven wins, eight coming in Pac-10 play. A single loss: Oregon, a team Stanford led at halftime before crumbling under an onslaught of points in the second half. Only two victories decided by less than 10 points; only one game, U.S.C., where Stanford ever seemed in real danger of defeat. The best team in program history? If nothing else, without question the finest team in 70 years. Can Stanford keep it going in 2011, particularly if both its stars depart for greener pastures — contract-wise, at least?
Regular season high point A number of options, befitting an 11-win team. I’ll go with a 48-14 victory over rival California, as it both defined Stanford’s dominant level of play throughout the season while including the added bonus of a Big Game win.
Regular season low point The loss to Oregon. Disappointing? Without question. Of course, Stanford can take solace in the fact that Oregon finished undefeated, lending credence to the train of thought that lists the Cardinal as the finest one-loss team in the land. A small victory, but one to remember.
Regular season offensive M.V.P. Quarterback Andrew Luck. As if there was any question: Luck might have been the finest quarterback in the country, of equal value to his team as was Cameron Newton at Auburn. How good was Luck? Wonderfully accurate, superbly precise and surprisingly tough, Luck stands alongside John Elway as the finest quarterback this program has ever produced. It would be shocking if he wasn’t a similar success on the next level.
Regular season defensive M.V.P. Linebacker Chase Thomas. The defense was overshadowed by its offensive counterparts, and for good reason: good but not great, the defense merely had to slow down the opposition to guarantee victory. This group did get stops when needed, however, such as in a surprisingly narrow win over Arizona State. Thomas was key to the defense’s success, leading the Cardinal in tackles for loss (11) and sacks (7); for a unit lacking in big plays, Thomas provided a sizable boost.
Regular season two-way player M.V.P. Fullback and linebacker Owen Marecic. He deserves at least some recognition for doing the unthinkable: playing both ways, supplying lead blocks offensively and fighting them off on defense. This wasn’t a Charles Woodson-like dalliance with playing on each side of the ball, with all due respect to the former Heisman Trophy winner. Marecic truly played both ways, rarely taking a break and setting a prime example to follow for his teammates.
Virginia Tech (11-2, 8-0)
Regular season in review It pays to keep the faith. Those who doubted Virginia’s Tech toughness — and you know who you are — should have remembered that this team was still lead by Frank Beamer, was still quarterbacked by Tyrod Taylor, still had the pieces in the backfield to dominate and still had Bud Foster running the defense, even if that group lacks the horses of year’s past. In your defense, if you had counted the Hokies out: that 0-2 start was disappointing. Not so much the loss to Boise State, even if the Broncos didn’t end up playing for the national title, as some might have predicted; the nadir was a home loss to James Madison, even if the Hokies could be excused for having a down game one week after that late loss to the Broncos. From there, it was vintage Virginia Tech: 11 straight wins, including a 44-33 decision over Florida State in the conference title game. It hasn’t been the prettiest road, but the sour start only made the end result all the more sweet. Next time you doubt Virginia Tech, remember 2010: these Hokies might get knocked down, but they always, always get back up.
Regular season high point The win over Florida State. A loss in that game would have invalidated the regular season winning streak, at least to a degree.
Regular season low point James Madison, clearly. There was nothing wrong with the loss to Boise State: as noted, the Broncos were a terrific team despite the November loss to Nevada.
Regular season offensive M.V.P. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Talk about a leader: only a game-tested, senior quarterback could have held the Hokies together after their early struggles. Perhaps the most pleasing individual development of the 2010 season was Taylor’s improved passing, which saw the senior complete more than 60 percent of his attempts while tossing 23 touchdowns against only four interceptions. The unquestioned conference player of the year, Taylor’s final campaign was a fitting conclusion to a strong career.
Regular season defensive M.V.P. Cornerback Jayron Hosley. The secondary was an issue heading into the season, as the Hokies had to replace three starters from 2009; safety was a considerable question mark. While not a menace, the secondary was better than projected: give plenty of credit for Hosley, a sophomore, who earned all-American honors thanks to his eight-interception season. As with several of the new starters on defense, Hosley’s future is bright.
Know Your Sponsor
Discover Financial The financial services company takes over for former longtime sponsor FedEx, which had puts its name behind the B.C.S. bowl over the previous 20 years. Discover’s current contract with the Orange Bowl spans only four years, leaving me curious whether its relationship with the bowl will last as long its previous sponsor. Let’s cross that bridge when we get there, I suppose. Discover’s credit card division is the third-largest card supplier in the United State with roughly 50 millions subscribers, trailing Visa and MasterCard.
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