College Football: Maryland, U-Va., Va. Tech, Navy and the National Scene

Post college football writers Eric Prisbell, Steve Yanda, Mark Viera, Zach Berman and Camille Powell were online Thursday, Oct. 15 at 1:30 p.m. to take your questions about this weekend's football match ups for Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Navy and all the biggest games on the national scene.

The transcript follows.

Full coverage of the 2009 college football season.

All things Maryland -- including coverage of Saturday night's game at Cal and beat writer Eric Prisbell's Terrapins Insider blog.

The hub of The Post's Virginia Cavaliers coverage with beat writer Zach Berman.

Everything Hokies -- from Post beat writer Mark Viera.

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Zach Berman: Thanks for joining us again this week. It looks like Eric and Steve will be tied up with some Maryland basketball media obligations today, so I'll kick us off in Eric's place.

Navy is back in Texas playing SMU. Virginia Tech visits Georgia Tech. And Maryland hosts Virginia for the first local matchup of the season.

As always, send any and all questions our way -- and seeing that basketball is around the corner, we'll welcome those questions, too.

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Arlington, Va.: Mark,

What the heck happened to B.C.? Where was their pep? It's like their coach sucked it out of them with the 10-yard cushion and the poor-mouthing in the media. Spaziani told us over and over about all the obstacles and hurdles, but at some point, you have to express some confidence in your players if you want them to perform, right?

Mark Viera: What happened to Boston College? Good question. The Eagles looked lost all day against Virginia Tech, which played its most complete game of the season. Eagles quarterback Dave Shinskie looked every bit the freshman (even though he's 25 years old), and the Hokies really never gave him, or his teammates, a chance to get comfortable. Part of what you referenced, the 10-yard cushion, is a result of Boston College's umbrella-zone defense, which can be susceptible to underneath routes. It also didn't hurt that Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor and his receivers were sharp. As for Coach Frank Spaziani's comments about his players, I'm going to have to take a slight pass on that, because I didn't really get to hear all of those statements (I was at Virginia Tech's post-game news conference). That said, I don't think he'd be out of bounds to say, "Hey, my quarterback had a rough day. He's a old, sure, but he's making his first start on the road, in a hostile environment, against a swarming defense." That's all fair, in my eyes, if he said something to the gist of that. But like I said, I didn't get a chance to catch up with Spaz and Co. after the game because I was with Frank Beamer and his team.

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Bubbles in Arlington: All the doomsday scenarios that may or may not lead Virginia Tech to the BCS Title game are moot if they lose to Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Who's the pick and why? Georgia Tech's offense scares me a bit, but Clemson and Miami were able to contain them, so I don't see why Virginia Tech's wouldn't be able to limit their productivity. Georgia Tech's defense, on the other hand, has been dreadful, so I think Va. Tech will be able to move the ball.

I think the key will be Va. Tech's offense controlling the clock and keeping Ga. Tech's offense off the field. Ga. Tech's D has appeared to be gassed by halftime of the Clemson, Miami, and FSU games, and I think if Va. Tech can pound it they should be able to control the game in the second half.

Thoughts?

Mark Viera: Astute observations, Bubbles. You are, in fact, spot on. Georgia Tech's offense is a real bear, but teams have been able to slow it some as the game goes on (8.2 rushing yards in the first quarter, compared with 3.7 in the fourth). The tricky part is that first half, when the Yellow Jackets' overwhelm teams with their speed and big-play capability out of that unique system. Don't expect Virginia Tech to stop Georgia Tech's ground game. Simply put, it won't happen, and defensive coordinator Bud Foster has said as much. Virginia Tech simply needs to slow that offense, and it needs to guard against a ton big plays, a weakness. If the Hokies got into halftime with a lead, I'd take that as a very encouraging sign. And I don't see any reason that can't happen, particularly because Georgia Tech's defense is dreadful. In a word, dreadful. It has allowed three teams to gain 450 or more yards. Virginia Tech's offense has progressed nicely and shown enough potency to lead you to believe it will be able to move the ball well, on the ground or through the air. Having said all that, you asked for a prediction. This one is tough. A few weeks ago, I would have said Georgia Tech, easy. But the Hokies have looked really impressive lately. I'll give a slight nod to Virgina Tech, although I'm thinking it will be a close game.

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Kilgore jinx: Hey, you guys jinxed your boy Adam Kilgore with your shoutout last week as the team he covers, the Red Sox, immediately went into a post-chat hitting slumber and lost three straight. Who are you going to jinx this week, the Redskins? Oh, never mind ...

Zach Berman: So it was us and not Papelbon? And if the jinx extends to the Redskins, there's one college sports writer from Kansas City who might have a lot of hometown friends depressed about the Kansas City Chiefs' winless start...

Mark Viera: Man, Kilgore hasn't been around for over a year, but he still gets tons of love here every week. The man, the myth ...

Camille Powell: He's moving to the Patriots beat in two weeks, so let's see how they hold up ...

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Anonymous: For Camille Powell:

With every Navy fan basking finally in a complete game played well by both the offense and defense, let's not forget the woeful performance of the special teams kick coverage. With SMU boasting two of the top kickoff returners (I hope he gets a lot of chances) and punt returners (I hope he gets no chances), has Coach Niumatalolo said anything about shoring up this part of Navy's play?

Camille Powell: Coach Niumat actually mentioned this the other day when he was going over the Rice game -- he pointed to the kickoff coverage as being one of the few negatives. I imagine it was a point of emphasis this week, as it was in the days leading up to Louisiana Tech -- the Mids did a decent job of containing Phillip Livas after that disastrous first punt. Navy hasn't gotten much out of its own return game this year, either on kickoffs or punts.

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Fusheezi, Md.: Maryland +4 at home vs. Va. is a joke. So, if you beat one overrated team on the road (Va. vs. N.C.) everyone forgets you lost to a William & Mary? Come on! Enough already! Sure, U-Md. has had a tough year, but at least the Terps won against their CAA opponent. Now they are underdogs at home?

Money in the bank.

Zach Berman: I would say Virginia is a different team now than it was in that season opener vs. William & Mary, but being road favorites might be a leap. Remember, Maryland beat Clemson in Byrd Stadium.

I was surpised to see that line, although I'll defer to you when it comes to gambling discussions. Write back next week if you're correct.

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Tysons Corner, Va.: The WaHoos seem to have steadied the ship a little bit (even in a bad year, a win over U-N.C. usually has a calming effect on the alumni and boosters). But with the weather expected to be bad on Saturday, the WaHoo running game might be stymied, and the offense they've discovered of late might evaporate. Thoughts?

Zach Berman: This is a great point Tysons Corner. I've been tracking the weather report, especially with Mikell Simpson's injury.

Here is the name to remember for the Cavs -- Rashawn Jackson. The senior fullback is a capable rusher, Virginia has a big line and a sloppy field might work in his favor. If Simpson does not play, expect a steady dose of Jackson -- perhaps even more than backup running back Torrey Mack.

That said, I don't know if the weather will be the reason why Virginia loses the game. In fact, I think it will help the Cavs, who have the better defense. Maryland is better suited to win a shootout with the speed they have at WR and Turner slinging the ball. If it's a low-scoring, ugly game, chances are Virginia will have the advantage.

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S. Rockville, Md.: Zach, is there any way U-Va. can schedule all its games in October?

Zach Berman: Al Groh might wish. This has become an annual turnaround. He called it "Octoberfest" -- perhaps an homage to his younger days as a fraternity brother -- but what happens in September and November can not please U-Va. fans.

That said, the schedule has much to do with it. Virginia hit Miami, Clemson and Va. Tech at the wrong times last season. Those same teams make up the November slate this season. If Virginia finishes with a winning record, it will have to be because its a good football team. I can't imagine the Cavs will be favored in any of those November games this season, save for the possibility of the home date with BC.

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Arlington, Va.: Is Saturday's Maryland - U-Va. game basically a 'Losing Coach Gets Canned' game? Could add some WWE style drama to what promises to be an awful football game ...

Zach Berman: I wouldn't go that far, although the losing team will have a (more) disgruntled fan base by the end of the game.

Maryland still has hope in the Atlantic Division, but another conference loss this early will hurt those causes.

If Virginia wins and evens its record with a convincing performance, then it's fair to say the team has started to turned the corner. If not, the record-low crowd from last week will become even lower in next week's game against Georgia Tech.

I think the drama is already established, although the product on the family will likely be better in Atlanta this weekend than in College Park...

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Old Blue in Exile: Any encouraging words for a disheartened Golden Bears fan (besides We Want The Axe)?

Zach Berman: I assume you're speaking about Cal. How about that you hurt Maryland's season? Aaron Rodgers has admirably endured a bad offensive line? Marshawn Lynch is back from suspension? Mike Montgomery is a very good basketball coach? A Cal degree is valuable?

I'm fishing here...

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Leesburg, Va.: Mark,

Is Ga. Tech's defense any good? They gave up 40-something points to FSU last week. I hate doing the transitive thing, but B.C. only gave up 21 against FSU ... and that B.C. defense didn't impress me much last week.

With all the press of "How is the Va. Tech defense going to contain the vaunted Triple-Option Ga. Tech offense," could the real difference in this game be the emerging VT Offense (Two good passing efforts in a row, after you specifically called them out on that) against a suspect Ga. Tech defense?

Mark Viera: Georgia Tech's defense is not good. It has a few star players to keep an eye on, like relentless end Derrick Morgan and cornerback Morgan Burnett, a second-team all-ACC pick last year. But with the Hokies' offense emerging in recent weeks, I'd imagine Virginia Tech will be able to pick up yards and score against the Yellow Jackets. I think it will be tough for Georgia Tech to account for the emerging dual threats of Virginia Tech's passing and running offense. While I don't think you should discount just how important it will be to defend Georgia Tech's spread option -- the Yellow Jackets are going to pound the Hokies, who have acknowledged as much and who hope to slow it down -- you are right Virginia Tech's offense might hold a key. I think Georgia Tech will have a difficult time stopping the Hokies. Scoring points will be important, sure, but Virginia Tech's best defense against the Yellow Jackets might actually be a ball-control, clock-chewing offense.

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Bethesda, Md.: Here's how I saw last week's U-Va. game: Sewell looks to be in a groove ... and might even be a better distance passer in 2009 than in 2007. Simpson is as good a runner as he was in 2007. The receivers are a bit better than 2007. The offensive line looked better then previous weeks, but not sure how much of that can be attributed to Indiana's weakness.

Defense is much better than in 2007, save for the line.

And unlike home games one and two, there was no booing of U-Va., nor any Groh-must-go chants ... in the well-heeled alumni section ... go figure.

So should I expect 4 or 5 more wins this season, or did the team overachieve against two overrated/weak teams the last few weeks?

Who do you like in College Park Saturday?

Zach Berman: Great insight, Bethesda.

You're correct that the WRs are better. The defense is very good, too, although it lacks Chris Long and Clint Sintim. The talent this year is in the defensive secondary. Hard to overstate how well Ras-I Dowling played. Virginia needs one of its linebackers to emerge as one of the ACC's top players. Look for Cam Johnson to get better as the season goes on.

I think U-Va. will win again this season, and although some people might think 4-5 more wins (6-7 on the season) is in store, it's too soon to say that. If Virginia puts together its third impressive outing, then it's fair to say this team is a legitimate bowl contender.

As for your final question, sorry to elude it, but I'll stay away from picking Saturday's game. I spend so much time hearing Virginia's side and don't get to watch Maryland enough to develop a good feel. It's an important game for both sides, and a good argument could be made for both teams.

I'll give you this much...

If Maryland's offense line plays better, the Terrapins will win. If Virginia can get to Turner, the Cavaliers will win. I think that's where this game will be won. Virginia's defense has looked outstanding, and the Terrapins must be able to protect Turner.

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Blacksburg, Va.: Not specifically a college question but related to Va. Tech. DeAngelo Hall was an incredible punt returner at Va. Tech. He had quite a few touchdowns in that role. Any idea why the Redskins don't ever use him to return punts? Randle El is horrible.

Mark Viera: None of us cover the Redskins, so unfortunately we don't have any great insight. But I'm sure if you passed along your idea to the folks in Ashburn, they'd take you up on it. After all, they just hired a 67-year-old former bingo caller to help oversee the operation. Talk about a vote of confidence for your head coach . . .

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Hokie Nation: Basketball question: Va. Tech opened their new practice facility this week. As palatial as promised? Will it help get big recruits in Blacksburg?

Mark Viera: I went on a tour of it this summer. It is absolutely gorgeous. Really, a first-class facility. It definitely won't hurt recruiting. That said, the most important thing for many prospects is whether they can win. If the Hokies have success, I'm sure the new digs will be an added draw.

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Rockville, Md.: How do you think the polls would be different if the first one didn't take place until after this past weekend's game? Do you think Florida would still be No. 1, or would it be Alabama? Would Cincinnati be even higher? Would Va. Tech be lower? Why do preseason and early season polls even exist?

Mark Viera: Ah, intriguing question. This is purely speculation -- who knows, really? -- but I'll go ahead and give it my best guesses. I'd guess that Florida would still be No. 1 and Alabama would be No. 2. I say that because Florida is the defending national champion, has taken care of business so far, and there's still a national love affair with Tim Tebow, who was the biggest story of the year entering this season. While I'd guess that Alabama would be at No. 2, I'd venture to say it would have more first-place votes than it does now. The Crimson Tide has flattened everyone, although not often in a flashy manner. I'd also bet that Cincinnati would be higher, as you suggested, perhaps around No. 5. Fact is, the Bearcats are undefeated and have been impressive so far. Their quarterback, Tony Pike, is a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender through the first half of the season. While Virginia Tech has perked recently, if the poll came out after last weekend's games, I'd bet it would only barely be in the top 10. Perhaps No. 9. Through the first few games of the year, the Hokies scraped their way through the schedule. They played poorly against Alabama (agreed, it's a good team) and looked terrible against Nebraska. That said, you've got to hand it to the Hokies for harassing Miami and quarterback Jacory Harris, and for that emphatic win over Boston College last Saturday, when Virginia Tech looked like the No. 4 team in the country.

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New York, N.Y.: Is Simpson playing this weekend at tailback for the Cavs? If not, how much of a drop off is there after him. For those outside of Charlottesville, it's almost as hard to see a Cavs game as it is a Terps game.

Zach Berman: Thanks for the question, New York.

No word on Simpson. Please check Cavaliers Journal tonight when the injury report is released and through the weekend for any updates.

After Simpson, there's a dropoff from the way Simpson played the last two weeks, but an "or" has been between Torrey Mack and Simpson for first-team reps all season. Those inside the program rave about Mack, a redshirt freshman with good hands, good moves and the ability to make plays. Rashawn Jackson is a powerful runner who will receive much of the work if Simpson cannot play.

As for the game, it's on ESPNU. If you don't have ESPNU, please follow twitter.com/cavsjournal. I update it through the game (too the point of overtweeting), so you'll have all your updates on your computer screen or phone.

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Simpson's first down conversion: U-Md. has a sub top-100 ranked defense, and is facing a Virginia team coming off two 30+ point performances in the past three games. What are the reasons to think the Terps will be able to shut down the Virginia offense this weekend?

Zach Berman: One reader brought up the weather earlier, and it does have the chance to be a sloppy game.

But Maryland's hopes of stopping Virginia's offense should cling to optimism that the Cavaliers are not as good as the two games you mentioned. They scored 16 in the win over UNC and struggled to reach the end zone, so let's not make this offense seem like the New Orleans Saints.

I don't know if Maryland's defense is good enough to "shut down" Virginia's offense. The hope should be that Maryland's offense can outscore Virginia.

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Brooklyn, N.Y.: Suppose Florida and Alabama remain undefeated until the SEC championship game. Given the caliber of both of these teams (yes, I know Tebow played very cautiously last Saturday)can they both be in National Championship game?

Because, really, how can anyone say the No. 2 team should go down in the polls because they lost to the No. 1 team?

Mark Viera: I think that Florida and Alabama have clearly established themselves as the class of college football, but you're discounting the other unbeaten teams around the country, like Texas, Cincinnati and Iowa. If one of those schools goes undefeated, it would be a conference champion, strengthening its claim to a spot in that title game.

Even if one of those teams falters, it is unlikely that there would be a rematch of Florida and Alabama in the national title game. I spoke with Jerry Palm, an independent BCS analyst, this week to discuss all this sort of stuff. It is doubtful that the voters and computers would rank the two teams high enough for a rematch. The loser would accumulate the tally in the L column too late in the season, and would have weakened credentials because it would not be a conference champion. Not only that, but it's a tough sell for a lot of voters. Think back to 2006, when this sort of scenario came up between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan. The Buckeyes beat the Wolverines in the final game of the regular season. Michigan slipped in the polls. Florida ended up playing in, and then winning, the national championship over Ohio State. So there is some history here. Don't bank on a Florida-Alabama title game.

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Falls Church, Va.: It's October, so U-Va. is winning. Can Al Groh somehow keep his job if he stays competitive in the ACC? And how many games can he realistically win?

Zach Berman: If he stays competitive, I do believe Groh can keep his job. He'll need to get up into that 7-8 win territory, which will mean 6-7 wins in the ACC. That might be good enough to reach the ACC title game, or at least a big(ger bowl) than usual.

Realistically, it's hard to say. Virginia is a better team today than three weeks ago. An injury here or there, the Cavaliers could be a worse team three weeks from now than they are today.

They must stay healthy and continue improving. But if the defense looks as it has and the offense doesn't turn the ball over, 6-8 wins is not out of the question.

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Cary, N.C.: I am so happy that Al Groh is saving his job another year. This helps the Hokies with their domination of in-state recruiting. Go Cavs!

Zach Berman: Don't speak too soon. Groh has not saved his job yet, although give credit where it's due -- he made in-season adjustments that were gutsy, but paid dividends.

You're right about the in-state recruiting domination. I spend more time covering the team than recruiting, but it looks like Va. Tech will win the state recruiting battle again next season. And judging by what happens on the field, there seems to be a correlation between the team that wins the state recruiting battles and the team that wins the games.

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Anonymous: I don't think it's "Fusheezi" that Md. is going to win on Saturday. Doesn't U-Va.'s obliteration of the Hoosiers this past week count for anything? Plus, they're playing a Maryland team that has lost 3 of 4 and is a total mess on defense.

Zach Berman: That's why this is such a good game to watch. Arguments can be made on both sides. It should be a fun few hours on Saturday...

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Washington, D.C.: Why is Fridge even toying with the idea of playing Hartfield on Saturday? The guy has a broken hand and needs to have surgery sooner rather than later. Is this move Fridge's way of saying that U-Va. is one of the few winnable games left on the schedule, and if we're not at full strength we're gonna lose this one too?

Zach Berman: Obviously the Maryland guys can answer this better than I can, but I attended Ralph's news conference on Tuesday and Steve Yanda asked Ralph why Hartsfield could play. They just need to check on what the best course of action is, but if they can delay the surgery a week without risking further injury, it sounded like that's something they could do.

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Highlands Ranch, Colo.: How many teams have to lose for the Hokies to end up in the national championship game -- assuming, of course, that the Hokies win out?

Mark Viera: A lot of teams need to lose. I spoke with Jerry Palm, a BCS guru, who helped give me a better understanding.

First of all, we'd have to assume that Florida and Alabama finish the regular season undefeated and meet in the SEC championship. So take the winner of that, and put it in the national title game. It is unlikely there would be an SEC rematch in the national championship game.

Okay. Then there are a handful of undefeated teams that would have legitimate claims to a spot in the national title game, including Texas, Cincinnati and Iowa. The Hokies would need all of those teams to lose. There is also, perhaps, an outside chance that a school from a non-automatic qualifying conference, such as Boise State or Texas Christian, could sneak into the game with an undefeated record.

Okay, so we're presuming all those schools lose, right? Now there are a handful of one-loss teams that could leapfrog Virginia Tech. Those schools could be a Southern California or an Ohio State. While Hokies fans could complain that would be unfair, unfortunately that's the name of this crazy game.

Bottom line: It's not outside the realm of possibility, but a lot of chips would have to fall the right way for the Hokies. But perhaps that most important thing to consider, before you get ahead of yourself, is that Virginia Tech has to win out. And it has a test Saturday in Atlanta. Let's see how that goes before we really start talking about national championship stuff.

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S. Rockville, MD: Zach,

Can U-Va. fans expect to see any improvement in special teams, particularly the return game? And what was with that botched extra point play last week?

Zach Berman: Thanks as always for the question, S. Rockville. The returners are the returners -- you won't see any dramatic improvements from them. Virginia needs better kickoffs. I asked Groh about them this morning, he said it's like the driving range -- you don't know how they'll do until they actually do it for real. This much is certain: For all the talk about improved special teams this season, I haven't seen it.

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Arlington, Va.: I agree with Brooklyn, N.Y. Shouldn't LSU and Alabama be guaranteed a rematch if both are undefeated before they play each other in the conference championship? There's no way anyone can doubt that the SEC is far and above the best conference out there. No one else should be given a chance to prove otherwise. That seems fair.

Mark Viera: Honestly, it really doesn't matter what's fair or who the best team is. What matters is what the computers say. Do I like it? Frankly, I'd rather see a playoff. But that's just the way things are in college football. So we're all just going to have to live with it, until at least January 2015, when the current television contract expires.

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Mark Viera: I've got to split because I've got a ton of work to do before I head down to Atlanta on Friday afternoon. Thanks for all the great questions. Enjoy the games this weekend. Look forward to chatting again next Thursday. Take care.

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Bethesda, Md.: I've noticed Coach Belichick isn't afraid to state "we were outcoached" when the Patriots lose. I also saw Jim Grobe say something to that effect a couple of weeks ago. Don't coaches have a responsibility to the players to "have their backs" when talking with the media? Rather than just telling reporters that "kids have to make plays"?

Zach Berman: I can see your point about protecting the players have having "their backs", but I think we put too much into the coaches to begin with. Players win games, players lose games.

Obviously, the coach has much to do with the gameplan, the personnel the attitude, but it was not Al Groh who threw seven interceptions in the opener and it was not Al Groh who scored four touchdowns against Indiana.

So it's a combination of both. Responsibility goes all around. Players need to make plays, coaches need to put them in the right positions.

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Deskland: Who has the best chance of beating Florida? What are the chances that anyone beats them?

Love these chats!

Zach Berman: Thanks for the the nice words. We love doing these chats.

It's hard to see a loss between now and the SEC title game, at least. A visit to South Carolina against Spurrier won't be easy against the Gamecocks defense, although they might not able to score against the Gators.

Florida State won't win the Swamp, unless there is emotion riding on protecting Bowden's job and they somehow pull the upset. Georgia can't stop anyone on defense. Miss. State is not ready yet. Am I missing a game? Just checked the schedule, and it's Vandy and FIU. Win and win.

So that brings us to the SEC title game. Here's something to kick around...

Florida, Bama, Va. Tech all run the table for the rest of the season. Texas and Iowa lose. Will the nat'l title game be a repeat of the SEC title game, or does Va. Tech get in over the loser of the SEC title game? And say it's 'Bama that loses to Florida again. Can one justify putting Va. Tech in over 'Bama when the Tide beat the Hokies?

Here's an idea: Let's have a playoff system. These possibilites are fun to discuss, but it be far better to watch play out on the field.

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