We're #9 in the AP poll and #7 in the USA Today poll. Do we care about those other 2 polls? Negative. It doesn't really matter anyway; they still average out to 8. EIGHT. I'm really liking #8. Can you tell?
Thursday night football is fun, regardless of the fact that you have to drag yourself into work on Friday. We'll see if the worldwide loser in sports decided to take my advice and borrow the clip of Wilson's pimp-ride from Comcast. Maybe they'll just talk about Wilson and his back flips again. And again. And again. Oh well, even ESPN can't get me down today.
We're up against an interesting UNC team. I'm not sure what to call them. They are so snooty that they have claimed the term "Carolina" for themselves, like there's no other college within the two states. Their official nickname is the "tar heels", which is thought to have come from the tar that is produced from all the pine trees in the state. Their mascot is Rameses, the ram. Yet, the live version of Rameses is actually a Horned Dorset Sheep. Note to evil Jim Weaver (our athletic director): please do not purchase a live turkey for us to parade around on game day. It would probably end up being some sort of chicken that other schools could mock. I don't know why schools insist on having a live mascot that isn't even the proper animal. We saw it with Herpy, and now we're seeing it with Rameses. Plus, the fluffy version of Rameses doesn't even have horns that match the poor sheep. See below.
Someone call PETA! He looks so sad and embarrassed. Do you know what Horned Dorset Sheep are known for? Prolific lambing. Yes, you heard me right. Prolific... lambing. Rameses up there doesn't look like he's in the mood for lambing right now. I don't think any other sheep would want to lamb with him, either. So, I believe their official Exit 118B nickname is obvious. To honor the official school colors of Carolina blue and white (did anyone start a petition for black yet?), they shall forever be known as the Baby Blue Lambs (BBLs). This is pretty funny. We need something like this for the Hokie bird.
FYI, you aren't too late to see Carolina Blue live in concert. Their last show of the season is this Saturday, 11/19 at the Feed & Seed in Fletcher, NC, at 7:30.
Although all that talk about horny sheep is funny, that isn't really what makes the BBLs interesting. In 2006, Butch Davis pretty much put their football program on the map. Yeah, yeah, I know this is a big basketball school, but their football program is nothing to sneeze at anymore. This isn't Duke. Yet, in July, the BBLs fired Davis. He was accused of ruining the school's reputation among allegations of NCAA violations. None of the violations were specifically linked to Davis, but hey, you gotta fire someone, right (e.g. Joe Pa)? So, serving as interim head coach is former defensive coordinator Everett Withers (yes, that's his real name). In his first season, the BBLs are 6-4, 2-4 in the ACC. Thanks to Davis, the team is decent. Very decent.
Let's pause here to just talk about the elephant in the room. BBL fans are annoying (SHOUT OUT to my brother-in-law!). They are the Miami fans of North Carolina. I understand that you have to pick Duke or UNC when you live in the state. I mean, I kinda understand that. I just don't understand how you can go to one school, but be so passionate for another. What about the school you actually attended? Don't get me wrong, you are allowed to marry into loving a school. You could simply have family members who go/have gone there. That's perfectly acceptable. But, when you have no other link to the school other than the fact that you live in the same state... it's just... annoying. You BBLs are just like Miami fans who jumped on the U bandwagon when the football team was in its prime (aka, full 'o felons). Sorry to rant on this. It's a pet peeve.
Back to business! The BBLs are coming off a bye week and have a good D. We are second in the ACC with our run D, and the BBLs are third. Their RB, r-freshman Giovani Bernard, is third in the ACC in yards per game. Sophomore QB Bryn Renner is 7th in the nation in pass efficiency. Which brings me to the weekly poo list.
BBLs from Virginia:
Nick Appel - Vienna
Russell Bodine - Scottsville
Curtis Campbell - Chesapeake
Travis Hughes - Virginia Beach
Bryn Renner - West Springfield
Tim Scott - Fredericksburg
London Turner - Harrisonburg
Not only is QB Bryn Renner from VA, but his father played football at Tech from 1979-1982. He was a punter, and went on to play in the NFL for the Packers.
In all fairness, we have 3 coaches with links to the BBLs. Billy Hite played as a BBL from 1970-1973. He also coached the RBs from 1974-1977. Jim Cavanaugh was the receivers coach from 1988-1995. And, our buddy up in the booth, Mike O'Cain, was the offensive coordinator for the BBLs in 2000.
WR Dwight Jones has 913 receiving yards and wants to become the second player in BBL history to reach 1000. Who is the other player, you ask? He may be on your fantasy bench: Hakeem Nicks (1,222 yards in 2008).
Look for Quinton Coples to pressure Second-half Giraffe all game. If our O-line is consistent and does as well as it did last week, we'll be fine.
The BBLs are coming off a 13-0 butt-kicking from NC State. Maybe NC State was mad at the whole "Carolina" thing. I don't know. But they had an extra week to either get mad, or let the shut-out ruin the rest of their season. What is important for us is that we need to come out strong (cue Second-half Giraffe) and score early. When I say early, I know Stiney might think I mean the third quarter. This would be incorrect. We need to score in the first quarter. In the BBL's 6 wins this season, they out-scored opponents 49-0 in the first quarter. If we can get some points on the board early, we should be fine. We also need to establish the running game against this good D. I'm sure Stiney has all sorts of ideas for this...which makes me want to cry a little.
This is Enter Sandman at its finest. Thursday night in Lane Stadium. Football weather. This is payback for the 2009 loss, 20-17, at home against the BBLs on another Thursday night. If that doesn't say, "Give 'em hell, Bud!" to you, I don't know what does.
The Giraffe is getting more confident every game. Let's see how wicked-good he can be tonight.
Love hand-painted baby blue horns,
The B.S.C.
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