by Bill Turner
The big news this week came out of the ACC where Pittsburgh and Syracuse joined the ranks. The bits and pieces came in little by little with the usual internet scuttle and enough speculation to fill the Orange Bowl. Thus, it’s time for Wild Bill’s Reading Between the Lines. What’s been said, and what it really means.
1) On the expansion per John Swofford-”I don’t think it was a matter of survival:” Hmm, John. Maybe not survival; but if two or three of your schools had bolted–your ACC would have been in a coma.
2) On the league being centered around academics and basketball, and having no interest in football schools – per Wake Forest AD Ron Wellman:
Bet VT fans loved this one. Ron, every college is centered around academics. In recent years there’s been plenty of talk that the ACC was mediocre in football, but it was a shocker for someone in the league to admit it.
3)Also, per AD Wellman: “No one (in the ACC) was ever leaving:” Oh, my goodness. Somebody check the phone records from about three ACC schools to the SEC. Wish Colombo was still with us, “Uh, Mr. Wellman…just one more question.”
Now to the saner ranks of high school football, where last week’s predictions went 5-2… just good enough to have me gaze into the crystal ball for week five:
Battlefield at Patrick Henry
PH enters the game at 4-0 with wins over four AA schools. Battlefield has won 11 of their last 12, with a state championship somewhere in that mix. This is the marquee game of the week: Battlefield-31 Patrick Henry-21
William Fleming at R.J. Reynolds,NC
The Colonels have yet to find any offensive consistancy. Although only 3-2, RJR is a lean, mean football machine: R.J. Reynolds-45 Wm. Fleming-7
Salem at Northside
No slouch of a game here. Salem’s loss last week came on a blocked field goal. Northside is 4-0 after a close call at Hidden Valley. Burt Torrence told me his Vikings are never caught off guard. I believe him: Northside- 28 Salem-20
Lord Botetourt at Blacksburg
After last week’s loss, Botetourt’s Tater Benson was upset his team wasn’t finishing games. Blacksburg salvaged three points in the last second of their loss at PH. That’s enough information: Lord Botetourt – 24 Blacksburg-10
Alleghany at Cave Spring
It’s homecoming for the Knights. Sam Wright may well make himself at home against the Mountaineer defense. With Wright’s 12 TD runs through four games, the bulbkeeper at Edmunds-Hammes Field will need to be on his toes: Cave Spring- 41 Alleghany- 20
Glenvar at Covington
Glenvar had a week off to prepare. Covington used a fourth quarter comeback to win at EastMont. The Highlanders will offer no such opportunity:
Glenvar- 27 Covington- 14
Blue Ridge at North Cross
The Raiders are starting to take form. Blue Ridge offers a reprieve from a heretofore murderers row schedule for North Cross. Will Evan Anderson need a private statistician? North Cross- 34 Blue Ridge- 12
Parry McClure at Roanoke Catholic
Which Celtic team will show up–the one that lost by 42 in a shutout or won by 19 in a shutout? Since PM gave up 49 points in the first half last week, I think the latter. Roanoke Catholic- 31 Parry McClure- 13
On to the mailbag where a reader has requested, like the weather, a long-range forecast.
Dear O Great Swami: Can you look into your crystal ball and see if Virginia Tech will go undefeated in the regular season? (Glen/Address Unknown)
Answer: Sorry, Glen. My crystal ball is tuned to AM channels. Only good for one week out. (The publisher’s prediction, however, is that after a 4 game cake walk the Hokies will be ill-prepared for a vastly under-rated Clemson team: Tigers- 31 Tech-17.
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