Magnolia Tribune
This article was produced by Magnolia Tribune staff.
Trap games could ruin season for these contenders
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/8202692/Trap-games-could-ruin-season-for-these-contenders
Trap games. They happen when a good team finds itself in way more of a competitive game than should be expected against a lesser opponent. They come before, after, or between big games, when a superior team thinks it could rest easy. During them, the most common refrain for these teams' fans is, "This can't be happening..."
Everyone hates them, because you usually can't see them coming until you're in them. After going through the schedules of the six BCS conferences, I now give you a potential trap game for each league. If you see your team here, beware.
ACC
The victim: Virginia Tech.
The game: Virginia Tech at UNC, September 20.
The setup: vs. Georgia Tech the week before, at Nebraska the week after.
Why It Will Be a Trap Game: While no one expects Georgia Tech to compete for the ACC title this year, Virginia Tech will need all the time it can get to prepare for Paul Johnson's unconventional offense. The Hokies also will probably be looking forward to making a statement against Nebraska, since when they went on the road to a BCS school last year, they were sent home from Baton Rouge with a 48-7 loss. They will want to show they can win big road games out of conference, even if these Huskers aren't as good as last year's champs were.
In the middle of those contests sits UNC, in year two of the Butch Davis era. The Tar Heels were a mostly harmless 4-8 in 2007, and their recruiting and player development have not progressed far enough in to turn them into a conference title contender just yet. Still, UNC lost by just seven in Blacksburg last year, and could very well pull the upset if the Hokies are distracted.
Why It May Not Matter: Virginia Tech has Furman the week before playing Georgia Tech, so the Jackets may not be much of a factor. Plus, UNC has received a lot of preseason love already, so it might be difficult for the Heels to truly sneak up on the Hokies.
FoxSports.net
6/3/08