‘Hoos, Hokies get glimpse at ’08 schedules

Best Seat in the House column by Chris Graham
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Look at the schedules. Just look at ’em.
Virginia Tech could be favored in all 12 of its regular-season games in 2008. Virginia, meanwhile, could be an underdog in six of its dozen.
The ACC released football schedules for the ’08 season today – and the marquee nonconference matchup of the season happens to come on the first weekend and involves UVa. when the ‘Hoos host Southern Cal on Aug. 30 in a game that will assuredly see Virginia as a heavy ‘dog against the national power Trojans.

Virginia Tech opens that same day in Charlotte against East Carolina, which gave the Hokies all they could handle in a 17-7 opening-day loss in Blacksburg in 2007.

ECU also plays at Virginia, which it knocked off by a 31-21 count in Greenville in 2006, on Oct. 11.

And actually, to be fair to Virginia, the Cavs do have a shot at being favored in 10 of their 12 – with the tough outs against SC and Virginia Tech bookending a slate that includes games against I-AA Richmond, Duke, back-to-back-to-back home games in October against Maryland, ECU and UNC, and home games in November against Miami and Clemson.

Virginia Tech, for its part, has its four biggest tests of the season on the road – at Nebraska on Sept. 27, at Boston College on Oct. 18, at Florida State on Oct. 25, and at Miami on Nov. 13.

Virginia
Aug. 30 Southern California
Sept. 6 Richmond
Sept. 13 at Connecticut
Sept. 27 at Duke
Oct. 4 Maryland
Oct. 11 East Carolina
Oct. 18 North Carolina
Oct. 25 at Georgia Tech
Nov. 1 Miami
Nov. 8 at Wake Forest
Nov. 22 Clemson
Nov. 29 at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech
Aug. 30 East Carolina (Charlotte)
Sept. 6 Furman
Sept. 13 Georgia Tech
Sept. 20 at North Carolina
Sept. 27 at Nebraska
Oct. 4 Western Kentucky
Oct. 18 at Boston College
Oct. 25 at Florida State
Nov. 6 Maryland (Thu.)
Nov. 13 at Miami (Thu.)
Nov. 22 Duke
Nov. 29 Virginia

  

Chris Graham is the executive editor of The SportsDominion.