An undefeated season is a Hokie possibility

Sporting News, The, Oct 6, 1997 by Tom Dienhart, Mike Huguenin

Gennaro DiNapoli won't talk about it. He has been trained to say all the right things and apologizes for offering cliched answers to questions about Virginia Tech going unbeaten. "Everyone just talks about the next game" is about as sexy as it gets when speaking with Gennaro, a star guard for the 4-0 Hokies.

Regardless, we know when the Hokies sneak a peek at the remainder of their schedule, they smile, knowing the impossible dream they aren't supposed to dream may come true: playing for the national championship in the Orange Bowl on January 2.

But in Blacksburg, mum's the word on perfection. "That's hard to say right now," DiNapoli says. "It looks pretty favorable. The game vs. Temple (a lackluster 23-13 victory September 20) was a little bit of a wake-up call for us. We have to play a lot better than that to give us that chance."

Especially when Virginia Tech, No. 14 in TSN's Top 25, travels to West Virginia on October 25, hosts Miami on November 8 and finishes at Pittsburgh and Virginia. Still, there is no reason to think the Hokies won't gobble up those foes like they did Arkansas State, 50-0, last Saturday.

Tech's road to perfection is the most uncluttered among the remaining unbeaten heavyweights. Florida? Looming are trips to LSU and Auburn, games against Georgia and Florida State and the SEC title game. Penn State? The Nittany Lions face Michigan State on the road, as well as host Ohio State and Michigan. Florida State? The 'Noles must travel to Florida and North Carolina. Nebraska? Things look good, even with a game at Colorado and the Big 12 championship game. North Carolina? The Tar Heels have a favorable road to riches, with a home game against Florida State and a trip to Clemson the toughest items on the menu.

Still, no one is set up like Virginia Tech which gives us the shivers. This isn't a knock on the Hokies or Frank Beamer, who became the school's career victory leader with the rout of Arkansas State. We have great respect for what has gone on in the hills of western Virginia. It's more incredible when you remember that before the 1993 season, Beamer was forced to hire four new assistants after the Hokies had blown fourth-quarter leads in five games (0-4-1) en route to going 2-8-1 in 1992. At that point, Beamer's mark at Tech was 22-32-1 in six seasons and the flame was being held to his fanny. Since then, the Hokies have played in bowls the past four seasons.

But are the Hokies--who also have beaten Rutgers and Syracuse this season--ready to hang with the muscle men at Florida, Nebraska, Penn State, Florida State and North Carolina? We say no.

We've seen this type of run before. In 1988, No.3 West Virginia was puffy-cheated and 11-0 entering a national-title showdown with No. 1 Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. The Mountaineers lost, 34-21. And what about West Virginia's 1993 Big East champs, who were 11-0 and ranked No. 2 by the coaches and No. 3 by the media but got clubbed, 41-7, by No. 8 Florida in the Sugar Bowl?

It appears we're being tantalized by another team from the Big East, a league that seemingly suffers an embarrassing loss each weekend (Cincinnati won, 24-6, at Boston College last Saturday) and is watching its hotshot program, Miami, crumble. But DiNapoli doesn't think the conference's image will work against it when it comes to the polls and Alliance bids.

"Maybe the conference is down a little bit, but last year I think we had four teams go to bowls," he says. "Football is cyclical. This year, maybe the conference isn't going to do as well as we'd have liked, especially out of conference. But it's still early and these things happen. The Alliance Bowl people recognize Virginia Tech because we've been there the past two years. So I don't think that matters."

We shall see.

Eye on Hawkeyes-Buckeyes

Iowa has piled up impressive offensive numbers--the Hawkeyes lead the nation in total offense at 567.8 yards per game--in opening the season 10.

Well, throw all those numbers out, as Iowa's season really starts Saturday at Ohio State. Iowa has beaten Division I-AA Northern Iowa (2-2) and Tulsa, Iowa State and Illinois, which have combined for an 0-11 record. In addition, Illinois' defense--ranked 91st in the nation among the 112 Division I-A teams--is the best Iowa has gone against.

But that doesn't mean Iowa can't win Saturday. Tavian Banks is an exciting running back, Matt Sherman can be an effective quarterback and the defensive line is one of the best in the Big Ten. And Ohio State isn't nearly as good as it was last season. Still, all this blather about Iowa being a top-five team and Banks being a leading Heisman contender needs to cease.

Now, if the Hawkeyes win Saturday, they will be in great position; a trip to Michigan on October 18 would be the only game the Hawkeyes wouldn't be favored in the rest of the way as they don't meet Penn State or Michigan State.

Flying high

Hey we never said WAC football wasn't exciting; it's just that the talent isn't that good. Regardless, you have to stand and salute Air Force.