Virginia Tech Hokies versus Stanford Cardinals 2011 Orange Bowl Odds, Preview, and Predictions: Head football coach Frank Beamer with lead the Virginia Tech Hokies to Sun Life Stadium on Monday night at 8:30 PM ET to take on the Stanford Cardinals in the 2011 DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL. The Hokies enter the game 11-2 winning 11 consecutive games to finish 1st in the Atlantic Coast Conference while the Cardinals come in on a 7 game winning streak at 11-1 2nd in the Pacific 10 Conference. Unfortunately for these two teams most of the talk has been about the post-game status of head football coach Jim Harbaugh will be next season. He has been mentioned to be a favorite for the Michigan Wolverines head job as well as the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.
Coach Harbaugh took over a team that in 2007 finished 1-11 and increased their win total every season making the former Michigan and Chicago Bears star a hot commodity. “I’m pretty much a historian of football, dating back 100 years,” he said. “This is one of the best turnarounds I’ve witnessed in 50 years.” “That’s why this program has progressed, because guys have bought into what he’s saying and what he was preaching,” defensive lineman Sione Fua said of Harbaugh. “And now we’re here four years later going to a BCS game.” Vegas odds makers have the Stanford Cardinals a -3 1/2 point favorite at Sun Life Stadium against the Virginia Tech Hokies.
The Cardinals are coming off a 38-0 pounding of the Oregon State Beavers to finish the season 7-3-1 ATS. Quarterback Andrew Luck completed 21 of 30 passes for 305 yards and 4 touchdowns. Luck finished 2nd in the Heisman Trophy voting and is highly touted to be the first quarterback picked in next year’s NFL Draft if not the No. 1 player overall. Luck was also the Pac-10’s offensive player of the year. “With Andrew, you notice all of it because it’s just amazing,” said Doug Baldwin, who leads Stanford’s receivers with 824 yards and nine TDs. “… You look on highlight film of the NFL and you don’t see the things Andrew does at the college level.” Stanford is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
Virginia Tech is coming off a 44-33 victory over Florida State in the ACC Championship game finishing an impressive 10-2 ATS for the Season. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed 18 of 28 passes for 263 yards and 3 touchdowns while rushing 11 times for 24 yards. The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Virginia Tech’s last 6 games. Odds makers at Bodog have the over/under for the total score at 59 points combined of the Virginia Tech Hokies and Stanford Cardinals.
Note: Rich Fritz is a Blog Writer on NSAwins.com and not a pro handicapper. For expert NFL Football Predictions against the Vegas spreads please visit the NSAwins.com homepage for top predictions today from the National Sports Advisors.