Well, we didn't finish this picks column on the highest of highs (2-3 two weeks ago), but at least it wasn't so bad it prompted people to call in wailing, "I had a life!" What a fun fall to pick games.
I'm not sure what's more exciting; the fact that we're only 2.5-point underdogs to Miami Saturday or that the gametime is noon, leaving us all ample time to get home and catch the Ohio State-Michigan game. Considering all that has happened in Miami this year, the small line is not entirely unexpected.
Nobody throws a party quite like the Virginia Athletic Department. I guess when you spend $130 million finding a place to hold it, you might as well get your money's worth. Virginia pulled out all the stops yesterday, celebrating the new John Paul Jones Arena and those who helped make it possible over the past few decades with two wins -- one dominating the other dramatically. On a larger scale, yesterday was not so much about the wins as much as it was about enjoying the moment. Some samples: Possibly the ultimate combination of Virginia Athletics spirit and appreciation came when CavMan repelled down from the rafters and handed the "Last Ball from U-Hall" to John Paul Jones himself. Michael Buffer attending an event at the arena not having to do with professional wrestling and barking, "Ladies and gentlemen, the John Paul Jones Arena is ready; are you ready?" Athletic Director Craig Littlepage recognizing an emotional Debbie Ryan for her dedication to the program and announcing that the women's basketball locker room will be named after her. These are the kind of moments that aren't likely to happen again until most of us are nearing our 50-year reunions. But those events are memories, things that made last night special -- they don't define the experience of the John Paul Jones Arena. The kind of stuff that makes it real is the goosebumps you get when the team storms through the smoke and onto the court. Or when the near-capacity crowd erupts into a few hundred decibels of madness when Mamadi Diane's three gives feisty Virginia its first lead since the opening minutes. Dave Leitao's foot stomps echoing through the acoustically magical arena when the crowd was silent. And on a more tangible level, the incredible audiovisual capabilities of the arena. It hit me midway through the second half of the men's game: We weren't just attending a single game at the Arena -- this is our permanent basketball home.
With college basketball kicking off tonight, a full column on football just did not seem appropriate.
Much like the Rutgers BCS bandwagon, this picks column continues to roll on; another 4-1 set last weekend upped my record to 67 percent winners. And let's talk about Rutgers.
As a member of the Virginia Dance Team, Liz Southall spends her time supporting the Cavaliers. Now is the chance for each Virginia fan to give back and support her.
The last time the Virginia football team played on national television Sept. 21, their offense was dominated by Georgia Tech.
What are you going to do at 10:30 tonight? The answer, unfortunately, is no longer watching a new episode of Two-a-Days.
Well, that's what happens when you make Saturday's picks Tuesday. A trying 1-4 week last week brought the season record back to earth.
From Charlottesville to Tokyo to Hollywood, all your big money stays and plays with me! Perfect again last week, but I'm not interested in gloating; gambling gods are a fickle bunch. Meanwhile, Virginia gets an absolute slap in the face from Vegas, coming in at a 6.5-point underdog to East Carolina Saturday. Sure we still have a lot of questions, and we're historically a lousy road team, but 6.5 points?
