Beamer: Playoff would solve potential BCS glitch

Posted 8:15PM on Tuesday 1st November 2005 ( 19 years ago )

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) Frank Beamer said he's still a big believer in the Bowl Championship Series system that picks the teams who will play for the national championship, but Virginia Tech's coach must see trouble on the horizon. A week after commenting on the BCS system and vowing not to discuss it again, Beamer found himself asked to clarify on Tuesday some comments he made in support of a four-team playoff as potentially the fairest way to ultimately choose the champion. ``I think the BCS is closer than ever to getting it right,'' Beamer, whose team trails Southern California and Texas in the polls and BCS rankings, said. ``I feel like if, somehow, we can win our football games against our competition that we've got, then I think the computers will put us up there and I think the voters will put us up there. ``I think the right thing would be done.'' But Beamer also has seen the other, disconcerting possibility firsthand. A year ago, the Hokies played unbeaten Auburn in the Sugar Bowl after the Tigers came up short in the BCS standings while Southern Cal and Oklahoma played for the national title. The year before that, Southern Cal was left out of the mix. Beamer knows his words come across as self-serving. ``It's a bad time for me to be talking about it right now because of where we are,'' he said, but with five unbeaten teams left in college football, as many as four could finish unbeaten, and a one-game championship to crown a champion makes sense. Beamer said the bowls still would be played, but with two games serving as national semifinals. The national championship game would be held two weeks later. ``It seems like it would solve the problem,'' he said. ``You don't get Southern Cal being left out or Auburn being left out or whoever may be left out this year.'' The Hokies, who play No. 5 Miami on Saturday night, also have games scheduled against state rival Virginia and North Carolina in the regular season. Win all those, and they'd also play a top team in the ACC championship in Jacksonville, Fla. If nothing else, Beamer said, a playoff should be discussed in the offseason. BOUNTY IN THE COUNTY: Virginia Tech is expected to have more than a dozen top recruits at the game Saturday night, some making official recruiting visits. With Lane Stadium sold out, ESPN's GameDay program broadcasting from Blacksburg for the second time this season and one of the marquee programs in college football providing the opposition, the Hokies hope to make a big impression. ``This weekend is big in a lot of ways,'' Beamer said. The Hurricanes, he said, don't seem to have to work as hard for talent. ``It amazes me how much talent they get into their program,'' Beamer said. ``They kind of select. They don't recruit. They select who's going to come.'' FAST MOVERS: Miami has built its program as much around speed as anything, and Virginia Tech and others have followed that model in making their own improvements. ``They run fast. Typical Miami,'' Beamer said after watching the No. 5 Hurricanes on film. ``You don't really forget from year to year, but when you put the projector on or the video in, you realize how talented this football team is.'' Defensive end Darryl Tapp said the Hurricanes' speed is everywhere. ``I think coach (Larry) Coker could go out there and run a 4.5 if he really wanted to,'' Tapp said of Miami's head coach. ``That's just the way their team is.'' IMOH A GO?: Hokies tailback Mike Imoh missed time earlier this season with an ankle sprain, and he's hobbling again after hurting the other ankle last week. Beamer said the team is hopeful the senior will be ready. ``This is one game I'll promise you you'd better be at full speed,'' he said. NUMBERS: Virginia Tech ranks first in the nation in scoring defense, allowing an average of only 9.1 points. Miami leads in passing defense, 121.3 ypg, and total defense, 221.6 ypg. ... The Hokies have won seven of the last 10 meetings, including a 16-10 triumph at Miami last season in a game that gave Virginia Tech the ACC championship. ... Miami has scored 56 touchdowns on returns since 1999, tops in the nation. Tech has 51. (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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