2010 ACC Football Championship: Florida State @ Virginia Tech

Florida State and Virginia Tech represented two completely different programs in the ACC Championship Game last Saturday. Virginia Tech has been the powerhouse of the ACC in the last few years, representing the conference in the BCS rankings (sometimes alone). Florida State has been the struggling former powerhouse, holding onto a legendary coach and a plummeting program. As the Noles regained footing this season and the Hokies stood strong, they met in the conference's championship game. The winner would take the conference title and represent the ACC in the BCS Orange Bowl. The loser would be sent to Atlanta to face an SEC team in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

FSU and VT faced off in the sub-freezing temperatures of Charlotte, North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game this past weekend and although the final score showed a Virginia Tech win of 44-33, the game was anything but close.

The game's events began early Saturday morning as Tallahassee media outlets reported that Florida State senior quarterback Christian Ponder would not start against the Hokies. Ponder has suffered from a burst bursa sac in his throwing elbow for several weeks, and reports explained that Ponder's arm had been filling with blood rather than fluid. Rather than risking Ponder's overall health, Fisher slated redshirt sophomore E.J. Manuel as the starter. Manuel had started one game this season (a win over Clemson) while recording a 2-1 record as a starter last season (including a Gator Bowl win and Gator Bowl MVP honors).

Because of the game's proximity to Blacksburg, Virginia, most of Bank of America Stadium was filled with Hokie fans, and the overwhelming disparity in fans could be felt before the game even began. To add to the intensity of the game, the outside temperature dropped below 32 degrees and the drizzling rain soon turned to sleet.

The Hokies won the toss and elected to kick-off to FSU who immediately fumbled the ball on a botched kick-off when the VT kicker slipped on the wet field. Just as happened on his first throw against Clemson, Manuel aimed down the field and connected with an FSU receiver for a gain of 29 yards. The Noles ended their first possession with a field goal, striking first in the game.

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Seeking to answer, VT received FSU's kick-off, yet seven plays later was forced to punt. For the first time since mid-October, an FSU opponent didn't score on their first possession of the game. The Seminoles felt fairly confident in their ability to pull ahead by two scores until Manuel's first pass of the Noles' second possession was intercepted by Virginia Tech and returned 24 yards for a touchdown. Manuel can't be blamed entirely as receiver Willie Haulstead ran the wrong receiver route, allowing Tech to pick up their 21st interception of the year.

After receiving the ball again, the Noles were forced three-and-out, allowing the Hokies to score another touchdown and extend their lead to 14-3. The pace had been set and the Noles simply couldn't keep up. FSU closed the gap to within 4 points at halftime (21-17) after a timely defensive stop late in the second quarter, but would never pull closer as VT's offense was too much for the young defense to handle.

Although the Seminole defense completely broke down, the offense showed signs of improvement from earlier in the season. In just his second start this season, Manuel finished the day with impressive passing stats: 23-of-31, 288 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT. Florida State's usually productive running game struggled all night without leading rusher Jermaine Thomas (knee bruise) and recorded just 53 net rushing yards.

The ACC champion Virginia Tech Hokies couldn't be happier. After losing to Boise State University then James Madison University to begin their season 0-2, they haven't lost a game, finishing with a perfect conference record (the first ACC team to do so since the 1999 Seminoles). Senior quarterback Tyrod Taylor has received conference honors for his outstanding season performance: 2,521 yards, 23 touchdowns, and a 159.04 passing rating. Both his yard and touchdown totals are single-season personal bests.

For Florida State, the road back to prominence is clearly defined. To expect a conference title during coach Fisher's first season may have been expecting too much, but the Seminoles earned respect in the ACC Championship Game. They take away from this year a 9- (and possibly 10-) win season, an Atlantic Division title, a quality bowl berth, a projected top-3 recruiting class, and the experience needed to return to Charlotte next December for another shot at the ACC title.

Florida State Seminoles @ Virginia Tech Hokies - ACC Championship Recap