Moving date with Virginia Tech puts heat on Boise state

Weather report Now that the Virginia Tech-Boise State football game at FedEx Field has been moved back from early October to sticky Labor Day, I make the Hokies a slightly bigger favorite - by factoring in the impact of the dreaded East Coast humidity on the visitors from Idaho.

Set up If you count the date in Landover, Md., as a Tech home game - with most of the 90,000-plus in attendance screaming for the Hokies, it will be the next closest thing - Frank Beamer's team plays only four road games out of 12. That's a pretty sweet arrangement for a school with national title aspirations.

On their Heels I'm starting to think that, for all the high school All-Americans he stockpiles at North Carolina, Roy Williams can't get it together unless he's equipped with a future NBA lottery pick at point guard.

Good bet The season's safest pick - Virginia's Tony Bennett as ACC Coach of the Year. Only possible surprise? A less-than-unanimous vote.

Hoops du jour It's a down year in the ACC, but it's a down year in college basketball overall. The weaknesses of the big conferences will pave the way for more at-large tournament bids from mid-majors like the CAA.

Stampede We've seen enough basketball to understand that the men's CAA tournament in Richmond will have the look of a free-for-all, with ODU one of four or five teams capable of winning.

Skating rink  I've lived here too long to think the roads would be plowed after last weekend's big snow, but conditions were so slick this time it looked like somebody had come through the streets with a Zamboni.

Shadowed Forget the debate over whether Le-Bron James will exit Cleveland. Kevin Durant needs to be liberated from Oklahoma City to a place where his talents can be on full display.

Factoid The Saints lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in December. No team that lost to the Bucs during the regular season has gone on to win that year's Super Bowl. I know, it's a reach.

Who dat? Somewhere along the line, there may have been a more inconspicuous, unassuming Super Bowl head coach than the Colts' Jim Caldwell - usually referred to as "the guy who replaced Tony Dungy" - but no one comes to mind.

Street party The least-surprising development of Super Bowl Week is the announcement that the Saints will throw a parade, win or lose, on Tuesday. We'd expect nothing less from the Big Easy.

Wondering Does it really qualify as news that the Boston Celtics are getting old? Here's another scoop: Kevin Garnett's knees have aged in dog years.

Laurels In 2008, it was said Roger Federer had lost a step and was conceding his throne. Since then, he's won four of the last six Grand Slams - three of the past four - and remains a step ahead of the field on the biggest occasions. Not bad for a guy supposedly past his prime.

Not happening Don't let the alarmist rhetoric fool you; there isn't going to be an NFL lockout - a work stoppage - in 2011, not when the NFL's dominance over the sports landscape grows more powerful each year. Team owners are a lot of things, but as a group, they aren't stupid.

Futurewatch There's really nothing to debate about Plaxico Burress' desire to play in the NFL again. He clearly deserves the chance after serving his time. The only question is who will sign him. But somebody will.

Countdown Another raft of Tiger Woods rumors is about to be unleashed on a defenseless public as soon as the Super Bowl is over. I can wait; how about you?

Bob Molinaro, (757) 446-2373, bob.molinaro@pilotonline.com