Hokies destined to go 11-3? Video game weighs in

BLACKSBURG

In college football, pursuit of the BCS championship relies heavily on impressing the computers. At least one of them already thinks Virginia Tech will fall short of the big prize this fall.

With the season a little more than a month away, prognostication is in full effect. Everyone has an opinion on how the games will play out, who the stars will be and which team will ultimately win it all.

At best, it's an exercise in educated guessing. In which case, why not add a video game to the predicting mix, The artificial intelligence in the latest version of "NCAA Football," an intricately detailed game produced by EA Sports, provides as good a glimpse into the future as any.

And if the computer is right, there's good and bad news for the Hokies, who are hoping to get back to the big game. For the University of Virginia, the news is mostly bad.

In two separate season simulations, Tech lost quarterback Tyrod Taylor to an injury early in the season and finished a disappointing 8-4. Tech begins the year ranked No. 7 nationally in the game.

In a third simulation, Taylor stays healthy and takes the digital Hokies on an exciting run. The computer has the team losing the opener to No. 5 Boise State - this happens in all three simulations -- but with a healthy Taylor, Tech rebounds with eight straight victories.

A thrilling Thursday night win over second-ranked Georgia Tech vaults the Hokies back up to fourth in the polls. Disappointment is just around the corner, though: a loss at North Carolina derails the national-title run.

Undaunted, techno-Tech responds with wins over Miami and Virginia. The loss seals a losing season for the Cavaliers (5-7), a pattern which repeats in all three simulations.

At 10-2, the Coastal Division champion Hokies face Florida State in the ACC title game. FSU takes that one in a 44-41 shootout, then wraps up a 13-1 season by winning the Orange Bowl.

The Hokies polish off an 11-3 campaign with a win over Arkansas in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Boise State goes on to win the national championship against Alabama.

The game's computer apparently loves the Broncos, who reached the title game in all three simulations. Florida State also won the ACC and Orange Bowl in each scenario, with quarterback Christian Ponder twice a Heisman finalist.

During the season Taylor remained healthy, the game ranked Tech's offense 11th nationally, while the defense - which is replacing six starters - was uncharacteristically average, ranking 48th.

Sophomore tailback Ryan Williams won the Doak Walker Award after more than 2,000 computerized yards rushing and receiving. Linebacker Lyndell Gibson, a Salem High graduate, is also a big computer hit, becoming a first-team All-American and declaring early for the NFL draft.

Virginia, meanwhile, came away only with wins over their two FCS opponents, Eastern Michigan, Duke and Maryland.

The ray of hope for U.Va.? The Cavaliers lost by only a touchdown at Southern California and entered the final two games of the season with a .500 record.

Although the outcomes and predictions are pure fiction, the game does provide a level of authenticity off the field. Before playing a game with Virginia, for example, you'll see a computerized overhead shot of Scott Stadium and its scenic surroundings as the voice of ESPN personality Brad Nessler says, "Monticello Mountain stands in the background as we get ready for football action from Charlottesville, Va." And as the Cavaliers run onto the field, "The Good Old Song" blares from the band.

At Tech, Lane Stadium is meticulously rendered, right down to the sliver of seating for visiting fans. The Hokies' authentic pregame entrance is recreated as players pass through the tunnel and slap a slab of Hokie Stone with signs on either side that read: For those who have passed, for those to come.... Reach for excellence.

For the next month, anyway, it's the closest you'll get to the real thing.

Kyle Tucker, (757) 446-2374, kyle.tucker@pilotonline.com