Boise State Week, Vol. 7: Beamer and Petersen top two coaches without crystal ball ...

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer is second on the active coaches list with 229 wins. He will move into the top 10 this year ALL-TIME in wins, likely passing a trio of legends to get there.

Beamer has had 11 seasons of 10-plus wins, captured three Big East and three ACC titles and took Tech to the national championship game after the 1999 season. Their have been national title flirtations in the years that followed, but no hardware.

So ... Is Beamer the best current coach in the country who doesn’t own a crystal football? My survey says yes. I reached out to my fellow Associated Press poll voters and asked them to rank the top three active coaches without a title.

Of the 60 voters, 36 participated in my little exercise. I assigned points in inverse order (three for a first-place vote, two for second, one for third). Beamer ran away with the poll. There was not really a close competitor. But, for what it’s worth (and kind of cool as it relates to tonight’s game), Boise’s Chris Petersen was the guy behind him in the tally.

Read my story HERE on the topic, where former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne (who once held the title of best without a crown) dispensed some advice for Beamer on the subject of chasing the championship. Enjoy the game and I’ll see you folks back here tonight ...

BEST ACTIVE COACHES WITHOUT A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech: 78 points, 20 first-place votes, 31 total ballots

2. Chris Petersen, Boise State: 26 points, 3 first-place votes, 15 total ballots

3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: 22 points, 3 first-place votes, 12 total ballots   

4. Bill Snyder, Kansas State: 19 points, 4 first-place votes, 8 total ballots

5. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame: 18 points, 4 first-place votes, 9 total ballots

6. Mark Richt, Georgia: 15 points, 1 first-place vote, 10 total ballots

7. Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech: 12 points, 7 total ballots

8. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech: 8 points, 1 first-place vote, 4 total ballots

9. Gary Patterson, TCU: 4 points, 3 total ballots

t-10. Jeff Tedford, California: 3 points, 2 total ballots

t-10. Mike Riley, Oregon State: 3 points, 2 total ballots

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Kyle Whittingham, Utah; Jim Grobe, Wake Forest; Butch Davis, North Carolina; Bobby Petrino, Arkansas; Rick Neuheisel, UCLA.

* For instant updates on the Hokies, follow me at twitter.com/kyletuckerVP

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