Perfection! Hokies top Boston College to preserve sweet dream

An hour later, coach Frank Beamer was both jubilant and exhausted, and the high emotion of the celebration sparked him to do a little lobbying for his team.

"I think we've answered every challenge, and we did it by playing and not talking," Beamer said. "What we've done on the field is the right thing.

"Does anybody here think we don't belong in New Orleans?"

On the biggest day in Virginia Tech sports history, the second-ranked Hokies completed their first perfect regular season in 81 years with a 38-14 thumping of No. 22 Boston College, but concerns about the Bowl Championship Series lingered.

AP PHOTO Virginia Tech finished the season undefeated with an 11-0 record.

Could the Hokies at 11-0 be denied their obvious date with No. 1 Florida State for the national championship? Would Colorado make it a done deal by making its potential game-winning field goal against the "other" contender, No. 3 Nebraska?

And most of all, what was the value of Virginia Tech's four games against ranked teams, games they won by a combined - and startling - 174-31?

"You look at the ranked teams that we played this year, and we've taken all of them to the woodshed," an emotional Corey Moore said as he held on to a victory cigar. "I firmly believe and I'm confident that we'll be in New Orleans."

The Hokies got three long touchdown passes in another big day from sensational redshirt freshman Michael Vick and another big effort from its nationally ranked defense to beat an Eagles team that had won three straight and came in at 8-2.

And when it was over, some of the 53,130 fans at Lane Stadium were tearing down the goalposts at both ends of the stadium or frolicking with the players, and thousands more had directed their undivided attention to the end zone scoreboard.

"Nebraska 27, Colorado 27," it said.

Roars.

"Colorado ball. 2:00 left."

Near delirium.

The Hokies are just ahead of the Cornhuskers in the chase for the right to play the Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4, and the race is close.

The stadium grew silent when word flashed that Colorado would try a field goal with one second left, then groaned as one when word came the kick was no good.

Moments later, they roared even louder at the news that Colorado had won, 30-27. But they were silent when the final score was corrected: Nebraska, 33-30.

But the Hokies, Beamer and even Boston College coach Tom O'Brien all seemed sure that the trip to New Orleans had all but been sealed at Lane Stadium.

"There's still no doubt in my mind," Moore said. "I heard Nebraska came back and won the game. I don't think any of that matters. We're 11-0.

"What more do you want us to do?"

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