The fourth-ranked Stanford Cardinal face the 13th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies at the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl in a match-up that features two of the hottest teams in the country. Virginia Tech has won 11 games in a row, while Stanford triumphed in seven on the trot. So how come nobody except alumni care who wins? Because the story surrounding the teams’ respective quarterbacks is far more riveting. Cardinal signal-caller Andrew Luck finished second in Heisman Trophy voting and is touted as the top quarterback prospect in the country. Six-foot four-inches with a strong arm and an even stronger body, he actually laid out a defensive back during a scramble that was one of the highlights of the entire college football season. Luck is virtually guaranteed to be the top pick in the NFL draft — provided he enters it. The sophomore student hasn’t announced whether he’ll trade Saturday football for Sunday gridiron just yet. On the other side of the pigskin is Hokie senior quarterback Tyrod Taylor. His game is eerily reminiscent of another former Hokie, Michael Vick, but scouts aren’t convinced he can duplicate the dog murderer’s (that’s right we forgive, but we don’t forget) success in the pros. Taylor will relish his last chance to show scouts he can play quarterback at the next level. Get a first-hand look at two of next year’s biggest professional quarterback possibilities at Sun Life Stadium on Monday.
Mon., Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m., 2011