Tyrod Taylor was waiting to shower as the locker room cleared out, but he was busy talking, through a wide smile, about Virginia Tech’s 20-7 win over Cincinnati. “I think we showed people that we can play on this type of level against any team,“ he said.

Now comes the hard part for Frank Beamer and the Virginia Tech Hokies. With the Orange Bowl victory on their list of accomplishments for the 2008 season, the Hokies will face exceptional expectations when the 2009 season begins.

Heading into yesterday’s bowl games, Virginia Tech was mingling with some powerful programs in several statistical categories.

With a 20-7 win over Cincinnati in last night’s Orange Bowl, the Hokies made boosters and cynics alike look ahead instead of back. To August practice and all the potential it holds. To that Sept. 5 showdown with Alabama.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Connor Barwin received a phone call a week before spring practice from his position coach, Mike Elston, who told him that Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly wanted to see Barwin in his office. Elston didn’t say why. “Usually, it’s not a call you want to get when they don’t tell you what it’s about,“ Barwin said. Wondering if he was in trouble, Barwin walked into the office.

In July, magnetic student manager died when his car was hit by a tractor-trailer.

Barquell Rivers is from Wadesboro, N.C., a town of about 3,500 people located between Charlotte and Fayetteville. A redshirt freshman linebacker for Virginia Tech, he has yet to play a major role because he served as the backup this season to senior Brett Warren.

Tyrod Taylor leaned into the huddle during a preseason practice in August and looked around at his teammates. Some of them were chatting. A year earlier, Taylor might have felt uncertain about how to handle this situation.

One of the advantages to playing in a bowl game, as Virginia Tech will do Jan. 1 in the Orange Bowl against Cincinnati, is getting an extra month to practice and prepare backups for bigger roles next season.

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer spoke in solemn tones yesterday as he revealed that the Hokies could face significant attrition heading into the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 against Cincinnati. They will be without starting left guard Nick Marshman, who is academically ineligible. Two injured defensive starters are questionable: fifth-year senior linebacker Brett Warren (left knee) and sophomore defensive end Jason Worilds (left shoulder). Neither has practiced since the ACC championship game on Dec. 6.

After Saturday’s ACC championship game victory over Boston College, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer began his press conference with the usual congratulatory platitudes. Then he quickly shifted his focus to the Orange Bowl.

Thirteen years ago last night, inside the Louisiana Superdome, Virginia Tech announced its presence to the college football world. The 28-10 win over Texas in the Sugar Bowl remains a magical memory for many Tech fans who, to this day, can see Bryan Still returning a punt 60 yards for a touchdown and catching a 54-yard touchdown pass from Jim Druckenmiller.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Connor Barwin received a phone call a week before spring practice from his position coach, Mike Elston, who told him that Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly wanted to see Barwin in his office. Elston didn’t say why. “Usually, it’s not a call you want to get when they don’t tell you what it’s about,“ Barwin said. Wondering if he was in trouble, Barwin walked into the office.