Of course there are exceptions to prove every rule, and that's unfortunately the case for ACC favorite Virginia Tech. The Hokies learned on Tuesday that they won't have star running back Darren Evans this season after he tore his ACL during practice.

I would argue this injury not only significantly alters the season and betting futures for the Hokies, but also those of Alabama, Georgia Tech and possibly North Carolina and Miami.

Evans set ACC and school records for freshmen with 1,265 rushing yards last season and 11 touchdowns despite starting only eight games. He was the MVP of the Orange Bowl victory over Cincinnati when he rushed for 153 yards and scored a touchdown. Evans is the workhorse on that offense and a safety net for QB Tyrod Taylor, who is an inconsistent passer at best. Evans and Taylor were the only Hokies to rush for more than 250 yards last year.

Now the starting tailback, at least on the current depth chart, is Josh Oglesby. He only managed 88 yards on 38 carries as a redshirt freshman last year. It's likely that redshirt freshman Ryan Williams and true freshman David Wilson will be part of a tailback-by-committee now. Senior Kenny Lewis Jr. probably will be part of the mix, but he is expected to miss at least the first few games as he recovers from his own injury; it was when Lewis went down last year that Evans took over and took off.

I thought Virginia Tech was excellent value at 16/1 to win the BCS title – but wouldn't recommend that bet now. The Hokies' regular-season over/under win total was 9 1/2, but as of this writing Tech was not listed on Bodog any longer in that category, no doubt because oddsmakers are changing that total. I would have said take the over but don't think this team can win more than nine games maximum with this injury.

Virginia Tech is still the co-favorite on Bodog at 5/2 odds to win the ACC championship, but now I love Georgia Tech at 13/2. The Jackets, by the way, get the Hokies in Atlanta this year. And don't rule out North Carolina (5/1 to win the ACC) or Miami (11/2) to win the Coastal Division and sneak into the ACC title game.

As for how it affects Alabama, I believe it increases the Tide's chances of winning it the national title (currently 16/1). With Evans, the preseason No. 7 Hokies would have beaten No. 5 Alabama in that opener in Atlanta in my opinion. Now the Tide should be able to pull out the win, and that could make a huge difference comes BCS standings time.

Virginia Tech still has an excellent defense, some talented running backs and will be a very good team. But Evans' injury is truly a season-shifter, and not just for the Hokies.

Bet on college football at Bodog, where you can get all your football futures.

Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is looking for at least one more victory to boost its tournament credentials. The Hokies have lost four of their last five games amidst a difficult schedule.

To have any shot at an upset, the Hokies will have to find a way to slow down Tyler Hansbrough. Hansbrough is averaging 22.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in five career games versus the Hokies. Get your NCAA basketball odds in the Bodog Sportsbook today.

Guard play is critical for Duke and, whether Nolan Smith is out after absorbing the brunt of a solid screen in the Maryland win, the Devils have to get golden play from their perimeter rotation.

Kyle Singler canned two 3-pointers against Maryland, giving him at least one 3-point basket in five consecutive games for Duke.

Tech still has a chance to make the NCAA Tournament and will likely need another regular season win and probably a victory in the ACC tournament to do so.

An upset of Duke might convince the selection committee of its tournament worthiness.

Trevor Booker leads the Tigers with 15.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks a contest.

The Hokies' last meeting with the Tigers began a stretch of five losses in seven games, damaging their hopes for securing an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament. Virginia Tech has lost three straight, but played tough in a 67-65 loss to Florida State on Saturday night.

Virginia Tech will be trying to beat Clemson for the first time in five games, a stretch that's left the all-time series tied at 10.

The Huskies earned a bowl spot despite losing three of their final four games to end the season at 6-6. Northern Illinois survived on their defense this season, which was ranked No. 1 in the MAC and 18th overall in all of college football. The Huskies’ last bowl appearance was in the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl, but they haven’t won a bowl game since the 2004 Silicon Valley Bowl.

The Bulldogs were 7-5 in the WAC this season after winning four of their final five contests to qualify for a bowl game. It’s been awhile since the Bulldogs played in a bowl, with their last appearance being the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl. It’s been even longer since Louisiana Tech had a bowl victory; their last bowl win was in the 1977 Independence Bowl.

The early odds on the Independence Bowl have it listed as a pick’em.

Virginia Tech is a 2-point underdog at Dolphin Stadium. The Hokies are coming off a 30-12 victory over Boston College (+1) at the ACC title game, while the Bearcats were flat in their 29-24 win at Hawaii (+7.5). The Warriors were up 24-10 in the fourth quarter before handing Cincinnati a touchdown and a safety.

This is the second straight trip to the Orange Bowl (8:15 p.m., FOX, with live betting) for Virginia Tech; last year’s 24-21 loss to Kansas (+3) was the team’s fourth consecutive BCS bowl defeat. Cincinnati is 1-5 ATS in its last six bowl games.

Virginia Tech (6-3 SU, 3-5 ATS) has shuffled its own quarterback deck, thanks to ankle injuries to both Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor. But Glennon was back under center and able to limp through a big 23-13 win at Maryland (+3). Glennon was the starter last year when the Hokies blasted Miami 44-14 as 16.5-point home faves.

The ‘Canes ride the bye week into Thursday’s night’s matchup; ESPN will be on hand live starting at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, and we will have live betting available for this matchup.

Bettors aren’t quite ready yet to jump off the ECU bandwagon. The Pirates are 7.5-point favorites against North Carolina State (1-2 SU, 1-1 ATS), one of the teams struggling to get some traction in the ACC. Early action was on ECU’s side; the Wolfpack beat the Pirates (-6) 34-20 last year, but haven’t gotten off the ground offensively after losses to South Carolina and Clemson. I’m going to be skeptical about the Cotton injury and pick the Pack.

Just a short while after Virginia Tech Hokies coach Frank Beamer had redshirted sophomore QB Tyrod Taylor, the decision are reversed this afternoon.

Beamer let the media know on Tuesday that he'd be going with a two-QB system this year, essentially rescinding the redshirt season he had planned for Taylor some time ago. Virginia Tech looked mediocre at best offensively in a loss to East Carolina to open the season and Beamer was quick to act. Taylor will now split time with senior signal-caller Sean Glennon.

“I’m very hopeful Sean is going to have an NFL career, but we like what Tyrod brings to the game,” Beamer said. “We need to be able to run the football. Our offensive line is better, but we’re still a work in progress.”

Today, the Virginia Tech Hokies indefinitely suspended WR Zach Luckett for violation of team policy. Coach Frank Beamer announced the suspension but gave no further details about it. Luckett is a 6′3, 212 wideout who was expected to be a starter this season after spending most of last year on special teams.

How will the Hokies react to this latest news? Will Luckett's former teammate Tyrod Taylor still have a shot at the Heisman? According to the Bodog Sportsbook, Taylor is a 60/1 longshot to take home college football's biggest individual prize – get all your College Football Player Props in the book today!