Updated 10:41 p.m.

BLACKSBURG, Va. --  Quinn Cook got into the lane to the right of the Virginia Tech basket midway through the second half and found a Hokies’ defender between him and the basket.

Mason Plumlee stood behind that defender and gave a quick point to the ceiling of Cassell Coliseum. Cook lofted the ball over the rim to Plumlee, who finished for an emphatic alley-oop. With that, Duke was up 17 points against the Hokies and in a similar situation to Saturday, when the Blue Devils took their foot off the gas late against St. John’s.

There was no such let-up Thursday.

After LSU's 21-0 loss to Alabama in the BCS title game Monday night, Tigers coach Les Miles stopped short of asking AP voters for a split national title. Even he knew it was a lost cause after his team's uninspired performance against the Crimson Tide.

Alabama, with the first shutout in a title game (BCS, de facto or otherwise) in 20 years, left no room for doubt Monday night in the Superdome — despite a 9-6 regular-season loss to LSU — that it was the better team. And that's why I voted the Crimson Tide No. 1 in my final AP ballot of the 2011 season.

Alabama got its shot at LSU, and lost. I don't think Alabama deserves another shot at the No. 1 Tigers in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

But the AP is not part of the BCS equation nor is it asking its voters which two teams should be in the "national" title game. The AP asks us to rank the top 25 teams in order.

So who's No. 2, Oklahoma State or Alabama?

Updated 7:25 p.m.

DURHAM – Duke coach David Cutcliffe has told his told players these are the games, the close ones, that are most telling. He tells his Blue Devils he loves close games, because you’re right there, one play away from victory.

Saturday afternoon at Wallace Wade Stadium, the Blue Devils needed a play against No. 15 Virginia Tech, one that could be the biggest highlight under Cutcliffe’s four-years.

CHARLOTTE – North Carolina received 57 of a possible 59 first-place votes to finish atop the ACC media poll released Wednesday at the conference’s Operation Basketball media event.

The Tar Heels return all five starters, including preseason ACC player of the year selection Harrison Barnes, from a team that finished 29-8, reached an NCAA regional final and won first place in the ACC with a 14-2 conference record last season.

Duke was picked second in the poll, followed by Florida State, Virginia, Miami, Virginia Tech and Clemson. N.C. State was selected to finish eighth, with Maryland, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Boston College closing out the poll.

You don't have to look far to find ACC talent in the NFL.

Every team in the league has at least three players from ACC schools and the conference has a total 249 players in the league as the season begins tonight in Green Bay.

Despite a recent downturn on the field, Miami leads the ACC with NFL players with 44. For the first time since expansion, Maryland takes over the second spot with 28, edging Florida State, which is down to 25 from an ACC-best 46 in 2006, and North Carolina (24).

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Coach Frank Beamer has signed a new contract with Virginia Tech through the end of the 2016 football season, athletic director Jim Weaver announced today.

Beamer's previous deal was scheduled to end at the conclusion of the 2012 season. He had agreed to the new deal in August of 2010, but just signed the contract recently.

Negotiations on Beamer's compensation will begin in January. A win today over Appalachian State will give him a 199-95-2 record in his 25th season as the Hokies' coach.

Virginia Tech's David Wilson (4) scores his third touchdown against Appalachian State during the first half at Lane Stadium, in Blacksburg. DON PETERSEN - AP

Updated 5:56 p.m.

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Appalachian State quarterback DeAndre Pressley said it was by far the worst game he had ever played, but a 66-13 thumping by 13th-ranked Virginia Tech on Saturday didn’t diminish his confidence.

Ranked No. 2 in the nation in the Football Championship Subdivision poll, Appalachian State entered Lane Stadium with hopes of duplicating the season-opening magic it delivered in a 34-32 win at Michigan in 2007.

Editor's note: J.P. Giglio is one of 60 AP voters.  The AP will release the Top 25 on Saturday.

It's beyond obvious at this point that I should just put an SEC team at No. 1 and move on. Except, I can't find the right SEC team.

I almost talked myself into Auburn last year (I was the only voter that had them in the preseason top 10) but I had no idea Cam Newton was going to be that good.

Florida State and Virginia Tech are the only ACC teams ranked in the USA Today coaches poll, which was released today.

Oklahoma, which received 42 of the 59 first-place votes, starts the season No. 1, one of three Big 12 teams in the top 10 and five in the rankings.