Great Expectations

Well, that escalated quickly.

In a matter of just a few minutes, a defensive breakdown, a bad interception and a few mental mistakes made a seven-point Virginia Tech lead evaporate into a devastating 27-24 loss to Georgia Tech. It was the kind of loss that provokes questions from its fanbase, who understandably needed to vocalize their frustration after watching their team gift wrap a game for the opponent.

It also makes fans do a double-take, just to make sure that the team they were watching was really the team that went to Ohio State and beat the Buckeyes. That team looked so good that its potential seemed limitless. The team that just played? Well, maybe not so much.

"We're not a good football team right now," said Frank Beamer, in a tone that had hints of disappointment hanging from every word.

He's not wrong. The version of Beamer's team that took the field last Saturday was one that was full of mistakes and miscommunication, both of which got the better of them. After a loss like that, there was plenty of blame to go around and plenty of questions to answer.

It's easy to blame the Hokies' loss on the quarterback who threw 3 cringe-inducing interceptions, and even easier to wonder out loud as to whether or not he should be the starter against Western Michigan. Is Michael Brewer, the same quarterback that looked like Joe Montana in Columbus two weeks ago, really the best option for this team?

It's also easy to blame the coaching. Four illegal substitution penalties are nothing short of a travesty, and can fall back primarily in the arms of the coaching staff that threw so many different formations and packages at their players. Can these coaches really be depended on to put their players in the absolute best positions to succeed?

While we're at it, it's pretty easy to blame the defense too. 4th-and-15, up seven, against a triple option offense? Sounds like a layup for Bud Foster. Is there a chance that this unit just isn't as good as many thought it was a few weeks ago?

I may have forgotten one or two, but those seemed like the biggies.

In the moment, they all seem like fair and reasonable questions and criticisms. Brewer has thrown more INTs than all but two quarterbacks in college football this season. The offense has been...complex enough...to cause confusion amongst some of its players. And to top it all off, the defense has given up an insane number of big plays, each of which stings a little more than the one before it.

Yet, when you take a step back and look what you're actually talking about these things seem at least a little absurd.

Sure, Brewer has thrown a ton of picks, but he's also thrown it 161 times, 8th most in the country. Look back at the game against the Yellow Jackets. Yes, you could say that Brewer "lost the game" for the Hokies after throwing a pick-six and that last interception late, but couldn't you also say that he was the only reason Tech was winning? He constantly converted first downs with both his arm and his legs throughout the game, not to mention recovering his own running back's fumble and taking it into the endzone himself.

As for the complex offense, I know it's hard to admit for some but maybe this is simply the best way Tech can move the ball? Maybe Scot Loeffler is trying to make it as hard on the defense as possible, which is kind of an offensive coordinator's job. It's not the Hokie offense that we're all used to seeing over the last decade, but isn't that a good thing? Yes the penalties need to be cleaned up, but aren't they very correctable?

And as for the defense, maybe it's not quite as good as we all had hoped, especially after seeing them dominate for most of that Ohio State game. That being said, maybe our hopes were just a little too high? It's still a new front-seven, where lack of experience is a factor, and the secondary that's missing an All-ACC cornerback. That's tough for anyone to adjust to, even DBU.

I know it seems like I may be making excuses for this team, and in all honesty I might be. But here's the thing, this team is better than we all thought it would be from day one. It may be hard to remember now, but going into the season there were a lot of questions and very few solidified answers.

No one had seen the quarterback, the top two running backs, three of the top five offensive weapons (Ford, Hodges and Phillips) or the right guard take meaningful snaps before William and Mary. On defense three out of the four linemen and both starting inside linebackers had to prove themselves this year, on top of the fact that the kicker was a true freshman and many members of both coverage teams were born in the mid-1990s.

Sure, at this specific moment Virginia Tech is not a good football team. The youth and inexperience often times rears its ugly head, but at this moment it frequently balances out with big plays in big moments (Bucky Hodges' two-point conversion, anyone?). The losses hurt, especially after a win in Columbus. Isn't it possible, however, that we've not only seen some of the best football this team will play, but some of the worst?

This team is going to make mistakes. There will be bumps and bruises, many of which have already played out in the worst possible way. Tech played the best game that they could have possibly played against Ohio State, but that same team struggled against East Carolina and failed to hold off Georgia Tech. It's not a different team, it's just a bunch of young guys going through the ups and downs of their first seasons as starters.

As a fan, it's tough to be patient. But what if those losses were the worst thing that will happen this season? What if those youthful mistakes get corrected, and this incredibly talented team hits its stride during the remainder of conference play?

The win against Ohio State raised the hopes of both the fans and the team alike, but I'm done talking about that game. It's over. Let's talk about the talent that's on the field in front of over 60-thousand fans every week, still working out the kinks. When they correct what is correctable, that team is going to be special when it's all said and done. It's something that their coach recognizes too.

"We're not a good football team right now," Beamer reiterated later. This time, it came with a stern, knowing caveat.

"But we will be."

I believe him, this team will be great. We've already seen it once this season, and I know that we will see it again soon.