Possibly two of the most important games in VT football history

With the win over Marshall, Virginia Tech won two of the most important games in Virginia Tech football history.

I know some may feel that is an overstatement, but I can explain why it isn't. Virginia Tech is not the program it was when Frank Beamer took over. In fact, it's not even the program it was when it made a run for the National Championship. It is a program that is at least one or two levels better (than when Beamer took over). It got that way by winning football games, going to bowl games and owning the state. The first level of ascension was joining a major conference, The Big East, and eventually playing for a National Championship. The second level of ascension was joining and becoming a dominant force in the ACC. In the last few years of Beamer's career we regressed a bit but a return to prominence seemed not only possible but probable in the near future. Fuente's hiring was supposed to ensure that Virginia Tech got a head coach that understands the nature of college football today and could take us to the next level. Fuente's first two seasons were promising. The first, especially so, with the return to the ACC Championship game. 2017 was decent and this year was just bad with the exception of winning the last two games to extend the dominance over UVA and to legitimately claim the longest active bowl streak in the country. We should not underestimate the significance of either.

Dominance over UVA proves that no matter how bad a year Virginia Tech has, it is still a better program than UVA. Recruits will notice that.

Extending the bowl streak is also a significant accomplishment for two primary reasons. I am aware of the, "everyone goes to a bowl game" notion. At first that makes a bowl appearance seem insignificant. But it's not. Because when a bowl appearance is no longer special, it's almost mandatory. Losing the streak becomes "Everybody goes to a bowl game, but you". That's hardly a great selling point for recruits. Good programs are expected to play in bowl games. You want good recruits, you need to play in bowl games. It's a very different recruiting pitch to say, "We have the longest active bowl streak and we need guys like you to get us to the CFP" than it is to say, "We really need a guy like you to get us back to a bowl game." Great players aren't looking for mediocre challenges and goals. Merely getting back to a bowl game isn't going to cut it. Taking a shot at the CFP is. Extending the bowl streak was mandatory to keeping Virginia Tech from regressing in recruiting.

Winning these two games helps mitigate the ugliness of a 6-6 (hopefully to be 7-6) record and paints a very different picture. Right now this is a team that's young and struggling and has promise. Losing to UVA would have painted a picture of a program that was potentially lost in the woods. Other teams would have definitely taken advantage of that idea with recruits. They probably still will but we can counter now. We own our state and the longest active bowl streak in the country. Yeah, beating Clemson for recruits is probably going to be hard but maintaining both streaks gives us an edge over the rest of the ACC teams in our territory.

I can't wait to find out who we play and I hope it's not Memphis.

GO HOKIES!