Dont expect a major regression in the win total, but those expecting Virginia Tech to win 10 or 11 games again will be disappointed in 2014. Considering the personnel question marks, 7-5 overall and just hitting .500 in conference play would be a good season.
http://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-footballs-top-five-team...
I don't know what to think truthfully. I have hopes that this will be wrong but then again I believe that 2015 will be the year that all the changes CB has made in the coaching staff will come to fruition.
Forums:
DISCLAIMER: Forum topics may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
Comments
I think it's pretty right-on. Anyone expecting magic in 2014 will probably be disappointed. Here's how I see 2014:
1. Defense loses some stud players, but Bud always reloads. Experience matters, though.
2. We lost our best athlete on offense (LT). We have highly touted recruits coming in, but everything is a big question mark.
3. We've had zilch in terms of running game for two straight years, but In Grimes We Trust. Recruiting and development here probably won't pay off for another 2 years or so, though.
My plan? Expectations are low for 2014, and maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. Anyone expecting 10 wins and a shot at the ACCCG will be disappointed, I think, but it's because we're sort of still in transition. I'm looking forward to better years in 2015 and 2016.
Hanging around in the 7-5 or 8-4 range is what I think is reasonable for 2014, and I would not be disappointed if that happened. Having that same record in 2-3 years would be a major disappointment.
Depending on which Coastal teams we lose to, 8-4 can get you into the ACCCG. 6-2 gets you there, and 5-3 might too.
Very true. The parity in the ACC Coastal is impressive, and the chaos this year was really fun to watch unfold. I guess it really comes down to a few factors this year:
1. Can we maintain the same record or better?
2. Can Duke repeat their success? You'd better believe we will not take them lightly.
3. Is GT in turmoil?
4. Is Da U ever going to come back?
My gut responses to this:
1. Yes (I know, lots of reloading, but I'm a homer)
2. No
3. Yes
4. No.
I agree with everything but the Duke thing. Duke has a legitimate chance of going to the ACCCG again. Some might say that they just took everyone by surprise, but I don't by that. They will be competing for the division at the end of the season.
I don't think they took everyone by surprise, but I personally believe that coaches made poor game management situations against Duke when struggling early on so that they could assert their dominance and send Duke back to their "rightful place". I remember Frank went for it a LOT on 4th against them, and I watched some of Duke vs NC State the next week. NC State went for it on 4th and 4 or something like that from their own 20 in the first or second quarter. And you could tell, it was just like "You stopped us again?! No, this is a fluke. We will beat you into the ground, Duke". Then Duke stopped them, and got a field goal out of it. I believe Duke benefitted from this in a few games, and while I'm not doubting that they would have been bowl eligible without it, I do think that it helped them get to 10 wins.
I think that's a fair assessment. Obviously I hope that we have a much better season than that but I'm not counting on it. We have some holes to fill on Defense, particularly at LB. I'm not really concerned about Defense, as Bud has been around a long time and always seems to reload. Offense is the big Question Mark. We have to replace 70% of our offensive production. I think many of us are pleased with the direction the Offense is headed and we're optimistic about the future but it's going to take a lot of time to get there. When Willie Byrn says we're really going to feel the effects of losing LT that doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence in Leal. I don't know if we can expect much from any of the QB's we'll have. I'm hopeful that Ford and/or Durkin will develop into terrific QBs but they're going to be true freshmen next year...what can we really expect from them? Our running game needs to be fixed in a hurry to take some of that pressure off..but I just don't know if that will happen. If we couldn't get it rolling at all this season what's to say things will magically change next season?
I think it will take at least another full year for Loeffler and co. to get this offense running smoothly...the previous regime really left an ugly mess to be cleaned up and it's not going to happen over night. I'm going to support this team no matter what...through thick and thin...and I'm really hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I just don't think we can count on a 10 win season this year...but don't let that discourage you from rooting for the good guys every Saturday.
Go Hokies!!
We have to replace 70% of our offensive production.
We had offensive production? <----sarcasm.
It's too soon to say for sure.
Positives:
Unknowns:
My all too early prediction: Losses @OSU, ECU, @UNC, ACCCG, maybe bowl game.
I don't see ECU winning in Blacksburg honestly. I think @Duke could be a loss however.
I agree with him, if we get above 0.500 next year it will be a success. There will be a new QB and with LT3 gone, I think it will show how much he mattered to the team. Sure we have some good recruits coming in but it's their first season in CFB. Not only that, but we wont have a championship caliber defense to ask to bail us out almost every game.
Then again, Leal could surprise us or Durkin and Ford could too if they start. Add in the running game getting going after a few games it could be better than I think. There's just much less margin for error next year and offensive blunders are going to felt a lot more.
I guess we will have to play the games to see.
That's preposterous.
Let's leave politics out of it....
2014 is practice for 2015/2016 back to back Championship runs.
Tech usually does better under Beamer when they are expected to struggle. I think 2014 could be one of those years. I'm not expecting it, but I wouldn't count it out as a possibility.
1998 was the last time I was so concerned about a VT season.
I anticipate the QB situation will be a full on dumpster fire next year. Leal will start and fail and then the debate will rage. I have said it before, but we haven't had this much QB uncertainty since the Grant Noel year, and really, there wasn't uncertainty there, just a lack of talent and options. And as bad as Noel was, he completed 57% of his passes for 1826 yards, 16 TD's and 11 interceptions. I'd take that in a heartbeat from Leal.
The RB situation isn't much better. Our best RB won't be ready until August, and how many times have we seen August returns become October returns recently? I've been a big fan of JCC, but I've officially lost faith there. He can play a role, but we need to figure it out. We may need to pump the brakes a bit on Williams, he could be more Humes than Evans. I don't expect Shai to play next year. Reid could be the wildcard. But, overall, its tough to say with confidence that the RB position will be dramatically improved.
Same for WR's, we have three guys who are solid yet unspectacular. If we can get Harrison and pair with Phillips, our WR's could be dramatically improved. But we could also lose Harrison and have a key injury or two and be in big trouble.
OL should be better, but we will likely be doing some shuffling. TE's look better (Cline+Malleck+Bucky could be a great trio).
On defense, I've got serious concerns about DE. Now we're hearing that Marshall still has some uncertainty. Dadi has never played every play. Ekanem is untested. Alford, Roth and Dooley are all total unknowns. Mihota is hurt. Hopefully we can add Bronson to the mix. But that's a potentially huge dropoff from 2013. At DT, Maddy + Williams + Baron backup up by Walker and Nnadi feels great. But, honestly, Nnadi is a big part of that confidence.
LB also has a ton of uncertainty. The Vandyke boys have been injured quite frequently in their careers, I believe both had shoulder problems in HS. Shoulder problems in LB's isn't good. I think Chase Williams will be solid, but Clarke has issues that need to be resolved. I'd like to see Fisher on campus so we can know he could be the Whip (or Rover) of the future. But the word "clearinghouse" is always a warning sign.
Love the DB's. And the punter.
Big concerns with kicker and returners. We have to get better at returns, this year was an unmitigated disaster.
So, yeah, 7-5 and 4-4 is about right. We could lose the bowl streak next year.
I would agree with this totally, but our schedule is what encourages me. Considering what other Coastal teams are losing and who we play in 2014, 8 wins is once again very feasible. Of course, I thought that in 2013 when I thought Miami, GT, and UNC would be the teams we would lose to, but oh well.
The schedule sets up for 8 wins heading into bowl season.
Agreed. And a lot of teams on our schedule searching for a new QB next year: Miami, GT, Wake, Pitt, BC. And uva will have, at best, the same two they had this year. So that's half our schedule (and I have no idea, nor do I care, what W&M or WMU is doing) that will be breaking in a new QB just like we are. With ECU, OSU, UNC and Duke having strong QB situations.
This. I can't agree with that article saying 7-5 would be a good season. I look at our schedule and see anything less than 8-4 as disappointing. That's not to say I'd be surprised, as there are plenty of ways we could fall short of that mark if enough things go badly. But that wouldn't be a good season, now would it?
It's way too early to think about next year's record. Who had us losing to Duke, Maryland and BC this year?
Kinda reminds me of this preview.
2004 Athlon Virginia Tech preview
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/specials/preview/2004/con...
Wow, the similarities are pretty creepy actually. Strong start (6-0 run), weak finish, bad bowl game, tailback with a broken leg, special teams that aren't so special, questions at linebacker, Hokies are "no longer a team to fear," and doubts that our bowl streak will continue.
I say let's go get ourselves another ACC championship.
Senior QB Bryan Randall would be the only caveat there. He was huge in stabalizing the offense. But we do have a FULLER, so the cycle can hypothetically repeat itself. Where once there was Vince, there is now Kendall.
K Fuller gonna score more points than our 2013 offense!
Ke Fuller going to set an all time VT scoring record with all them pick sixes and blocks.
Don't forget marquee OCC matchup with title contender. (USC in 2004, OSU in 2014)
Yeah..but we lost to USC.
That offensive pass interference was the worst call I'd seen in awhile...
Hmm, I didn't know we played in the ACC in 2002-03.
For me, Plan A is a national Championship.
Plan B is a case of scotch.
So, win-win.
Hell we don't even know what we have. It's not unreasonable to think we may have a playmaker coming in next year. Let's say hypothetically Marshawn Williams comes in and blows up the defensive line every game or one of the big freshmen wideouts turn out to be a stud right off the bat. Throw a few playmakers on last year's team and we may not have lost to anyone but Bama and UCLA. I'm gonna reserve my judgement on how our guys are gonna be until at least after spring ball.
This year was sobering for most of us. That said I'm not worried about the offense. The line is only going to get better and gain depth thanks to recruiting. We have weapons at receiver and tight end. The QB question mark will be answered this spring and the competition is going to make them all better. The defense will reload. I'm an optimist so I could see us improving this year. I'm not throwing in the towel on these team before we even know what we have. Give these coaches time!
I hate these fluff articles. If you want to write something meaningful, you've got to get into it more than you can do in a long paragraph. Of course, that would also require that the author know enough to write more than a long paragraph.
IMO, it's closer to truth than fiction unfortunately. The team will likely be improved or equal to this years team in most facets. LB play will take a step back, but every team has losses somewhere. However the rate limiting factor will be QB and that's a huge rate limiting factor. Leal is probably the starter by default -- unless Motley surprises big time or some unknown transfer shows up in Blacksburg. Neither of the incoming recruits will be ready for the field in any meaningful way in 2014.
Unfortunately, I think the story will be similar in 2015. While the team will have quality experience at a number of positions (a lot of this years overmatched Frosh will be Jrs) and the recruiting efforts (especially at OL) will begin to show dividends, I'm afraid that a Motley or r-Fr 1st yr starter at QB could be a rate limiting factor again.
I suspect 2016 is when things will start to come together.
I will expect the worse, and hope that I am pleasantly surprised. I bet the noise for Beamer's head will be even higher though if next season doesn't become a 10 win. All these bandwagon fans not realizing what it means to build something and expect instant results.
next season will be successful if we dont lose any home games, cause losing home games sucks
Our home slate is William and Mary, Western Michigan, East Carolina, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami, and LOLUVA. We have a decent shot at 7-0.
Remember, if not for a few untimely turnovers & problems with our starting PK we would have easily went 11-1 or 10-2 during the regular season, we just could'nt put up enough points to overcome those set backs.
I've seen Mark Leal in scrimmages & practice since he was a true freshman & it would really surprise me if struggles at all, he'll be fine.
Little red flag goin up for me here. Did you see the Sun Bowl? Or the Spring Game? My own observations coupled with French's review hasn't exactly instilled a whole lot of confidence in Leal. If he comes in this spring and lights it up and shows he's clearly the guy to lead this team, great. However, I'm not 100% sold on his abilities as a QB just yet.
My son plays for VT and I have been to every game, open practice & spring game for the last 3 years. From what I've seen during that time I believe after Mark gets first team reps' his timing, etc. will be much better. It was a pretty tough situation for him at the Sun Bowl, he had taken little or no first team reps' all year.
We'll all just have to wait until spring camp & see how he reacts to being the "man"!
Thanks for the eye test scoop. I always appreciate comments from people that have actually been around the team and not just watched from a television screen. I would love to hear more comments from what you have seen. Even if you are not an expert on what you are actually seeing its cool to get eye witness information.
If not for a few timely turnovers & special teams plays, would could have easily went 6-6 or 7-5 this year as well (see vs. Marshall)
I agree but, that works both ways, if we could have put even a few more points it would have taken some pressure off & we could have overcome those setbacks, we had a lot of opportunities in a lot of games, but just did not turn them into points.
I agree. We could have won all of those games just as easily as we lost. We treaded the line all season. I have a lot more hope for this upcoming season then a lot of people. We do lose Logan but that is only a huge loss if the offense was going to be run the exact same way. I expect to see a relatively different scheme that takes advantage of some things that the team may not have been ready to do yet. Yes we will have a new quarterback but if the straight ahead running game can take the next step forward that will take a lot of pressure off of the quarterback.
My thoughts exactly if the, running game, short passing game, reliable kicker,
OL experience/communication much better, we'll be a pretty good offense. I actually think our Offense will surprise some people, just have to wait for spring to see how it shakes out.
I'll be happy if the Hokies are able to find a kicker that can stay on the team and not miss 30 yd FG's against Duke.