The 2014 Virginia Tech team will have much different expectations than some past teams. Heck some people don't think Tech will even make a bowl game. But I am not one of those people, in fact I think Tech will surprise some people in 2014 because what I've learned as Tech fan is that whenever they are expected to struggle, they do well (2004 comes to mind.)
Game 1: Virginia Tech 49 William and Mary 6. Barring something crazy, this game should not be close but after the team who shall not be named debacle back in 2010 you never really know.
Game 2: Ohio State 34 Virginia Tech 24. I think the Hokies will turn a few heads in this game and surprise people by staying in it for pretty much the whole game. But at the end of the day Ohio State will just have too much talent for the Hokies.
Game 3: Virginia Tech 24 East Carolina 17. Ah the East Carolina trap game, I think this a contest that is close the whole way through but the Hokies eek it out with a late touchdown.
Game 4: Virginia Tech 20 Georgia Tech 17. Another close contest that the Hokies find a way to win. Defense makes the big plays at the end of the game to secure the victory.
Game 5: Virginia Tech 35 Western Michigan 10. A game that should be a nice tune up before the rest of ACC play starts up.
Game 6: Virginia Tech 28 North Carolina 24. A somewhat of a upset as the defense once again comes up big in the final moments to win a big one.
Game 7: Pittsburgh 17 Virginia Tech 13. The old Pitt trap game will leave the Hokies in shock but will fire them up for a big one against Miami next week.
Game 8: Virginia Tech 31 Miami 7. My bold prediction game for the year. The Hokies block a punt and dominate the whole game that leads yet another 31-7 beatdown of Miami.
Game 9: Virginia Tech 27 Boston College 13. A game that is controlled by the Hokies the whole way as the Hokies avenge their 2013 loss in Chestnut Hill.
Game 10: Virginia Tech 42 Duke 28. They offense goes crazy as the Hokies get big time revenge from last year.
Game 11: Virginia Tech 34 Wake Forest 17. A game that is similar to the Maryland game in 2013 but this time the Hokies take care of business on the road.
Game 12: Virginia Tech 28 Virginia 7. A game that the Hokies pretty much dominate the whole way through as UVA struggles to get anything going on offense and the streak moves to 11.
Obviously it's very early for predictions and in my heart I think the Hokies go 12-0 but in reality I see 10-2 as a legit possibility with the way the schedule favors Tech and they head back to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game. Can't wait for the season to start! GO HOKIES!
Comments
Put ECU over us and you get how I see the year going. After a physical game against an athletic OSU team and a young defense I think ECU has a good chance of coming out on top. Then again I thought UNC would of gotten us this year.
Agreed that ECU is a big trap game. I see losses to OSU, UNC. Coin flips for ECU, Pitt and GT.
I thought that we'd have a worse record than last year based on a lot of talent leaving on defense, but the schedule isn't actually that bad. It's basically the same as last year, except we play OSU instead of Alabama and we play a few more weaker teams while managing to dodge Clemson, Florida State, and Louisville.
For any minuscule dropoff in defense, I believe the offense can honestly make up for it, due to the fact that it will be more than just the QB making everything happen. If that even makes sense. Plus, if we can pick up Nnadi, then there may not be a dropoff of any kind. Of course, these are the happy thoughts of a pedestrian fan. :)
It's because I care about that I will point this out: you don't lose 5 senior starters and a quality backup and expect to have a minuscule dropoff. Bud will get his guys in the right spots and have a great scheme every game, but the inexperience of the front 7 very well may bite us at some point next year. Fair warning.
I love the idea of a 10 win season, and I think it is plausible. However, not sure we will average 29.5 points with a new quarterback. GO HOKIES!!!!!
I forgot to add that the reason that the offense will be so successful is because I think Edmunds will have a breakout year and Williams does well as his backup. I think Searels' (assuming he's the guy) O-line will be mean and nasty as well. But yes, I am very biased as well :).
Power of positive thinking!
This is obviously a way too early list, but there are a few big question marks out there for me. I want to see how the D line filters out. I assume Dadi will step up, but the depth and inexperience is a big thing in my mind. BC with the power game and GT just being annoying are not automatic wins at all.
On the other side of the ball, I hope the O line continues to improve under Searels. We have to get the running game back. I know many of us have questioned the RB rotation, but is Shane the guy to blame? I'm not sure who decides that. Anyways it will take a full team effort if Duke keeps playing like... Duke?
Oh and the whole QB thing. Given the question marks that we will get some answers to during spring, my way too early prediction is 8-4 with room to improve.
I'd be more than pleased with 9-3. Thinking losses at Ohio State, UNC & Duke. Have to avoid losing games they should win, which plagued us this year. I think naturally we will drop one of these "trap" games. Put me down for 8-4. Think 2015 could be the year the program gets back over the hump.
A 10 points loss to tOSU is very, very, very, very, very generous. That's all I'll say.
"Turning a few heads" will consist of keeping it to a 20 point game.
Also
This looks vaguely familiar
That was a fantastic game. It was raining so hard that we couldn't see past the 50 yard line, but I didn't care at all.
Exactly. That was a glorious day/night (sky was so dark I wasn't really sure what time of day it was all day anyways). I remember being drenched and cold (just jeans and a t-shirt for me, thanks), but having a drop of hot water hit me every once in a while, since I was standing right under the lights on the East stands. Easily one of my all-time favorite games as a Hokie. Miami was all hyped up coming in, no one thought we'd win, and we wiped the muddy field with em all day long. More, please.
I think the second or third play of the game was a sack-fumble, or something like that. It was right near the beginning of the game. From that point on I didn't care how rainy it was.
I was at the 31-7 rain game as well. But whenever I think of 31-7 against Miami, I think of my Sophomore year (2003) in college. When D Hall returned a fumble for a TD and the other Eric Green returned an Interception for a TD. We were ranked #10 and knocked off #2 Miami. To this day remains my favorite VT game of all time. Never heard Lane Stadium so loud.
All of the 31-7 wins against Miami were good. But the rain game, you didn't feel the rain because we were winning. But unfortunately BC and JMU have spoiled the feeling that we are always the better team in the rain.
The last home WVU game was another great rain game...I didn't mind being soaked in that game either.
I don't remember that one being rainy at all. All I remember from that game is that blocked field goal near the end of the half.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWTbZMRciy4
Here is the field goal block of which you speak. Can see a few of the fans wearing ponchos. I seem to remember it being really windy in the first half and the rain picking up more in the 2nd half.
I suppose the game was just so awesome that I forgot all about the rain. It probably wasn't raining too hard, at least.
I think 8-4 or better is a success for this season. New QB is going to make things difficult/interesting. There will be some bumps, and I wouldn't be surprised at 7-5 at all.
I would be disappointed with less than 8-4 given the schedule. Lot of questions but there is some talent on both sides of the ball. The quarterback situation will definitely be interesting.
Given the quarterback situation I would be happy with 8-4
Yeah, I think a handful of people are underestimating just how important the QB is to the overall team success.
GT would scare me more if they didn't just lose their QB. The guys that shut down GT last year were Hopkins, Tyler, and Kyle Fuller. They were all over the field that game. Tyler has owned GT. Who steps up to replace their output?
I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere somehow Loeffler has secretly been with Motley helping him and molding him into a QB that will lead us to Victory. I'm sorry but Leal has 3 years of no coaching and I just don't see it working out. Loeffler has been praising Motley since he (Lefty) got here. Spring needs to hurry up
You mean molding him into a TE that will lead us to Victory, right?
I think you've got your molders confused, Springstein is the mastermind behind molding Motley (#Motleymold) into the TE-QB of the future whilst Leffy will just make him a better quarterback with or without the influence of Tightend.
I think 10-2 is a real possibility, of course I am extremely biased. I agree the schedule is not as bad as I expected and if Searels is the real deal I think the offense could surprise. The defense should be good or better - It would be really nice to get Nnadi and I think Holland Fisher will be a beast! Can hardly wait for Spring.
Please explain how you could possibly think that the defense could be better?
No question marks in starters of secondary. Backups are the only issue there. Front 4 should still be very solid with Williams and Maddy in the middle and Dadi, Marshall, Ekanem and others on the outside. RVD will return from injury, DVD will be healed up as well, Trimble and Williams will be there for LB as well as some young guys. Biggest losses are Jack Tyler and Hopkins, but we can make up that loss.
I'm not saying the defense doesn't have potential to still be good, but replacing big time players like Tyler, Edwards, Gayle, Hopkins, and Collins all at once is not going to be an easy task. There are too many question marks in the front 7 to not expect at least a slight drop off in performance.
Collins played phenomenal to start the season then disappeared. Gayle just got the attention of the other team and got in the QBs face. He had the ability to make more plays but didn't. I think we have other players who can do the exact same and even get to the QB for more sacks. Edwards was never the same after his surgery. Still good, but didn't play the same. Tyler was a solid tackler but a liability in coverage. Hopkins will be the most difficult to replace, but that's where Maddy comes in and Nigel Williams fills Maddy's role from last year.
Would love to jump on the optimism train with most others and scream "10-win season!" Way to many question marks to be that bold. But the reality of it is that 7-8 wins is more likely. I don't like looking at Leal as the starter. He has been in the same system Logan was for to long but maybe Loeffler has turned him around. While starting the season with William and Mary gives us a chance to break some guys in I wish that the schedule after went Western Michigan, East Carolina, then Ohio State. This way we have more time to prepare. I think the game AT Ohio State followed by East Carolina can kill this season but East Carolina also has to play at South Carolina the week before come to Blacksburg. Looking at 2015 to be the season we break out again. Either way GO HOKIES!!!!!
I don't know, giving us more time to prepare (for Ohio) also gives them more time to prepare. I think this whole season is going to be a nail-biter. I will wait for the 'get rid of Loeffler' and 'Is it time for Beamer to retire' threads that are sure to pop up if we don't win ten games.
I haven't had time yet to research the competition yet but it seems that Ohio State is not losing much this year. If that is the case - they are probably ready. I am sure our coaching staff is smart enough to watch plenty of tape from the Clemson bowl game to see how to prepare on defense and to get a game plan for what we need to do on offense. First step though is to get into spring ball and see what we have! I am excited though for next season no matter what the outcome. The young players we have now and the ones coming in this year seem to be some of the most excited guys we have had in a while.
tOSU loses 4 out of 5 Olineman and their All American LB Ryan Shazier and top cb roby or whatever his name is
Nice predicton. Have you watched the games the last 2 years?
- Early 2000's Virginia Tech Football
I have no problems with all these optimistic predictions as long as everyone realizes that's exactly what they are- optimism. Just don't go screaming for people's heads if we don't make it to 10 wins in the second season in a completely new offense, with a brand new starting QB and the loss of three excellent seniors (Hopkins, Tyler, and Fuller) on defense.
Smart man, I hope for undefeated, but realistically would be happy with winning season and another bowl.
I think the offensive output that is showing up in your predictions is ridiculous to expect right now......
I think we will be ready for Ohio State, look at this year and look how well we played Bama, other than Special Teams we held our own for sure. Yeah edmunds had a great huge run and we tried to hang on and score but we couldn't. Ohio State had trouble with MSU's run this year and played awful D against Clemson. I really think we have a chance even though a lot of people don't.
Yeah we are losing Logan but maybe that will help us improve more, its not on 1 guy, its the whole team again and everyone will have to make plays. Defense's can't pack the box on 3rd and 3 or 3rd and 1 because we will have a whole new look at QB. No more QB/TE rushes for 4-5 yards
I know people are going to hate this, but I think UNC defeats us and will go on to win the Coastal next year. On offense, they only lose TE Eric Ebron and 2 offensive linemen. QB Marquise Williams was playing great by the end of the season and their skill positions are littered with very talented underclassmen. On defense, they lose 2 DLs and 3 DBs, but their linebacking corp should be very strong. I believe UNC was a case of being predicted to win "a year too early," but I don't think that will be the case in 2014 with the youth on the roster getting valuable experience and starting to gel by the end of this past season.
I would never say they only lose TE Eric Ebron. That's probably the best Tight End in the nation. I just looked it up and he was on the receiving end of 710 yards of Williams 1,698 yards passing. That's ~ 42% of his receiving yards gone. Huge loss for UNC.
Willie Byrn lead us in receiving yards at 660 yards. That calculates to 22.7% of Logan Thomas' total yards passing. As a comparison.
Not to mention that Ebron was such a reliable and effective weapon that the defense had to gameplan around the guy. He always had to be accounted for, and whenever he was on the field, the D had to key on him. Truly a game-changing type of player.
Unc also wasn't playing the stiffest of competition either
Realistically, I'd say we're looking at 7-5 and the Belk Bowl. Qb and defensive turnover is going to be too much. Also, I know our receivers will have another year under their belts, but how high are their ceilings at this point anyway. The Hokies just do not have the dynamic play makers on offense. Maybe somebody steps up. We'll see.
I see a drubbing in Columbus, a loss to ECU, and league losses to UNC, Duke (Yes, Duke), and a real head scratcher to Wake Forest.
Ew
Indeed. tOSU is a powerhouse, ECU is always tough, and with Duke and UNC on the rise, those could all legitimately be losses. But with Wake going through a coaching change, I really don't see us losing that one. Let's hope I'm right.
I'd see an 8-4 year as being a pretty good success given the turnover we're going through. I'm setting my sights pretty low and hoping to see us rise in 2015 and 2016.
Agreed, this is the weakest VT team of the ACC era. Many are downplaying how disconcerting the QB situation is. I think we are 6 wins +\- 1.
7-6 two years ago.
8-5 last year.
9-4 this upcoming season.
Progress...
So many unknowns. QB will certainly be a HUGE question mark. Ohio State could be ugly but I think we find a way to keep it under 2 TDs. I am really worried about ECU - they return a lot and always play us tough. UNC will be a handful at their place. I think we get Pitt and get payback on the Dookies. Through Orange and Maroon glasses, I see 8 or 9 wins.