I've read and heard a lot of, "This is unacceptable," with regards to how Tech has fared this season. The empty trophy case—the site is divided over whether it should stand. A majority of us want coaching changes, a few of you think Frank Beamer's best years are behind him. What do you think are reasonable goals for the program? What, on average, would you consider a successful season?
Here's some additional information:
Coaching Salaries
via: USA TODAY http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/story/2011-coache...
23 schools in the USA TODAY database pay their coaching staffs more than Tech.
Modern Day Winners
Texas, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas, Michigan, Iowa, Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, Oregon, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Clemson, Louisville, Washington, Wisconsin, Mississippi State
Only 13 teams have played in the BCS Championship.
LSU (2–1)
Florida (2–0)
Alabama (2-0)
Auburn (1–0)
Tennessee (1–0)
Oklahoma (1–3)
Texas (1–1)
Nebraska (0–1)
Florida State (1–2)
Miami, FL (1–1)
Virginia Tech (0–1)
Ohio State (1–2)
Oregon (0-1)
28 possible slots occupied by just 13 teams, and of those 13, 8 have been multiple times.
Recruiting Access
There's no doubt the state of Virginia has a wealth of high school talent. Published in July 2011, Rivals rated Virginia 7th in high school talent: http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1239398.
History
The Hokies entered their 119th season of college football with a record of 690-434-46 in 1,170 games played, appearing in 25 bowl games. Beamer has coached Tech to 20 of its bowl appearances, and holds a record of 213-102-2. Beamer accounts for nearly a 1/3 of Tech's wins in just about a 1/5 of its years. Consistent success is relatively new to the program, and unknown to any other coach.
Fans
According to Wiki (I know, I couldn't find the info anywhere else, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_Division_I_FBS_football_stadiums) Lane is 34th largest stadium by capacity, that's filled on Saturday's because of the sellout streak. Gate and concession revenue are two of the biggest ways the program generates revenue, and it could be argued the stadium size and tickets sold are proportional to fanbase and interest.
Conference
The ACC will have equal access to college football's new postseason, however the conference lags behind the SEC, B1G, Big 12, and Pac-12 in television contract dollars and doesn't have a major conference bowl partnership like the B1G/Pac-12/Rose and SEC/Big 12/Champions.
What are your thoughts?
Comments
I think the ceiling is a national championship!
As far as, on average, what would be considered a successful season? I would like for us to be legit national title contenders every year and if we lose a game to spoil that dream, I would like for that to be a shock/surprise. Not "Well we knew we'd drop one or two eventually. Glad it's out of the way early." However, I think the 'what's considered successful' is relative to the situation. Since we're in the terrible ACC, I think it's charlotte or bust and we should expect to get to charlotte every year. We should then expect to make it out of charlotte with a W most of the time. Getting me to the point: a BCS bowl win should be the minimal target every year. Especially in a system that rewards you for winning the terrible ACC. I realize we can't be all mighty every single year so I know losses will come and we'll have to suffer through heartbreaks, and in those seasons we don't make it to charlotte, there will be individual successes throughout the year and successes to build on, but for me, a successful season is one that ends with a bcs win.
It's a really hard question to answer, because every team's situations are so different and every fan's perceptions are so different. I think winning the ACC but losing the bcs bowl is an UNsuccessful season. Missing out on the acc championship but winning the chick fil a bowl is an UNsuccessful season. Some may think the two previous examples constitute a successful season, but not me. But I'm a national championship kind of fan and not everybody is. With that being said, I don't think those examples mean the season was completely unsuccessful; Those kinds of seasons still attract talent and give hope but they don't attract the type of talent that I, and most of you, want.
Also, you have tons of schools that would kill for those kinds of seasons, and I think that's where the answer to this question can get real cloudy. Regardless, I think the answers have to be relative to us and relative to our future. We can't view our success from the eyes of those beneath us and think we're lucky we're not them. That's not how sports works. We need to look to the top and ask, "What does it take to get up there?"
Last 10 Games vs. Last 10 years
In our last 10 games we have lost 6 of them. Essentially beating no one good or relevant.
Bowling Green
Austin Peay
Duke (by comeback)
GT (overtime, home, night game and GT is BAD this year)
We have lost on the biggest stages to solid teams and at noon to teams that we should never lose to...
Clemson - ACC championship game
Michigan - BCS Sugar Bowl
Pitt - handled by a Mediocre Big East Team...
Cincy - at our home away from home that doesn't feel like home.
UNC - noon game to a team that isn't post-season eligible
Clemson - lost our biggest recruiting rival for the third time in basically one year.
Looking at the last 10 games I feel like we have hit the floor... not the ceiling.
But looking at the numbers from the sites above (good stuff by the way) we have been very solid over the past 10-15 years for what we are working with financially and geographically. I was honestly surprised to see we are one of 13 teams to play for the National Championship. Never looked at it that way.
I knew this type of season would come, but I did not expect it to be this year. Just like most everyone else on the site I hope that this season invokes changes to our program that will give us a chance to be successful in the future. I understand we can never be Alabama, but I also do not want to be an Auburn one and done type team either. I like consistency and I have enjoyed the 10 win seasons. However, I do not like the head scratching losses and our inability to win big games on a very regular basis.
Goals / what I want to see for our future -
1. Have a true plan for the coaching staff. Not a ho-hum lets just figure it out tomorrow game plan.
2. Position the program to be successful in the ACC today, and for whatever comes next in the wild world of conferences and college football.
3. Beat UVA... always.
4. Be a legitimate annual contender for the playoffs and when/if we get there lets not be a one and done team.
5. Continue the tradition and passion for Hokie football. Regardless of our record this year we have something special. Let's appreciate what we have here.
A National Championship
Living up to our potential - plain and simple.
With the exception of our losses to LSU & Stanford (and Clemson last yr), I think Tech should have won most of those games. It could have even beaten Alabama if the play selection was competent. But beyond that, Tech was the better team in the rest of the losses. And we played with kids from Virginia, so its not out of the realm of reason to expect that we can reach that goal. Percy Harvin helped Florida and he hailed from Tidewater, so its not like the state doesn't produce talent, its just that a lot of the talent goes elsewhere.
It also doesn't help Beamer's cause to place an empty trophy case so prominently for the world to see, and then whine and complain and call people who dare disagree with him "Whacked". That case makes a statement that this is what we aspire to achieve as a program. So the mere presence of that case now becomes a metric which all future seasons are judged against. CFB doesn't like hearing criticism, but too bad - he's the one that asked us to come along for the ride.
I want an MNC
And for as long as I've been aware of Hokie football (since 1999) one has arguably been in reach. It seems to be slipping away, however. As time goes by and we lose more and more winnable games I find myself thinking things like "the 2000 team wouldn't have lost that" or "the 07 squad would never have let that happen." The guy above me hit it on the head in my eyes--the potential to win a national championship is there, and it's so frustrating to see it slip away for whatever reason year after year. It seems like we've been able to hang with the best teams in the nation, but never been able to actually beat them (not counting this year, where we can barely hang with GT).
As for solutions, I think a lot of you on this site have more well-formed ideas than me on that topic, so I won't comment on that. But I think the ultimate goal of a title is still within reach, it's just more years away than we'd all imagined/hoped. Until then, please get rid of the empty case. With the way our team looks right now, that thing just looks silly.
I look at it this way
VT is not a mid major just trying to get wins, get to bowls, and get recognition in the national landscape. That was in the early to mid 90s when frank took over. VT has been nationally recognized since the MNC in 1999. VT is not a mid major. So to hear before the season start that the acc championship was the goal and 10 wins and if they made it to the MNC then that'd be cool too is concerning. And I'm not talking about only this season. So to me it's as if frank is still stuck in the early 90's mentality instead of realizing this program has been on the cusp of taking that next step to elite status since the mid 2000's and the window is rapidly closing. The MNC was within reach for the past 10 years but I think that time has passed for frank.
I think you are spot on in pointing out that we are not a mid-major. Winning an ACC championship does not represent a successful season. I think that argument could be made if we were in the SEC, however with how weak the ACC is. This year for example we still have a chance of making it to the championship game with two losses. If we were in the SEC and won the conference we would be in the playoff format guaranteed, which cannot be said for the winner of the ACC. In my eyes a successful season is measured by how we perform in the big games (the Alabamas, LSUs, and Michigans) because until recruits start seeing us knock off the national powerhouses we will continue to lose our states best recruits to other programs. Which in turn will keep us out of making the playoff format and competing for the ultimate prize.
Success
I think success is top 12 in the polls at the end of the year. Ultimate success, however, is playing in the National Championship Game or the 4-team playoff.
Winning the ACC is an achievement, but does not necessarily mean success. One can win the ACC with 3-4 loss season. FSU won the ACC in 2005, went 8-5 and finished the year ranked 23 in the polls. VT has had similar years, which are not successful. Likewise, if another team wins the ACC, but VT finishes with a top 12 AP ranking, then I consider that success.
By these standards, VT has reached ultimate success once in 1999. They have had successful years in '95, '99, '00, '04, '05, '07, and '09.
With this current coaching staff, I think VT still can be successful, even next year. Due to their offensive abilities, however, I don't think they can reach ultimate success without an athlete like Michael Vick that can score on any broken play. So, if VT wants ultimate success, they must either find a better offensive system (new coaches) or find the next MV7/RG3... The MV7/RG3 thing ain't gonna happen.
Dislcaimer: Selection of AP Top 12 is the top 10% of the 120 FBS teams. If considering the top 5%, VT has finished in AP Top 6 twice, in '99 and '00.
I do not think a National Championship is a reasonable goal.
Take Kansas State right now. In a lot of ways, that is a very good comp for VT. History, consistency (during Snyder years), talent, relative context with regional competition, etc. One could argue their dependence on local JUCO talent is comparable to the 757 advantage VT has used over the last 20 years.
Kansas State is in the national title hunt right now. VT was in 1999. Why? A once in a generation QB. Klein is 5 games away from a Heisman and undefeated season. He's spectacular, in his own quirky way. His uniqueness, in comparison to Vick's, is also an interesting comparison. Did both of these spectacular talents end up at 2nd tier schools because they weren't the prototypes? (Remember that Vick set a new prototype, the real prototype that year was Ronald Curry and how he could be a pocket passer...who could run. Vick set the non-wishbone QB prototype of tailback who could pass. Today, the Vick prototype is common.)
After Klein, as before, KSU isn't a Big Boy. They may have a few seasons where they are relevant. Even compare KSU in '11 to VT in '00, when we deserved a BCS at-large and didn't get it. (irony, I know).
So what is VT (and KSU's) ceiling? Relevance, and wait around for the stars to align with the right defense, the right QB and the right regional and national competition to open up a chance for a national title. That's not the goal, however. That's luck, which is when preparation meets opportunity. KSU (and VT) prepared to be in the title hunt when the opportunity arises. Alabama prepares for the title, and has to "lose it" every year.
I have said many times that I think we have seen the best of VT football. The new equation includes ACC offenses with real QB's, ACC HC's who don't shoot themselves in the foot, a guy not named Al Groh also recruiting VA, less of a foothold on 757. I see the Beamer era in phases: pre-Vick relevance, The Vick Era, Post Vick BE re-definition, ACC era to Tyrod, post Tyrod ACC. TT is a marker here, not an indicator. The indicator is larger, a more competent ACC.
I project our next 10 years to be about what PSU has done the last 10, maybe Tennessee the last 10. Fleeting relevance, some sub .500 years, far less stability (more in the UT model, of course nothing like PSU has gone through in the last 18 months). Still a recruiting threat, talent to play with anyone, but lacking in a true vision of excellence in a new era.
Buckle your seat belts.
This is reasonable. I don't necessarily agree with the sub .500 years happening much, but I think a lot of people are very delusional about competing for a national championship annually. Who does that? Oklahoma? Alabama? LSU? That's about all I got. Hell, last year, Florida went 6-6, right? Texas didn't even go to a bowl two years ago. I'm cool with being pissed this year... as fans, we should be. But these seasons, ya know, happen. ULTIMATELY the goal is the National Championship... but the stars have to align. Compete in your conference (which, thanks to a horrible division, we are doing this year), keep knocking on the door, and eventually, something might happen.
That being said.... this season sucks.
you made several good points and I agree on most, especially the Klein/Vick comparison. However, the "I project our next 10 years to be about what PSU has done the last 10, maybe Tennessee the last 10." comment has me puzzled. Do you feel this way assuming changes will not be made or do you think that even if changes are made, we just can't compete with the big boys? Just wondering
VT can be more successful
If Oregon can be as successful as they have been with Chip Kelly the last few years, I would think Virginia Tech could do something along the same lines. I think the only edge Oregon has are the flashy uniforms. (for the record I am NOT an Oregon fan, but I do respect their football program)
Stadium Size: smaller than Lane 54,000
In-State Recruiting: minimal
Conference Opponents: Tougher than ACC opponents
If Oregon can do it, VT can too.
You say "flashy uniforms" like its nothing.
Its a huge deal. The Nike support they receive is completely unique. Not only financially, but the perception of their brand gets them into so many doors all over the east coast that they wouldn't be able to get into without Nike.
Oregon isn't a comp for anyone, they have such a huge advantage that nobody can relate to. Notre Dame, maybe, in an odd way, because that brand gets you in doors that you don't deserve to be in based on record.
I don't think I'm following
I'm not trying to be difficult, I just don't understand, what do you mean by doors?
recruits
A huge part of Oregon's success is that are equal players to USC in southern california recruiting. Why? The Swoosh. (The offense doesn't hurt either.)
it's been the case in basketball for years, that your shoe contract was a huge part of your recruiting effort. Some kids wouldn't go play for non-Nike schools. Oregon is the first to bring that element to football recruiting, in large part because of those flashy uniforms. Its not about the shoes in football, but the 386 different ensembles Nike has given Oregon. Traditionalists and adults often don't think much of Oregon's uniforms, but kids love them.
agreed
I have to agree that the uniforms do carry a big weight with recruiting. If you don't believe it look at VT players twitter pages when Oregan plays. Players get fixated on em and wish they had something like that.
But hey... we have turkey feet and can't find a ________ pair of maroon pants for our team to wear.
I totally agree that the uniforms make a big difference when recruiting to young adults, but I think you're undermining the "(The offense doesn't hurt either)" part.
It seems like you're saying uniforms carry such a weight that the other tangible things don't seem to matter as much as they would for other programs. To that I highly disagree: If Oregon wasn't putting up 50 points a game and played for a NC two years ago and currently the second best team in the nation regardless of what the polls say, then those flashy uniforms wouldn't carry as much weight.
Point being, the on the field performance allows the uniforms to be more effective when recruiting. I don't want to undermine the role the uniforms play when recruiting, but Oregon's performance on the field gives way for the uniforms to be a talking point. You can't have the uniforms' effectiveness without having the wins to back it up.
I still have hope
Before I go into my glass half full rhetoric I need first and foremost to state that we need to make some changes in the offense coaching staff. Like many of you I get so frustrated watching us march it down the field with our passing game to all of the sudden decide to run a trick play or jet and buck sweeps repeatedly that are getting stopped. I think we need to get some fresh blood to replace Newsome and Stinespring at least. Our line hasn't been great for a few years if we look at it objectively. If Tyrod wasn't such a good scrambler we wouldn't have had much success with him either. Wilson used his athleticism to get out of bad situations. I think we recruit horribly for lineman. Painter was our only real gem, and luckily he is now turning out some good play. I do feel the tragedy at Tech affected recruiting.
As for the outlook. This is all probably not likely but I think we have a fighting shot to come out of this season with wins throughout. It is possible, we can hang with these teams and beat Miami, FSU and the rest. If we (by the grace of God) won out, had a strong showing the rest of the season, and didn't lose Thomas, Fuller, Gayle etc. to the draft we would start the season with a lot of buzz going into a very difficult Alabama game. This site would be buzzing with NC dreams and complete turnaround.
I think we can make it back to the NC but it will take a great end of season run, a favorable schedule, playing strong and winning our games. Next year's schedule is not going to do much in the BCS computers but with the exception of the first game they all looks winnable and could put us in the hunt. In 99 we actually had a weak schedule. We never played a top 15 team until the NC. However our offense was dynamic and put up buckets of points on almost everyone.
We need to start slowly getting some playing time for our upcoming line. Both tackles are graduating so the new guys need work, interior line needs work now and for the future. Also working in RVD on D, and getting this next wave of receivers going more. We also need to pray Drew Harris does come to VT in spring as committed and does what some of us thinks he can do.
You guys will probably thing I wrote this faded but I have a feeling.
For this season, I don't see why this team can't get 5 more
uniform changes.
You know Nike is going to hook us up with some sweet special-edition uniforms for the Music City Bowl
Ha Ha, I've been saying for years that Nashville would be a cool city to visit for bowl season. Fans have been saying for years how they're tired of the Orange Bowl. Well, here ya go everybody!
realistic
for the amount of blood, sweat, and tears (and money) that fans have put into this team over the last MANY years, CFB owes it to himself and Hokie Nation to put the team in the best situation to reach its goals, short term and long term. That being said, some changes in the organization need to happen .. plain and simple.
As far as realistic expectations:
- we should expect to compete for the ACC championship every season and be in the CFB playoff at least every 5 years (expecting this team to compete at that level every season is not realistic)
- we should expect our team to win games that they should ... in dominating fashion
- we should expect our team to win their share of games that they shouldn't .. to expect to win all the big games is not realistic, but we should definitely win the sugar bowl's, the boise games
- we should expect our coaches to make good decisions .. top fucking notch decisions .. tough decisions ... to put an edge and attitude back into our team. if you're not performing at a top 25 level .. sit the hell down on the bench
- start running this program more like a business ... if the coaches aren't getting it done long-term, they gotta go .. if a player isn't cutting it (look at some of our oline, backfield) -- then sit 'em down. those who perform deserve to play .. period
I'd consider the MNC to be an outside goal
Is it achievable? Of course. We're a top team in a BCS conference. We've won 10+ games a ridiculous number of times in the BCS era. Any one of those years if a bounce or two goes another way, we make the championship game and who knows what happens after that. Last second loss to Boise and subsequent shitting the bed against JMU in 2010. Boston College recovering an onside kick to win in 2007. The pass interference against USC and missed FG against NC State in 2004. Just a few plays change in each season and we make the championship.
And with the 4 team playoff coming, we'd be guaranteed a playoff spot with an undefeated season, and have a shot with a 1 loss season. Like all other sports, the important thing is just getting that postseason shot, and then hoping you win when it matters.
But is it realistic to expect it? Probably not. Going undefeated requires a crazy amount of talent, skill, and, most of all, luck. We're a top team, but we're not a dominating team over our competition such that we'll only be challenged by a few teams a season. And I wouldn't expect us to - half our conference recruits and spends near or above our level. We're simply not on the same level as the top tier powers. And since, as you show, only 13 teams have even played for the MNC, it's a fairly exclusive, dominating club. And even among that top tier, history shows that it's far more likely to slip up even if you have the team to win it all.
As the above examples show, to make a playoff we'd need everything to go right. Win all the close games, not have a single off or bad luck day. It's something to hope and cheer for, but it's not something I'd reasonably expect. To have an amazing team by VT standards, have every break go our way during the season, have the schedule shake out just right, have the competition for the 4 slots fall if needed, and then to win the playoff games if we get there. For VT that's shooting the moon. We can do it, but it'll be rare.
So if it's an outside goal, don't you think the administration and coaching staff should do what it takes to make it a realistic goal?
I do. That's how business works and this college football thing is nothing more than that, BIG business. I think we have the intangibles in place to make it a realistic goal but we're scared to change. I'm not saying we can be Bama/Ohio St/Oklahoma in two years, but we can get better coaches than we have now and in turn, get those big times wins, which attracts better talent. It's very possible.
A National Title is the goal. We're the best program currently in the ACC (FSU and Clemson are better programs than us, but over the past 10 years we've clearly been better) and with the playoffs we should have a shot again. We've played in a title game before, so we've been right there, there's no reason to think that getting back there and winning it this time is unreasonable. I still think if Marcus Vick wasn't an idiot we would have won it his senior year and if Josh Morgan had recovered that onside kick we would have played Ohio State for the title that year.
The SEC seems like it's going to dominate for awhile, but it doesn't mean we CAN'T win. Any given Saturday. It only takes one time, just give us a shot and anything can happen. So yea, I think a realistic goal is a National Title, if it's not then what's left for us to accomplish?
In my opinion, our top 3 goals every year should be:
1. Beat UVA
2. Play for the ACC Championship
3. Put ourselves in the best possible situation to play for the MNC
The thing is, these are not difficult goals to achieve. We've been there before, and we can do it again if we get back to playing smash mouth defense, running the ball until the defensive line breaks, beating teams 62-0, making our opponents terrified of playing in Lane Stadium, re-focusing on special teams, and giving every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears we have for 60 minutes.
I refuse to believe that we cannot get back to the championship game. I admit I'm a total fan boy and wear my orange and maroon glasses every day, but I want us to start reestablishing ourselves next season by having a pissed off, unranked VT team roll into Atlanta and punch Alabama in the mouth to set the tone for what is to come.
I honestly think we're going to be ranked at the start of next year no matter how this season ends. Even if we finish 6-6 I wouldn't be surprised if we start out ranked, I know we shouldn't be, but they overrank us in the preseason every year just because we've dominated the conference. And if we beat Miami, well then we have a legitimate shot at the ACC Title game. Even a bad year in Blacksburg can end in an ACC Championship!
Good point, plus possible #1 Bama vs. an unranked team would be a less attractive TV matchup for ESPN
we think alike
preseason polls are marketing driven
Depends on LT
If he returns, we start ranked. If he doesn't, we won't.
The chances are very slim, and I would be absolutely shocked if LT didn't come back. I'd be a little worried if he had a year like last year but he has struggled too much this season to start thinking NFL.
Early draft
I agree if Thomas and the upper classmen who have under performed stick around we could have a great season.
What upperclassmen are you worried about leaving early? Kyle and Antone?
Granted I know Antone said preseason that if the defense had a good year he was going to the league, but I don't think it's impressed anyone enough for him to start thinking NFL.
Players leaving
Honestly right now I am not necessarily too worried about any players going early. The way we have performed has definitely dropped several players draft stock. Going into the season I thought for sure that Fuller, Thomas, Gayle and possibly Exum would be going early regardless. So much preseason hype and athleticism. Now mid season all have had a "decent" year statistically. Not good but still potential Sunday guys. If declaration day was now I have a feeling Gayle, and Exum would probably go if they were predicted in the first two rounds, which is highly unlikely unless they play in beast mode the rest of the season. Just from media appearances and perspective or hunch. Gayle reminds me of Worilds mindset. Logan Thomas and Kyle Fuller seem both like guys who would stick around.
With that said I really hope these guys see potential in next year like Barkley did and stick around. Even though that didn't really work out for him. If they stuck around and played well in their senior season their prospect would be higher.
Win BCS bowl Games
Beating Hoos is a given. If we drop one during the season and don't reach the MNC I'll be upset, but I will settle for just beating who we play in a BCS bowl or 2nd tier bowl game like the Chik-Fil-A bowl. I think if we had won these games in the past the fan base would be more forgiving right now. Also, beating a higher ranked opponent in some of these neutral site games would help as well. I don't think we do the right type of recruiting (SECheating) to be optimistic of a national championship every few years, but we need to take care of business in the post season.
BCS Bowl win and top 10 finish
Based on our success over the years, (the whole winningest team since 1995 or whatever it is) I feel that we aim for these two things every year. If an ACC championship comes along with that, awesome. If it doesn't? Well that's good news for the ACC then... Based on the brand that we have, I feel these are reasonable goals. We aren't going to be competing for a National Title every year. That much is obvious. We aren't getting the players that will bring us there every year, and the coaching really isn't at that level. To be a National Championship coach, you either have to be A) A fantastic recruiter(Nick Saban), B) An Innovative coach that installs a system that works wherever it is put into place (Urban Myer, Chip Kelly), C) Get lucky and find a once in a lifetime player to carry your team to the title (Gene Chizik), or D) The luckiest coach in sports (Les Miles). Many could argue that Beamer most closely fits into the B catagory with defense and special teams, but the fact of the matter is that it is no longer innovative and succesful, so he therefore doesn't qualify.
Does this mean that maybe once or twice in a decade we could have a team where the parts fit together really nicely and make a run? Absolutely, but at the same time, it forces us to attempt to remain one of the top teams nationally in addition to being the best in an ACC that has been down for quite some time. As of late we're been a Big Fish in a small pond that just gets eaten every time it tries to head to deeper waters.
Catagory C
I think he fits in C with Michael Vick.
Sugar Coated
I feel like with the amount of success we've had, coupled with the high amount of failure in big games, the fans have come to sugar coat how we support the team in order to be able to swallow what a successful season is. Every time I hear of Virginia Tech be a national powerhouse I chuckle a bit to myself. I will not consider us a national powerhouse, no not when we win a NC, but rather when we consistently win games against very good teams. I dread the 10-win streak that we currently have (yet are going to finally break) because it's just an easy way to go, "Oh it's okay that we lost 3 games to ranked teams, but we beat 11 'very good teams' (as Beamer would say)." Yes, we've built the program up to one that is nationally recognized and is known for consistently being a solid team, but can we please stop teetering on the edge and get over this freaking hump? The story of Virginia Tech football contains a lot of "if's" or "we almost," "we should've," and this turns into an empty trophy case. I think our goal every year should be a national championship. We've reached that one time, so I don't see why you would ever lower your standards. If you reach it once, reach it again and again and again. Just get over this god damn hump that seems to be slowing slipping away from us.
True Ceilings are Ellusive
I agree with a large number of these posts about our ceiling and expectations being both a National Championship or, at the very least, a BCS Bowl so I will try not to repost the same thoughts. There is no reason that we can't or shouldn't have a chance to get there in a poor conference every year, with a fan dubbed "rebuilding" year every now and then. College football teams exist to WIN football games. No program was ever created with the goal not to go out and accomlish this. The difference maker in all of this is that every time you reach the "ceiling" or the pinnacle of your program's goals, both in the minds of your players/coaches and the fans, that ceiling moves and rightfully so. Consistency is great except for the fact that it comes to be consistently boring for the player, recruits, and fan-base. I am all for 10-win season and think that the streak is a great thing until it becomes a fall-back for not competing at a higher level. The coaching staff and Beamer are consistently asking for that higher level and no matter the talent that comes through the door, it seems they have been falling short in recent years. We have more talent leaving early than top programs and I find myself asking if they know something that we don't? The fact of the matter is...of the statistics at the top of the page on CFB and his staff, there are a lot of wins. However, what isn't mentioned is that of the 25 bowl games that Tech has gone to (which is no longer much of a feat these days with 6-6 going to a bowl) 19 of them were under Beamer. His record in these bowl games is a 8-11, with a BCS Bowl record of 2-6. Really?!? If any coach at another "football school" had a 42% winning percentage they would likely be out on their ass. Bringing in Shane was also a step in the right direction. Yes, VA is ranked 7th nationally for football talent. However, if we consistently recruit in Virginia, and lose the bigger talents to top programs year after year and if we aren't recruiting nationally, then how can we expect to compete on a national scale? Unfortunately, "consistency" is our enemy at this point.