After two straight up-and-down seasons, the Hokies enter 2014 filled with hope. The schedule is favorable, the Coastal Division is wide open, dynamic playmakers are blossoming on both sides of the ball. Sure, there are a lot of questions concerning this squad, but that's the norm with almost every program in the country. How strong will our quarterback play be? What will the running back rotation look like? Will playmakers emerge at receiver/tight end and change the dynamic of this offense? What will the latest iteration of the Wild Turkey look like? How effective will our svelte defensive line be against both spread and pro-style offenses? Can we keep our key players healthy and productive through the entirety of this season? I could go on and on...
What we do know is that we are currently witnessing the realization of the coaching staff's reconstructed vision for the program. After years of recruiting athletes, Bryan Stinespring & Co. have made a concerted effort to recruit players that have big time talent and are ideal fits for the offensive and defensive systems. The young players that underwent trial-by-fire over the past two seasons are now experienced veterans. Our previously disfunctional and lean running backs corps is potentially six-deep, with backs that fill defined and complementary roles.
So how will the Hokies fare in 2014? The Key Play Staff thought it would be a worthwhile exercise to indulge Hokie Nation with our own predictions for the upcoming Tech football season. Feel free to share your outlook for the season too. Happy football season, everyone!
Joe Lanza
Season Prediction: Let's pretend Mark Shuman is the only injury Tech has to deal with and the offense gets productive quarterback play from either Brewer or Leal. In that case, given how fluffy the schedule is, and how promising the defense seems, it's not crazy to peg this team to go 10-2/11-1. However, there are always injuries and Tech is wafer-thin at d-end, offensive tackle, and light at d-tackle. Unless both Leal and Brewer were practicing like All-Americans, it is not encouraging that neither separated himself until the end of fall camp. It's a scary proposition if the offense lacks a dependable running game, so much so that Tech could finish 6-6 or worse. In summary, if everything goes right this could be a very memorable season, if everything goes wrong, it could be a disaster. I'm hedging somewhere in between. Losses at Ohio State, at North Carolina, at Pittsburgh.
Final Regular Season Record: 9–3
Key Matchup: At Duke. Like Tech, the Blue Devils avoid FSU, Louisville, and Clemson, but they host the Hokies. I think that game could decide the division.
Breakout Player: Corey Marshall.
Alex Koma
Season Prediction: I've often been accused of being too optimistic about the Hokies, and I find myself falling into the same trap again this year.
I felt good about last year too, and I was burned (I hate you, C.J. Brown) but I'm plowing ahead and saying this year goes much better. I think 10 wins are totally reasonable; this is largely because I believe less in the supposed "competition" in the Coastal than I believe in our alleged new-look offense. Miami and Duke have had major injury issues and I don't believe nearly enough in UNC's defense to see them taking the leap that so many project.
The Hokies can certainly stumble in some unexpected ways - as they almost always do - but I think the defense will be excellent once more and, when combined with an offense that should be at least a little more consistent, I think a division win is totally reasonable.
Final Regular Season Record: 10–2
Key Matchup: I hate to cheat and pick two, but UNC and Pitt in back-to-back games is pretty terrifying. Even without Braxton Miller, it still wouldn't surprise me if the Buckeyes get the best of us. And there's no shame in that. If the Hokies can stay focused for two HUGE Coastal games (particularly with one in the strangely haunted setting of Heinz Field), then they can head to the ACC Championship Game.
Breakout Player: Josh Stanford is my pick. He came on big time at the end of the year, and Aaron Moorehead loves the guy. He had a sneaky good year last year, and he's got more talent around him (even with a new quarterback). He should be fun to watch.
Mark Trible
Season Prediction: Beamer and his players said the right things at ACC Media Weekend. The interesting thing wasn't the answers, but the questions. There's a lot of uncertainty on the offensive side of the ball. I think the defense holds up just fine, but how can anyone just count on the offense? It's truly a wait-and-see process. Losses to Ohio State, UNC, Pittsburgh and Duke.
Final Regular Season Record: 8–4
Key Matchup: I think we'll learn a lot about this team when East Carolina rolls into town. A week after Ohio State, where will their focus be? There are more important games, but this one will give a more accurate representation of identity than the Bill & Mary or Ohio State game will.
Breakout Player: Ronny Vandyke.
Jonathan French (french60wasp)
Season Prediction: Honestly, I can't say I would be shocked if the Hokies won 11 games or 5 games this season. So much hinges on the play of the quarterback and offensive line, and both are essentially unknowns thanks to the lockdown on fall camp scrimmages. If the defense plays the way they looked in the next-to-last scrimmage of the spring and the offense is middle-of-the-road running the football without turning the ball over, the Hokies should win the Coastal Division. If we take the coaches at their word and the offense is better equipped for success, there isn't a team on the Hokies schedule that they can't beat. However, you have to expect some drop-off defensively against the run, so the offense must be better this season.
Regardless of how this season plays out, 2014 is about setting the foundation for 2015 and 2016. All the players creating a buzz (Isaiah Ford, Cam Phillips, Shai McKenzie, Marshawn Williams, the young QBs, Kendall Fuller, Brandon Facyson, Bucky Hodges, Ricky Walker, and Andrew Motuapuaka) are freshmen or sophomores. Success will be measured by how well the Hokies establish an offensive identity and how they continue to build depth to match the talent-upswing on defense, the likes of which we haven't seen since 2010.
Final Regular Season Record: 8–4
Key Matchup: Watch the Georgia Tech game. The Yellow-Jackets appear to be worse on paper this season, but their offense always presents a challenge for Foster's defense. This season, the stakes are increased because elite prospects Josh Sweat and Kevin Tolliver III will be on official visits. If you go to one game, go to the Georgia Tech game and bring your lungs.
Breakout Player: I think Deon Clarke is primed for a huge season. Clarke brings a unique combination of speed and physicality to the backer position that we have not seen since Xavier Adibi. He can jolt blockers with his gap fits at the point of attack. He has more speed than Tariq Edwards, to go with a knack for getting to the quarterback on blitzes. Expect to see Clarke coming off the edge often when Kyshoen Jarrett plays in the box. I predict that he will have close to a half-dozen sacks and will be a dynamic playmaker up front. My only worry about Clarke is his lack of experience. There will be the occasional bust on misdirection and bootlegs. His playmaking ability at the position should offset those snafus.
Mason Naumann (3rdand31)
Season Prediction: I can't remember any Hokie team having a higher ceiling and a lower floor than the 2014 squad. The defense has a few NFL-bound players in the secondary, as well as a few potential playmakers in the front-7. However, the margin of error is frighteningly thin. Just a couple of injuries would be trouble, considering how inexperienced the second-team is. Foster's speed-over-size strategy will have to produce lots of negative plays to get off the field quickly, or risk getting worn down as the games and season wear on.
The offense could turn the corner...if every position improves. That's not as absurd as it sounds though, since every position group returns either more experienced or more physically gifted players. If the QB play is merely consistent, the offense could put up decent numbers.
Tech beats Ohio State and their young QB early in the season, but the lack of depth on the DL has to bite us at some point. Playing in Pittsburgh sucks and Paul Chryst has my respect for his blocking schemes, so they get the nod for Techs lone loss.
Final Regular Season Record: 11–1
Key Matchup: Georgia Tech. Always Georgia Tech. Starting a front seven without much experience against CPJ's flexbone attack, Foster will have to work his magic to give Tech an early lead in the Coastal.
Breakout Player: Bucky Hodges. The type of player who is a matchup nightmare anywhere you line him up.
Brian Marcolini
Season Prediction: The mystery is terrifying and not being able to watch any type of "preseason" Tech football (a.k.a. scrimmages) has made the mystery grow even larger. Will this offense gel, find a solid running game for the first time in three years and have consistent passing threats? Or will it be more of the same, with uneven line play at just about every position? Think about this: Tech will start a quarterback that roughly 1% of the fan base has ever seen throw a football with their own eyes. That's pretty nerve wracking.
That being said, the schedule falls perfectly in place for them (Georgia Tech, Boston College and Miami all at home, pulling Wake Forest out of the Atlantic). Who do you look at on that schedule that will give Tech a "definite" loss? Everyone Tech plays in-conference has a major question mark, so you can really talk yourself into a final record anywhere between 7-5 and 10-1. I know it's a popular pick, but I'll go with 9-3, with losses to Ohio State, North Carolina and either Georgia Tech or East Carolina (I know that's a cop out, and I don't care).
Final Regular Season Record: 9–3
Key Matchup: Miami at home on a Thursday night. Everyone's saying that the week prior at Pitt is going to be a tough one, which I agree with. Let's say hypothetically the Hokies lose to both UNC and Pitt, giving them back-to-back conference losses going into a Thursday nighter against the 'Canes. For your reference, here are the games post-Miami: home against BC, at Duke and Wake, home against Virginia. Not exactly a murderer's row of conference games.
If the goal really is to win the Coastal, the Miami game will mean everything. Two losses in-conference is possible to come back from, but three? That's a little trickier.
Breakout Player: Tech fans are going to love Isaiah Ford this year. At the end of the day, however, doesn't it have to be Brewer? Again, we have absolutely NO IDEA what he can do, but if he completes 65% of his passes and throws less than 7 interceptions, I think he wins this category by default.
Billy Berlin (BilldozerVT)
Season Prediction: I want to believe this is the year we go back to 10-win seasons. Looking at the schedule, I feel that it is a very realistic expectation. I think this team will come out of the gates strong and pull-off the upset in Columbus. After stringing together some early wins, I see us dropping consecutive games against UNC and Pitt. With that being said, I see this team closing strong with a bowl win and getting our hopes high for a special 2015 season.
Final Regular Season Record: 10–2
Key Matchup: At Pitt. Coming off a bye week and being away on a Thursday night will tell us a lot about this team.
Breakout Player: Brandon Facyson. Technically not a 'breakout' player, given how impressive he was filling in for an injured Antone Exum. I can see opposing quarterbacks opting not to throw in the direction of a Fuller, and instead decide to contribute to Facyson's INT count.
Pierson Booher (PhillyHokie007)
Season Prediction: There are a lot of uncertainties heading into this season, be it the QB position, our RB roulette wheel, or our frighteningly thin D-line. With that being said, I feel like the coaching staff has worked their tails off to bring in a lot of playmakers who seem ready to contribute on some level this season. If these players can show the requisite maturity early on, this season has the potential to be a surprise. The schedule sets up nice: We (finally) avoid road trips to BC and Miami, meaning the furthest we travel is to Pittsburgh off a bye week.
The continued maturation of the offensive under Coach Loeffler will be scrutinized, but something to watch for is the play out of our leaner and quicker defense. Our defensive speed will bode well for the spread-based teams on our schedule, but how well will it stand up over 4 quarters against teams like BC and Pitt, who will look to beat us up at the point of attack? Given the inexperience on the roster, it wouldn't surprise me if we had a letdown game against a weaker opponent. A night game at The Horseshoe will be tough, so I can see us dropping games against OSU and one of the UNC-Pitt-Miami games.
Final Regular Season Record: 10–2
Key Matchup: Pittsburgh. Playing at Pitt is always a challenge, and coming off a bye week between games against UNC and Miami makes me nervous. Pitt has proven over the years that if we start out on our heels, they will punch us in the mouth early and often. Avoiding the bye week hangover will be crucial here.
Breakout Player: Isaiah Ford. I'm going out on a limb here, but he has the looks of a special talent that could immediately change the dynamic of our offense.
TheFifthFuller
Season Prediction: Since the beer I'm drinking only fuels my blind optimism, let's play this out: Michael Brewer emerges as an accurate, efficient passer. Our offensive linemen stop getting hurt and start grading roads. Edmunds or McKenzie or Juice Williams form a devastating one-two punch, with Coleman as the change up. Isaiah Ford, Josh Stanford and all three TEs catch 60 passes each. Nobody on the defensive line gets hurt. Ronny Vandyke actually plays this season and single handedly "Kyle Fullers" Paul Johnson's offense. Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson combine for 34 interceptions. Kyshoen Jarrett sends eight opponents to the Injured Reserve List. [RANDOM FRESHMAN KICKER] only misses one field goal all year. "Pride and Joy" block four field goals and six punts.
Why CAN'T we go undefeated?
Final Regular Season Record: 12–0 (If you don't think I've convinced myself this will happen, you aren't drinking enough)
Key Matchup: North Carolina, because French keeps scaring me talking about how good their quarterbacks are. Also, Duke is too banged up, Miami is worse off at QB than we are, UVA is LOL and Pitt is not an issue as long as I don't lose my Walt Harris voodoo doll.
Breakout Player: Offensively, a running back. I'm not sure which one. But probably Shai McKenzie. Or Trey or Juice. Or JC. Defensively, Ken Ekanem. He's got all the tools to be successful and he's playing under the radar next to Maddy and Dadi. Plus his Twitter handle is @Ekannibal, so he might think Smoke Mizzell is barbecue and just eat him.
Joel Smith (joelestra)
Season Prediction: This feels an awful lot like 2013. If the offense somehow surprises us and becomes a litte more effective than expected, 10 wins is easily within reach; if QB play isn't decent and we can't get a running game going again, we'll barely be bowl eligible. An elite defense keeps you in (almost) every game, so my realistic prediction would be losses to Ohio State and to 2 out of Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Pitt, and Miami. An ACC Championship Game appearance will depend on others and we will not control our own destiny after that stretch.
Final Regular Season Record: 9–3
Key Matchup: Georgia Tech is my barometer for the season. If we're not playing well then and drop that one, I'm really worried about the UNC-Pitt-Miami stretch. Win convincingly and I'm searching flights for the ACC Championship Game.
Breakout Player: This is tough - I want to say Josh Stanford, who gained 9.5 yards per target in 2013 with a 58.8% catch rate and is a few less drops away from being a stud. I just don't trust our offense enough. So instead I'll go defense, where I think we'll see Ken Ekanem come onto the scene in a big way.
Comments
I'm with TheFifthFuller here. I've never not picked us to go undefeated, and see no reason to start this year.
I really can't fault your logic in the first sentence.
12-0? More like 15-0.
the5thfullers predictions got me like
Morning posts always make my work day start a little later. Great write ups you guys!
Season Prediction: I could not agree more that the range between the floor and ceiling for this team is as large as it's ever been, or ever going to be. Combine the unknowns on offense with the unknowns of our schedule and antyhing between 5-7 and 11-1 seems possible. I am optimistic that the offense turns a corner this season due to more experience and a bit more talent. Even so, they will still only be average. The defense, yet again, will need to shine if we want to have aspirations of going to Charlotte or a big bowl.
Beating Ohio State may be just the shot in the arm this team needs to put it over the edge this year, but I have to assume that doesn't happen. The Hokies bounce back strong over the next three games at home and then drop at least one in the Pitt, UNC, and Miami stretch. Add an additional loss that we always seems to find unexpectedly along the line against BC, Duke, GT, or ECU and i think we finish the year with a 9-3 record, which may be enough to pull out the Coastal. And really, I think winning the Coastal is a reasonable measuring stick for this team this year.
Key Matchup: Gotta go with Thursday night in Lane against Miami. Say they come into that game, as I predict, at 5-2. A win against the Canes springboards them down the stretch that could, potentially, clench them another Division title. A loss, likely makes that goal much tougher, if not near impossible. And besides, we all know the Thursday night game is already circled on all of our calendars.
Breakout Player: Why not Shai Mckenzie? We've had running backs breakout before and I'd love to see it again. I've herd lots of good things about him, I hope he can come through. Isaiah Ford looks poised to be a star as well.
Besides the team, I predict much tailgating, beer drinking, and fun this fall. And really, isn't that what it's truly all about!
I agree that this seasoon could be as low as a 6-6 team or as high as a 11-1 or 12-0 team. It all depends on where the injuries occur, if any, and how all the young players develope. Regardless of the record, this season should be fun to watch as we all are anticipated for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
I'm going to wuss out and not make a W-L prediction, just because it is a crap shoot. I do know this: Our record is going to be better than UVA's. Also: Water is wet.
Key Matchup: W&M.
Silly right?
But this is going to be the barometer for the season. Are we able to put away a team we should trounce early, get our starters rest thanks to their sound play, and get our reserves valuable reps to close the gap between first & second string?
Historically, our defense has had its worst breakdowns when that gap wasn't able to be closed because we couldn't afford to sub in the reserves, leading to fatigue and injury, and the subsequent trial-by-fire for reserve players with too few game-speed snaps under their belt to be net contributors to stopping scoring drives.
And if our offense can't get reps for backup linemen (which we know with 100% certainty will suffer losses to injury - Wang is injured so often he should change his first name to Ding), show a good grasp and execution of Loeffler's scheme, and put points up on W&M, there is little hope they will against OSU, and little reason to believe they would improve significantly enough over the first few weeks to avoid losses to ECU (by being outscored in a shootout) & GT (by having a tired/injured defense just run out of the stadium).
Breakout Player: Going off that theme that our reserves are the key to the season, I'm going with Wyatt Teller on offense, and Seth Dooley on D.
If we are getting quality plays out of both of them from a reserve role, that's going to indicate how well the season is going.
I get your point on the W&M game, but I think it's hard to judge a team too much week one. I agree with you to the point that I would like to see us put up a fairly convincing performance against an inferior team, but I also think we'll see some hiccups that just come from nerves and being in your first real live game situation of the season (and hey, let's give some credit to an experienced W&M team).
The ECU game, IMO, is when it's time to put up or shutup and we'll see what our team can really do.
I completely agree with krak_t.
Game #1 we see if the WR catch with fingertips and run routes, QB work is smooth and accurate and O-line gets the holes for RBs to run through.
It tells us if the fast D-line can withstand 4 Q's.
It will allow anOSU to see our team and start to scheme against it. What looks will Loeffler have to use to beat W&M and what will be allowed to stay in the closet until the following week.
I expect to be able to evaluate the team on Saturday and see if they can put it all together the following Saturday. By Sunday of week 2, we'll know how this season and 2015 will go, there will be no more stops to pull out, injuries will be the only thing that alters the landscape from there on out.
really? you expect our first string D-line to play 4 quarters against W&M?
If they play more than 2.5 quarters, we should be concerned. Not REAL concerned, and not about solely the D, as it could be because of offensive flounderings, but hmm... concerned. I don't expect us to be concerned at all.
His name is Jonathan French?!
Season Prediction: 9-3 with losses to anOSU, and some combination of Miami/Pitt/UNC/GT.
Key Matchup: UNC. I think UNC has the tools to compete for the Coastal this year, and I think they'll be better than the other big matchup we have against Miami.
Breakout Player: Ford. So much excitement about him. A freshman RB. I'm interested in seeing whether Fuller & Facyson have a sophomore slump.
All these legal names has taken the mystery from my universe.
There goes my Tuesday.
It's like when you're in third grade and see your teacher out at a restaurant.
"Wait, you mean this is a real, regular person?!?"
I agree. These real names are ruining my perceptions of our favorite TKP/internet personalities. What's next, they turn out to be real people too??
I always thought of French as a walking Computer.
When I saw his full name, my mind immediately cut to an image of someone asking for "Mr. French". Then, for some absolutely random reason, this guy popped into my head:
I like the name Pierson Booher. Is he an author? A spy? An internationally famous geneticist? A Mediterranean playboy? I'm guessing all of these things. And more.
13-0
Sam Rogers
13-0 - why not? I Like it!
Hey guys, thanks for takin' my call!
I gotta question for Joel. Hey Joel, is your handle "Joelestra" to sound like that soybean oil that was popular some years back on account of its low fat content and the impact it had on many'a uninformed American's lower bowel regions? Joelestra = Olestra?
I'm gonna hang up and listen to ya sort it out. Go Hokies.
-click-
Great question from a regular caller.
Yes, the name is an adaptation from that very substance and continues to be funny. "Hey, we just made this fat substitute that's marginally healthier! Now I should probably tell you it might give you horrible intestinal discomfort, gas, and diarrhea..."
...may cause artificial insemination.
(RIP Mr. Williams)
Have to agree with French unfortunately, we are so talented and yet so inexperienced at so many places that anything from 6-6 to 12-0 would not surprise me. I am going to split the difference at 9-3 with loses to *, Pitt or UNC, and our annual no way in hell we should lose this game but we loose it game. Regardless I think we are moving in the right direction and the next year or two has the chance to be really special. LETS GO HOKIES, # Bill & Mary!
My nerves and heart are already going haywire and we haven't even started the season yet. The fact that this team has a legitimate chance to make some noise this year, yet has a very legitimate chance of only getting 5-7 wins is scary. I think the ECU game is going to be the game that shows how this season will turn out. Im scared and excited. And where is my anxiety medicine?
Here ya go:
picking some of that up on Thursday or Friday.
Rare Breed is one of my favorites
Considering Bucky will be 9' tall by game 3, I'll go with him as my breakout player. Unstoppable matchup.
16-0 SUPER BOWL HTTR
wait wrong team
12-0 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOKIESSSSSSSSSS
Season Prediction: I think we all are thinking the same thing: ??????????????????? In otherwords, we have NO idea what we're gonna look like. That being said, I think I tend to lean toward the more optimistic. I think we once again play a big time foe tough but don't quite pull it off at OSU. I think we drop one to Pitt, just because it's Pitt. I think our next loss is to FSU in the ACCCG. So 10-3 overall
Regular Season Record: 10-2, for reasons stated above.
Key Matchup: I think it has to be ECU. Not an ACC game, but I think it comes at a critical juncture in the season, just after the OSU game. Win, and it sets the tone for the ACC opener. Lose, and it could be the emotional downer that sends us spiraling toward 7-5.
Breakout Player: I'm going with one on O & one on D. Offensively, I think it's going to be Ryan Malleck. Defensively, I'm going with Chase Williams. I know French has been a bit concerned with him, but I think he settles in and becomes a solid anchor.
I agree with the thought that the season could swing between 6 & 13 wins, however I'll play the blind optimistic (which is what a Hokie fan does) and lean more toward double digit wins. IF our offense can just creep up to somewhere around 60th in the country, this would allow our defense a little bit of a break because they shouldn't be put in bad field position the entire game and thus not be exhausted by the 4th qtr.
12 -1 with the one loss probably in Pitt, since we have not won there since MV played.
So UNC has us sandwiched between Clemson and Norte Dame (I believe) and we have Pitt after a bye week and these are the games people think we drop??? Not unless we haven't gotten any better since the last two years.
I can see a loss to OSU but I think we come out fighting and make a game of it. ECU always scares me. I hope we end that series soon. I don't know who else I honestly think we'll lose to. 10-2 11-1.
Really Mark?? Duke??? Two years in a row?? They don't have one of thier qb's and the OC from last year is gone. No way no how. In all honesty we gave duke that game. We had how many missed field goals, LT decided to match Duke INT for INT and we were still in it at the end of the game only lost by three.
The record books might prove me wrong, but memory says that we don't really gain any benefit from our bye weeks. Seems like the consensus has been that we sometimes deflate with the long stretch between games. As for Duke, they've been playing us tight for a while, as has UNC. Both project to be upper tier ACC as well, so it makes sense to consider them as tough games.
Here's how I value ACC projections...
Didn't we play Duke after a bye week last year?
Do you like peanuts?
Only in my coke.
... not going to lie, this confused me
Our key game is anOSU. Why? Because a win or almost-win (and I believe we'll see one or the other) will give the team the confidence that it can compete with anyone in the country.
10-2 with losses to 2 of anOSU/Pitt/UNC. And, I want to go on record as saying we are NOT losing to Duke.
Undefeated at Lane for the first time in a while and Charlotte-bound.
The breakout player will be Brewer and the breakout coach will be Loeffler. Give both of these guys the weapons they need to do their jobs and you'll witness the return of something resembling a competent offense in 2014 and the stage will be set for a dynamic offense and seat at the playoffs table in 2015. Just like we were in the NCG the 2nd year of BCS, we'll be there again in the 2nd year of the playoff era. Wait for it....and go Hokies!
Season prediction: I'm excited and scared. It's strange. yadda yadda...floor...ceiling... yadda yadda. You're all very well of the outcomes so I won't beat a dead horse (no offense HOAT) Anyway, I think with good ball protection and some talented receivers, we see a turn around for the offense. At least top 50. (I'm calling it!) and *fingers crossed* a top 10 defense again.
Final regular season record: 10-2. Loss to anOSU and...? (so help me God if its Pitt or ECU..)
Breakout player: iFord. I think that kid is going to be a blessing.
This schedule feels a lot like 2007 to me. Improved offense, talented defense, and a weak ACC slate make me feel good about this year. A loss at anOSU (similar to LSU), drop one game on the ACC slate (@UNC or Pitt) and roar back to a spot in the ACC Championship. I think we surprise either FSU or our bowl opponent and get back to cranking out solid Virginia Tech seasons.
Prediction: 11-3
Breakout Player: Chase Williams. Someone has to replace Jack Tyler's production at Mike. Who better than the least flashy player on defense that every OC will overlook?
Ugh, let's hope it's not similar to the LSU game. If it is, we won't go 10-2.
Season Prediction: I think this team will answer some questions early with a win on Saturday and a competitive effort against the Buckeyes in Columbus. The offense will be better, and I think we'll see that a little later in the season (Ohio State's D-Line was just ranked #1 in the country by ESPN, so I see the inexperienced line having their hands full with that). Overall, I think we'll finish this year at 10-2. With the right start, this team will be encouraged/inspired/whatever you want to say, but the attitude seems to be a bit more focused on winning, not competing. I think we drop a close game in Columbus and the road trip to UNC (their speed is rather good.)
Final Regular Season Record: 10-2
Key Matchup: Have to go with Georgia Tech as well. It will show just how far this defense has come if they can really pick up the necessary schemes on a short week after the air show that ECU runs. Offensively, we'll have seen the team against an FCS team, a top-tier defensive front, and then a high-end defensive front from last year in ECU. The GT game should indicate if the offense has come together a bit or is still looking for consistency.
Breakout Performer: My pick here is going to be Deon Newsome. Maybe not at the highest priority role, but hopefully he can bring at least some semblance of a return game back and make some plays out of the backfield or in the slot. Seems like his speed has impressed, so hopefully we get to see it on display.
Of note, OSUs great DE Noah Spence (VT recruited hard) will not play against us because of a 2 game suspension. Their great DT, Michael Bennett, has nearly identical numbers as Lu Maddy. While OSU has a great DL, I'm not sure it's #1 in the country good (especially without Spence) and their D overall isn't significantly better, if at all, than VT. They do have better depth, so we need to be healthy.
I'm going to go with 10-2 with losses to Ohio St. and either Pitt or North Carolina and winning the Coastal. Even without Miller and a pretty much new O-Line, the fact that we are playing OSU at the Horseshoe still gives the Buckeyes the edge I think. I'm saying losses to either UNC or Pitt simply because they're both road games and we lost at both venues in 12'. Honestly I'm leaning more towards losing to UNC because Pitt has a new QB and no Aaron Donald. Actually seeing this Hokies offense with Brewer under center could go a long way in changing my mind.
Key Game for me is Ohio State simply because I really don't know what to make of this team (especially on offense). If we go into one of the largest stadiums in the nation and give a great effort and keep it competitive, I'll feel pretty good about this season. The conference schedule is what it is: GT has the triple option which always gives worries since that 09' game; UNC and Miami always have talent, but haven't been able to put it together so who knows with them.
Instead of Breakout Player, I'm going with the most important: Michael Brewer. If he has a good grasp of Loeffler's offense and can hold on to the football, we will be fine. Remember that VT would've been a 10-win team last year if not for 8 turnovers by LT3 against Dook and BC, and we actually outgained those teams yardage wise by a significant amount. So it comes down to #12 making smart decisions and leading this team.
I truly believe we beat OSU. Their offense changes dramatically without Miller, they didn't just lose their QB, they lost their RB when he went down too. That's tough to replace.
With picking Ohio State to win, it's more about us than them. I think our defense can shut them down, but as we saw against Alabama last year that's not everything...That being said, those missing pieces greatly level the playing field. I also didn't know that Noah Spence was suspended, which is another plus.
^^Exactly. I still believe against a team like Alabama or Ohio State, regardless of key pieces missing, at this stage of the game, we need to beat them in all 3 phases of the game.
The other thing is there has been a lot of criticism about putting in first teamers on special teams (however I do understand the argument against PR), but many of the great Beamerball plays we know and love, such as the epic punt block against WVU, happened because Beamer balled out and put All-conference players on key special teams plays.
Big risks and big plays will still need to happen in my opinion in order for us to pull out that W.
My head says this is a 9-3 season but my heart is with FifthFuller, as I always hold out some hope that we will run the table. When it comes down to it, though, I can't name the specific losses. Every time I try, I end up talking myself out of a loss against whoever the opponent is. No way we can lose that game, but somehow I doubt we'll be perfect...SHUT UP BRAIN OR I'LL POKE YOU WITH A Q-TIP (cross ref: Simpsons thread).
As for breakout players, I'll go with Stanford on offense and Corey Marshall on defense. Stanford was making great strides at the end of last year and I feel like a good spring and summer will keep his momentum going. Marshall plays an important position for us, and I think he will come into this year with something to prove. Disruptive DTs can go a long way in the VT defensive scheme.
I just can't bring myself to have our guys losing until the ACCCG. Sure, 10-2 or 9-3 sounds more realistic. But I'm going all in to say they'll lose to halFaSsU in the ACCCG. But they will give Crablegs a lot of trouble. Breakout is gonna be none other than David "Paperboy" Byrn. For lunchpail, Ronny.
In the off-the-field predictions department, both Sweat & Tolliver are supposed to be at the OSU game. Perhaps we can affect more than the W-L column.
Like most people, I can see the team anywhere between 6-6 and 12-0 during the regular season. My hope is for at least 10-2. Unfortunately I can see beating anOSU and then coming home and losing to ECU and then a trip up against UNC.
how anyone thinks we'll lose to UNC is beyond me.
I am worried about the playstation offensive numbers they put up in their last 6 games.
Didn't they lose a lot off the OL, and their DL?
All I'm worried about is 1-0. Go Hokies!