Slept On It: Ohio State

It's probably better that I didn't start writing at 2:00 AM on Sunday morning. Admittedly, I wanted to. Like the rest of you, I was so overcome with elation and pride that I had trouble sitting still. A satisfying win quickly morphed into that inevitable moment after a wedding reception wraps up and everyone is happy drunk and milling around trying to figure out how to keep the party going. Longtime friends and people that met 4 hours prior are telling one another how much they love each other. After consecutive underwhelming campaigns, Hokie Nation had been starved for a moment like that.

Traditionally, Hokie fans have been quick to come to the defense of both this team and our school against the perceived lack of national attention. If anything, it's as though the sub-par performance of the last two seasons has rationalized much of the fan base. We still have incredible pride for our school, but that quasi-middle child syndrome that bemoaned the consistent lack of respect has subsided as a result of the significant transition our program is currently undergoing. Many have never stopped believing in this program. With the advent of the college football playoff, those understood that results on the field would ultimately speak for themselves.

It was evident 2013 was going to be a transitional season, but hopes were buoyed by the talented upperclassman leading the team. With those players gone, we entered 2014 optimistic that the coaching changes and recent influx of talent would begin to pay immediate dividends. I'm not sure anyone expected anything quite like Saturday night.

While there were a number of exceptional individual performances against the Buckeyes, make no mistake that this was a complete effort by the entire team and coaching staff. Defensively, guys like Kyshoen Jarrett and Deon Clarke played out of their minds, seemingly involved in play after play.

Jarrett set the tone on the very first Buckeye drive, getting involved in each of the first three defensive snaps and helping force a quick three-and-out. He made a huge block to help spring freshman Greg Stroman on a long punt return, and did his best Torii Hunter impression to nab two picks playing centerfield in the Hokies' 3rd Down defense.

Deon Clarke smelled blood, flew around the ball from the outset and hit OSU QB J.T. Barrett so frequently in the 4th that he surely haunted his dreams the same way Dadi haunted Tom Savage's last October. Many predicted Clarke was ready to break out this season, and boy did he pick a great time to show the Hokie faithful what coaches have been gushing over for the last two years.

Yet while these individual performances jump off the screen and the stat sheet, none of it would have been possible were it not for the standout effort of the rest of the defense. Dadi Nicolas and Ken Ekanem were relentless coming off the edge and tackles Luther Maddy and Nigel Williams were phenomenal in their pursuit on outside rushes. Chuck Clark, who was targeted early on a pair of deep balls, showed great poise and had a solid second half.

Offensively, the Hokies found tough sledding against the uber-talented Buckeyes front-four. I give a lot of credit to offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler, who continued to find ways to run the football and keep the OSU defense on its toes. Though Shai McKenzie and Marshawn Williams were unable to repeat their performances of a week ago, the Juice got loose on a key touchdown run in the first half and consistently fought hard after initial contact. Bucky and the Wild Turkey happened. And while I was giddy over the prospect of seeing Bucky unleash a 50 yard bomb after a play fake, I loved the tag-team he formed with J.C. Coleman in that package. "Thunder & Lightning 2.0" is the obvious nickname for that pairing, but I'd like to propose "Twins."

The question I have for all of you is: "Do you think the Hokies could have won Saturday's game with someone other than Michael Brewer under center?" We've seen two games from Brewer thus far and he has been exactly as billed, if not more. If you remember, a few weeks ago Michael's father Robert candidly summarized what Michael would bring to this Hokie football team:

"He'll underwhelm you. I'll tell you that right now. He's not big and he's not fast. He's got a good, little quick first step or two and he can get away from the rush and he does good when he flushes because he keeps his eyes downfield for an opportunity before he runs. He can make a first down with his feet, but he's a little bit oversold on being a dual threat quarterback. He's just mobile enough.

But what he does well, once he gets comfortable -- and again, he's in a transition up there, so it could take a little while and I don't know if he'll win the job -- but he manages. He's a quarterback. He manages things. He doesn't turn the ball over a lot. They all have turnovers, but he understands you've got to make first downs. If you're ahead or behind, down and distance kinds of things, that's what he's good at.

Hopefully he just blends into the furniture, but when the dust settles they got in the end zone one or two more times than the other team. He's a manager, so he's not going to overwhelm you. I will say he's an accurate thrower of the football. When he has time, I think he's a very good passer."

At the time of that quote, many felt like Brewer was the frontrunner in the quarterback battle with Mark Leal despite the lack of information coming out of the program. Though underwhelming, the senior Brewer's assessment of his son was well received by fans.
Think about it: For the better part of the last seven years, this program has been led by quarterbacks that possessed unparalleled physical attributes that added a unique, game changing facet to the Hokie offense. While both Tyrod Taylor and Logan Thomas were surrounded by a number of talented players, the offense was characterized by each of their individual skillsets; whether it was Tyrod's ability to extend plays with his feet, or Logan's ability to physically overpower defenders.

Physically, Michael Brewer doesn't do anything exceptionally well. The dude can't even grow a decent beard. But much like the 2004 Hokies under Bryan Randall, this team didn't need a transcendent talent under center. The 2014 Hokies needed a poised, headstrong leader with the ability to execute Loeffler's offensive scheme and utilize the bevy of playmakers around him. Brewer's first half performance was exceptional, and by halftime I was convinced this entire article would be devoted to the moxie that he exuded.

Brewer repeatedly made big-time throws on third down, moved well in the pocket and commanded the huddle. After consecutive fourth quarter turnovers and multiple big hits, Brewer remained calm and led the Hokie offense down the field for the go-ahead score on another fade route to Hodges in the endzone. On the ropes in a hostile environment in front of a national audience? No problem.

If I had one takeaway from Saturday's game, it was that Brewer has the right makeup to lead this Hokies team. He understands what it takes to succeed and what is required out of him to maximize the performance of those around him. His physical and mental toughness set the tone for the entire offense, and he has thus far displayed an ability to withstand football's inherent tribulations. As Bucky Hodges noted postgame, "We've got a lot of confidence in him. He never has a bad demeanor. He's always up. He never got down one point in this game."

This was a big time win for a program desperately yearning for one. It's importance goes beyond national perception; while the victory is sure to have an immediate impact on the recruiting trail, it has the opportunity to launch this team and those currently on the roster to another level. Coach Beamer admitted as much following the win.

"If we don't take anything off of it and build off of it, it doesn't mean anything. It's not a conference game. It's a big game. It's a national game. But we need to take this and keep on building. And I think with as many young guys as we've got, we can keep on taking steps. So we'll see. That's the goal right now."

This Saturday will be another stiff test against a team that has always played us tough. I don't want to forget what happened at the 'Shoe Saturday night, but I certainly don't want to see it go to waste.