Here's the relevant excerpt from the Brett McMurphy story at ESPN.com (http://espn.go.com/colleges/tamu/story/_/id/9175735/louisville-cardinals...).
The Cardinals also had an outside shot to open the season against reigning champion Alabama in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
Alabama will play Virginia Tech, but the Hokies considered withdrawing from the game if quarterback Logan Thomas left early for the NFL draft. Louisville would have replaced Virginia Tech, but Thomas returned for his senior season.
Giannotto reported that's hogwash according to a Tech official.
A VT official refuted claim from Louisville story by @mcmurphyespn. Said #Hokies planned to play Alabama even if Thomas declared for draft.— Mark Giannotto (@HokiesJournal) April 16, 2013
McMurphy has proven himself to be pretty credible, as he doesn't miss often. However, I have a hard time believing his story. I can't think of a time where Beamer\Weaver downgraded the schedule (someone correct me if I'm wrong). By my memory, they've always bumped non-conference games in favor of marquee matchups for the national exposure. Moreover, backing out of a game 9 months out is borderline unprofessional, even in a ruthless industry, which isn't how Beamer Co. does business. Maybe I'm biased here, what do y'all think?
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...which explains exactly why the 'Neers backed out of their game against the Criminoles.
best part is that if it is true, LT3 didn't leave so we can refute the claim forever
Perhaps the CFA people wanted LT3 &VT, but not VT only? The rumormill does strange things to the facts. I find it hard to fathom that we'd back out of a game because one man left.
I wonder if it was actually the other way around. If LT3 leaves, then Louisville's AD could try to pressure the game's officials to replace us with Louisville. In that case, it would be a much more attractive matchup, no? If you're in charge of the game, who would you want - Louisville, coming off a BCS win and with a star quarterback, or VT, coming off a disappointing year and losing its star player? This is just thinking out loud, based on no information whatsoever. It just seems to me that Louisville is very much a program on the rise and wants to have a shot at anyone to try to get their foot in the door of the higher echelon.
methinks you may be onto something here...
I don't think Weaver would toss aside a big pay out
well said, exactly
I realize Louisville is seen as a rising program, but I cannot imagine The Frankinator and company backing away from a challenge against Alabama simply because of Logan Thomas.
Is this bad this makes me extremely mad? I hate being underestimated. Just makes me want #beatbama more than ever.
The only time I remember a downgrade schedule was I am thinking 04. We were suppose to play at LSU after hosting them at home in 03, but the game was bumped to 07 because Beamer did not want to play LSU after the USC game back to back. This was a mistake in my opinion as the 04 team would of had a better chance at that win. We were screwed with a phantom pass interference call against USC. The game in 07 was a Glennon disaster and Tyrod's red shirt was burned, but it was to late. I hope I have the years right.
I know for sure they burned Tyrod's redshirt in 08 but I'm not sure about 07. You maybe right though.
It was definitely 07. There were thoughts about redshirting him in 08 again, but that also fell through.
http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?id=272510099
They did in 08 but after ECU they burned it. http://hamptonroads.com/2008/09/quarterback-tyrod-taylor-jumps-back-hoki...
We burned his shirt both seasons. The plan was to shirt him in 07, we didn't play Tyrod in the ECU game in 07, but we burned the shirt in the 2nd half of the LSU game. We then planned to reshirt Tyrod in 08. I don't think he even dressed for the ECU game in Charlotte. Then we lose that game and the coaches decided to burn the shirt. So in short, we burned Tyrod's shirt both seasons.
i was drunkenly yelling"BURN THE SHIRT FRANK" the whole time in charlotte.
i like to think i influenced his decision
it was hot that day
I thought about 2004, and I considered it a push, not a downgrade. Either way, that has to be one of our most regrettable losses of all-time. This call still pisses me off.
That's up there with the Danny Coale catch as worst calls in VT history.
I'm still bitter about the GT game in '09 when the ref turned the ball, incidentally causing the once short measurement on 4th down to reach the marker and give the other nerds the first down.
I sense a "worst call in VT football history" thread and/or bracket coming up...
As bad as the Danny Coale catch reversal was, I had more of a problem with the PI call and replay reversal on J. Hosley's two interceptions in the Michigan Sugar Bowl.
Yeah, it was just a terrible throw and the reciever fell down, so the ref seemed to assume that Jayron had interfered. I think the Coale catch was more like a culmination of all the crappy calls all game though.
Actually, the more I think about it the play I had the biggest problem with was when they blew David Wilson down when only his wrist had touched the ground. He would have had first down which would have essentially ended the game. Instead they called him down and then on the next play Danny Coale tried that fake punt.
The whole wrist being down issue has always confused me. They call it so inconsistent that it's hard to know what the actual rule is. I always thought the rule was: if the wrist touches the ground and the palm is facing upward then the player is down but if the wrist touches with the palm to the ground then the player is still alive because it's essentially the hand touching the ground. I don't quite remember the D.Wilson play so I'm not sure if what I'm saying applies but your mention of his wrist got me thinking.
Interesting page I found when looking it up: http://www.illegalshift.com/2011/01/11/review-of-dj-williams-michael-dye...
I'm kinda glad that I wasn't a VT fan back then because I might have put something through my TV. It is indescribable how bad that call was. What makes me even more pissed, is how the commentators are sure the refs are right, and then don't even back down that much when they see the replay. Grow a pair.
Doesn't look like much and probably should have been a no call, but at the same time it kind of looks like Hyman has his hand on the DBs right side, which is real time to the ref, probably looked like a cradle and push off. Refs get these calls wrong all the time, part of the human error.
That goddamned pass interference call. I'm pretty sure that's the first time my dad ever heard me use a four letter word. And by my dad, I mean everyone within 100 feet. And by a four letter word, I mean the most lengthy string of expletives this side of a shipyard.
Wow god I remember that pass interference it was total bullshit...years later my roommate who is a USC grad claims it never happened what a nightmare...Being a hokie is tough we have had to stomach some serious bullshit...
In fact I am starting to regret joining this website...it just makes me frustrated...we better #beatbama like...I...know...we...will...
In the second quarter, Randall burned the Trojans with his arm. He went 5-for-5 for 65 yards during a 10-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Josh Hyman. The 17½-point underdog Hokies, unranked entering the season for the first time since 1998, took a 10-7 lead into halftime.
The Hokies had things going their way in the second half, too, until an offensive pass interference call on Hyman wiped out a long gain and led to a punt.
"The momentum just switched right there," Randall said.
USC took advantage on the next possession, sending Bush deep for the lead.
xavier adibi, who was playing in his first game, did a solid job of covering bush. then he tore his bicep. that's when leinart and bush starting hooking up for deep plays. that was the game more than the pi call.
Sort of. If the official doesn't throw that flag, its 1st and 10 from around the 15 yard line. We had success moving the ball against them and we would have at least put up 3 more if not 7. Instead, it becomes 2nd and very long and we ended up having to punt. If I recall correctly, Bryan was sacked after the PI call. That call changed the game. Completely took the air out of our sails.
Oh 1 of Bush's TD's was when both X and Hall were in, they came inside on a blitz, they threw a inside screen to Bush that he took to the house.