Grant Hinton wrote a very interesting article over on Grantland.
He identified one thing teams don't have to have: a proven QB. While no one doubts Brewer's toughness, and he gave some clutch performances last year to be sure, too many picks last year definitely means he's not in the proven QB category.
5 Essential Traits(in reverse order from the article):
1. Creative Scoring: CHECK, Beamerball, baby!
2. A Stellar Secondary: CHECK, can we get a double check on this one?
3. A Def line of Doom: CHECK, Maddy, Dadi, Ken & Corey, welcome to Sacksburg!
4. A First term coach: Hmm, getting iffy here. Does Scott Loeffler being in his 1st term as our OC count? Half a check.
5. Elite Recruiting: Umm, no. But, this year for the Hokies there seems to be a sort of harmonic convergence with more, deeper offensive talent plus experience, to go along with our always stalwart lunch pail D, combined with the Bud Foster effect. I'm going to go out on a limb and give us half a check mark on this one, with my homer glasses firmly in place.
What does 4 checks out of 5 get us? That and $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
But, it might also mean we have the foundation for what could be a very special season in Blacksburg.
Comments
So 3.5/5?
Two half checks, on items 4 & 5, together make one.
Yeah but if we're really being honest with ourselves, I'd say it's 3.5 haha.
Not even a half check on 5. If you look at all the winners of the natty they have classes in the top 10. We don't even sniff that.
2000 OU didn't.
Well there you go, 15 years ago. Clearly that isn't how they are won anymore.
I think with a playoff instead of the flawed SEC BCS we will see another.
Um, those SEC teams were the best, come on. They also happen to get the best recruiting classes, hmm.
I wouldn't even give creative scoring a check anymore
Been a long while since Beamerball was rolling in its true form
Stroman!
We had a couple pick sixes and that blocked punt TD (against LOLUVA). Hardly our heyday but still probably above average for non-offensive scoring
Bucky needs to be on the punt block team. Right in the middle.
He is. He recovered the blocked punt in the endzone against LOLUVA last year
I thought I was over it, but this just makes me cry..
There should be a caveat for "creative scoring" that says "in addition to regular scoring".
I think that would fall under the prerequisites of teams that win games. :)
Nailed it.
creative scoring would be a 1/2 check at best. We don't score as much on defense/special teams as we used to and we know our offense isn't scoring much, hopefully this year that changes.