This picture hasn't quite gone viral, but is making its way around Twitter via @TaylorTravis15 who wrote, "Alabama's weight room. They have the A&M game playing on every TV as well as the A&M logo on the weight stations.".
Alabama plays Texas A&M on September 14th, 2 weeks after their opener against the Hokies.
Meanwhile in Blacksburg...
My current situation. Bama on my mind pic.twitter.com/ZehHcdEA4E— Luther Maddy (@BigLu_Dolo) July 15, 2013
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Just adding more fuel to the fire. This is too proud of a program to go down without a fight.
I love that our players are putting so much offseason focus on this game. That being said, we don't want another Boise St situation where we put overthing on it, played a FCS game on short rest and lost. Let's hope: 1) we beat Bama!, 2) if we do lose (which I'm sure would be from crappy officiating) we have the senior leadership and new coaching attitude to keep us focused for the rest of the schedule.
while you do raise a good point, just like Bama is too good not to overlook us, I think were at the point that the seniors remember that week and between them and the coaches who do it wont happen. Plus its not a short week, its the standard sat to sat
you're also forgetting the fact that Western Carolina's best season out of their last 4 has been 2-9. In FCS. And they haven't won more than 3 games in a season since going 5-4 in 2005.
If we lose to them, we have some major problems. Much worse than the 2010 loss to a team that will not be named, who was coming off a 6-5 season, played in the FCS final four the year before that, won the whole thing in 2004, and had been running off a string of 6 straight winning seasons.
This is locker room material, for sure. I'm hoping Luther Maddy isn't the only one putting in the wrench time in the film room this offseason.
I'm sure when it comes to actual game prep, Bama will be focused on the matter at hand. The TAMU loss should provide plenty of offseason prep motivation for a team coming off an easy NC victory.
People just dont know nick saben, SMH!
Kenny's my new favorite key player. I'm confused by most of his comments but they all make me laugh.
Maybe it's more that Saban is demanding perfection and A&M was the only blemish on their season last year? I can't see Saban overlooking anybody. However, the A&M logos on the equipment is kind of overboard if the message is only perfection. Hopefully they are overlooking us and we finally win a game I travel to.
I agree, it seems somewhat odd that they would be focusing on that game right now, especially when they have 2 weeks after our game to prep for it.
I am personally hoping to make it 2-for-2. My only VT game away from Lane was 2010 @ Miami, the game where Logan came in on 3rd and 16 and converted.
I dont think it's about Alabama over looking us. Its just to make them angry while they work out. I personally get a better workout at the gym when im stressed or angered about something. Tim smash!
It is hard not to love a tough, hard working kid who is putting the time in to get himself ready for a great season like Luther Maddy.
Saban isn't going to over look us. But as a player that most likely doesn't know our history. They'll look at last years record and having that aTm in their faces the whole time isn't gonna help players not look ahead
So true. Saban will be getting their attention on us leading up to our game, but the 18-21 year old kids are training their attention towards aTm all summer. Gonna be hard for them to change it up if they think that all they have to do is beat aTm and another title will fall in their laps.
been saying this all offseason. the coaches can coach all they want, it's up to the kids on the field. our guys come out with their hair on fire, and their guys come out thinking about johnny football and laughing off these chumps from the acc things could get interesting. maybe our guys should watch the louisville/florida game when not watching bama film.
Watched that game on a tiny little TV in my grandma's house that night. Fantastic game. I've seen it twice more since then. Definitely a good example of David putting a whoopin on Goliath (and then taking his head and slaughtering his brothers, etc. etc.)
Bleacher Report posted this article about the game:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1664817-alabama-football-three-bigges...
Very high quality reporting from the bleacher report, as we've all come to expect. *ahem*... But still, I'd like to see our players take a look at the comments and see if that doesn't start a fire. Definitely some pretty scathing stuff in there.
This article is fuel in and of itself. I looked at it the other day and saw the last 'reason' they gave was this:
Yeah, if this isn't going to light a fire under someone then I'm not sure what will. The threat of A&M two weeks later is a bigger threat to Alabama than VT itself? A&M AIN'T ON THE FIELD! Eat me, BleacherReport
It's still the off-season, so I can't be consider this over-looking VT. However, this motivational ploy may have subliminal consequences on the players, causing them to lack focus against VT. Note to 'Bama players: Keep the hype on aTm, Johnny Football, and forget about those 7-6 Gobblers. Pretty much everyone else in the country already has.
I think this has to do with A&M being the only team that beat them last year than "slighting" the Hokies.
Eh whatever, it adds fuel to the fire.
I don't think Saban will let his guys overlook anyone.
That's because Nick Saban physically can't overlook anyone...
BOOM.
Headshot....
Let's say hypothetically that Tech held on to beat Cincinnati and FSU last year. Tech would of had 8 regular season victories, and likely lost the rematch in the ACCCG and likely gone on to lose the bowl game. The end record would of been 8-5, or 9-4 with a win in the bowl game. Maybe Tech would have won the ACCCG and beat NIU to keep the 10 game streak going.
As a result of that, the former offences coaches would still be offending Tech faithful. Logan, Tone and Gayle would have been more likely to leave early.
I feel more optimistic going into the Bama game coming off our 7-6 record than with the 8-5 or 9-4 records. I really think that last year was the calming before the storm.
I like your attitude.
great points.
I have been saying this the whole offseason, if we won more games last year I guarantee we still have the old coaches and probably lose more players to the draft, we have a lot in store for Everyone this year
How are you guys realistically looking at this Bama game? I see a lot of intangibles pointing our way:
1. We're due in a game like this,
2. They're due to lose a game like this,
3. Overall, we have seen these "dynasties" generally last about this long. Off the top of my head, going back now 20 years, we have seen Nebraska, Tennessee, Miami, Florida (twice), Ohio State, LSU and now Bama reach this point of "they just reload, nobody can beat them" level. Bama looks great, but they could lose a game early and lose some confidence/invincibility, have a key injury or two and lose enough of those tough SEC games to finish 8-4 this year.
But all the other "tangibles" point to us getting frog-stomped.
So, does losing 24-14 leave you satisfied? Or do we really need to win?
I think a close loss in a game like this hurts more than a blowout (and IMO 10 points can be a close game). Kinda like that Duke game when they beat us on the half-court shot. You just feel, as such a big underdog, that in a close game you deserve to win more than the other team.
I hope our players and coaches don't feel like the "deserve" anything. Everything needs to be earned. It looks like the players have gotten that message after they thought they "deserved" a 10 win season last year.
Winning is like the honey badger, it don't give a shit.
I'm not talking about our players. I'm talking about as a fan. A close loss in this kind of game hurts a lot more than a blowout.
Oh I agree with that, I feel like we are due for the chips to fall our way. Let's hope it actually happens.
That may be the best line I've seen on here
"Winning is like the honey badger, it don't give a shit."
I keep beating Bama on the PS3. How hard can it be for VT to do in real life, right?
I keep thinking about the Oklahoma-BYU opener a few years back, where Sam Bradford injured his shoulder and Landry Jones (a Freshman at the time) was forced into action and OU lost. I'm not a fan of winning because of an injury, but it is an element of the "tangibles" argument that cannot be overlooked. Shit happens.
My favorite thing about this picture is that no one is lifting the weights.
They must all be crammed in that new state of the art pool with water fountain.
...The Grotto
My favorite thing about your avatar is that it is Daniel L. Crandall, Caveman Lawyer.
Saban is smart enough to make sure his team is not looking past us. Also, with a bye-week in between games, there is no reason to.
On a side note, Bama's schedule is built for another undefeated run, only real challenging games come after byes: VT (summer break), Texas A&M and LSU. The only game they won't have extra time to prepare for is the SEC Championship.
Well, they will have Auburn...
Oh sh*t we have Auburn's coaches.
This comment boomeranged
I agree that Saban isn't the type to take his daughter lightly in a game of checkers....that being said, Blue Collar Hokie has it correct that the players on the field are the determining factor in whether a team ends up with a W or L. I remember footage from last summer of Saban stalking through the first few practices of camp shouting something to the effect of "I can guarantee you that those Michigan players aren't walking through drills!" But I remember how a certain Hokie team took Pitt too lightly last year after they dropped one to Youngstown State, in spite of CFB's (and I assume the rest of the staff's) warnings about how good Pitt was. So if the players are all lost in thought about how they're going to dismantle Johnny Football and the boys from aTm, let'em dream....we'll be ready.
Can't we just put Saban and Grimes (representing Beamer; let's face it the man's old and in no condition for physical combat) in a room and let em fight? I'd pay to watch that for sure.
Dance-off.
I'm sure it'd look something like this:
and then:
Apropos of nothing, here is A.J. McCarron channeling his inner wahoo....
If you can shred someone like a southern gentleman, McCarron did it. Go for it, McCarron, I'm sick of Manziel being a spoiled little brat. I hope Jadeveon Clowney catches up to Manziel next year.
Eh... if anything, the wahoos take the southern frat boy look and wussify it.
I feel I need to inject some reality into this thread. I'm sure I'll lose some turkey legs for the negativity but there are times when you need to step back and look at what you've got to get a job done. While I have full confidence that we have a defense capable of giving Alabama a harder time than most of their opponents this year--or even ALL of them--our offense is lacking any semblance of ability to score points. Literally the most positive thing I think of is McLaughlin dominating at left tackle and Edwards showing us that he can be Ryan Williams, but aside from that what exactly are we counting on here to score points? Just lock it up folks- this is a loss. I'll note that Ill be attending this game against my better judgment and this post is probably emotional prepwork to get through it.
Excellent call losing turkey legs. Come on dude. Throwing in the towel before the game is even played is disgusting and inexcusable as a "fan." Please save yourself some money and leave your negativity out of Atlanta.
I don't entirely disagree with you, but I do a little. Any team on any day can beat anyone else. That's why they play the game. On paper, and given recent history, I'd say you're right, this looks like a loss. But then again, so did VT vs. USC in 2004, and that game, to quote Lee Corso, was closer than the experts thought. Same with the Sugar Bowl that year vs. Auburn.
The most positive thing I can think of is our attitude, as a team, going into the game. We'll know pretty early on how the game is going to go (see: Last year's MNC). That isn't to say the beginning of the game will dictate the result (see: 1999 MNC vs. FSU, in question until the fourth quarter). I'd expect to see a team that believes they can hang with Alabama. I expect to see a team that comes out with a chip on their collective shoulder. As good as Alabama is, it isn't like their players are ten feet tall and run 3.9s 40s. They're still approximately the same size, approximately the same speed, and we'll both be well-prepared. I expect a game, and while I'm not going to Vegas and predicting a Hokies victory, it isn't locked up. Not by a long shot.
I found myself in the same mind set going into the game vs #1 USC in 04. Kinda the same scenario of coming off a bad season with lots of questions marks. I walked into FedEx thinking we were gonna get clobbered. I was very surprised how are team came out and fought in that game and we had a lead in the 3rd with all the momentum. Even though that was crushed by a horrible pass interference call that swung everything back USCs way and we ended up losing it still goes to show that there is some hope. We just need to maintain a level of hope and believe that we can compete. I know our guys are gonna work their butts off all summer for August 31st. Lets stand behind them with a sense of belief
If there is no sense of belief then why bother even attending?
Why do we think we can beat bama because if you don't think you can you've already lost, we have to be confident and play hard, they're due a loss and were due a break, if we lose NBD but if we win tech will be more than on the map. It's gonna be a hard game and the players on the field will prolly have to play the game of their lives but there's a reason we play the game on the field and not on paper. Just like jmu beat us we can beat bama no team is invincible and the first step to winning.these games is believing you can
I appreciate the encouraging words folks, seriously. To your point about the games you mentioned, Horse, (you posses my personal favorite username by the way) I attended those games and went into each fully believing we were going to win. I think the difference now is that we may be at our lowest point of reconstruction against the latest #1 team. I think you hit it on the head by saying you really can't look at this on paper--its just plain ugly. I was sort of hoping someone would throw out some stats or come up with an angle I hadn't considered--but there really isn't one. So with that I will denounce my last post and hope for a victory. There is no backing out of Atlanta....ticket is already locked up.
Thanks. I mentioned it to a buddy of mine, saying, "HorseOnATreadmill would be the greatest TKP username of all time". So he signed up. I convinced him to let me post under it when he had 2 turkey legs. Got the password. Changed it. Boom. 1000 turkey legs later...
1000 turkey legs later, I have the opportunity to confirm you're correct. There is no backing out. There is only sacking up. Go to Atlanta. And bring everything you've got with you.
ill give you one angle you might not have considered....bud fuckin foster...him and beamer are like the patches o'houlihans of football
i'm going, and i dont think we'll win either. but i do know that we can win. i'll be living and dying with every play but as long as our guys fight hard i'll be proud of them. either way i'm gonna be super hammered and raising some serious hell down in ATL.
go tech #beatbama (but if we dont it wont ruin my whole weekend)